Jenice Armstrong: Thrill of the drill: "Drumline Live" at the Merriam

AS A GRADUATE of a historically black college, my hands-down favorite part of going to football games was halftime. I loved watching the bands as members high-stepped through intricate formations, sometimes even putting down their musical instruments to better perform the latest bump and grind.

Sitting in the stands, my friends and I used to scream like maniacs, not even bothering to listen to the music. That was a long time ago, but I still smile whenever I think of those brisk fall days watching Howard University's football team inevitably lose, only to be cheered up when the marching band came onto the field.

So it doesn't surprise me that somebody smart figured out this art form is compelling enough to bring to the stage. "Drumline Live" is the result and it is booked into the Merriam Theater tonight and tomorrow.

Frankly, I wonder if the magic can be recreated in a theatrical setting. I mean, if I stand up and scream the way I used to at Howard, is some cranky old usher going to shush me?

And what if I feel the urge to start dancing? Are the people behind me going to complain?

But from what I've seen of show snippets on YouTube, the HBCU magic lives.

Just don't expect to see a theatrical re-enactment of the 2002 hit movie "Drumline" starring Nick Cannon and directed by Philadelphian Charles Stone III. "Drumline Live" is a whole other thing.

"Anybody that is expecting to see the movie, 'Drumline,' I warn you that 'Drumline Live' is even better," said Don Roberts, who was a band consultant to the film and is the creator and director of the theatrical show. "While it does have highlights from the movie . . . this exceeds the movie in terms of excitement and energy."

He added, "We want to introduce the HBCU experience to the world."

"We can't do the exact same things onstage as on the field," admitted Brian Snell, a former drum major at Florida A&M University and the show's assistant musical director.

Because of the realities of moving from the football field to an inside performance space, there have been considerable adjustments. For instance, band members stand on risers for better visibility; in some performances, producers use video screens to give audiences another perspective; and routines that might have incorporated 100 band members are abandoned for drills for four.

"We are not doing those pageantry-type drills, [but] more standard precision drilling," explained Snell, who serves as the show's drum major.