Last spring, Rhythm Entertainment Group first presented its performance of intense and high-energy drumming to a Tuscaloosa audience. The group, which is made up of UA’s top six percussionists, will return to the stage on Tuesday night at 7:30 with glow-in the-dark drumsticks, glow paint, glow drums and plenty of crazy stick tosses at the Bama Theatre downtown.
Scott Radock, the founder and director of REG, said the group went “bigger and better this year” with their sequel show, “Rhythmagic: The Discovery.” This year’s show mixes salsa, techno and epic music with kid-friendly skits, different props and a variety of instruments.
The group calls the performance a new type of entertainment, and they hope the audience Tuesday night will discover the magic of rhythm, percussion and intense movement during the 90-minute show.
REG also plans to donate proceeds from the event to benefit Tuscaloosa tornado relief efforts. They are donating 10 percent of the ticket cost to Give Tuscaloosa, but REG’s manager, Sara Kolodziejczak, said they plan to donate $1,000 extra if the event sells out the Bama Theatre, which seats 1,064 people.
“We have to ask ourselves, what is magic?” Radock said. “And magic is seeing stuff you have never seen before.”
While groups such as The Blue Man Group and STOMP are similar to REG, Radock said they are different in that they show all forms of percussion in instruments such as the marimba, vibraphone and a drum line. He said as the top six percussionists at the University, they all possess a passion for live performance, acting and, of course, drumming.
Group member Derrill Koelz agreed.
“We have become a professional group,” Koelz said. “We can all go out there and perform professionally, but we have all the talent in one place…it’s really a magical thing.”
While the group wants to maintain an element of surprise for the Tuesday night show, the audience should expect roughly 30-feet-tall blacklights, multiple drum sets and glowing mallets, with multiple glow-in-the-dark accents around the set.
Kolodziejczak is also excited for the Danny Gottlieb Quartet to perform before and after the show in the Greensboro Room. The group’s jazz album, “Sweet Home Tuscaloosa,” will be available for purchase.
While the group’s performance was a hit last year, Kolodziejczak believes more glow-in-the-dark elements will set “Rythmagic: The Discovery” apart.
“It’s become much bigger than I expected,” Koelz said. “After all, we are just a bunch of drummers playing with glow-in-the-dark sticks.”
Admission for the show is $10, and tickets will be available at the Bama Theatre April 2-3 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
