t"Blast! rocked the Wang Theater Wednesday night. It’s not Riverdance or Stomp, but it’s right up there in that league. It's an object lesson proving that true spectacle cannot be contained on a television screen (Blast! was contending with Survivor Wednesday night.) The spectacle, making its North American tour debut here, is an exuberant 15-number show that doesn't falter while bridging the categories of classical, blues, jazz, rock n roll, and techno-pop music. Blast! stands, blows, pounds, marches, and whirls with panache. It sent what seemed to be a full house into repeated bursts of cheering and applause. The thrill of seeing sheer virtuosity in a different kind of art form. It is entertainment of a high order." -Bruce McCabe, Boston Globe   "The presence of musical performers on a PBS pledge drive has never argued for artistic quality. Whether it be superannuated opera trios, blinds tenors, blarney tenors, music theater divas …the appeal has always been depressingly middle of the road. But now there's Blast! It’s hard to know what to call this extravaganza but this viewer was bedazzled from the first minute. The visual element is stunning. The breathless pace never let up. But this is what I liked most. Here were all these terrific instrumentalists (60 of them), most of them classically trained. Far from seeming like band geeks, they came across as the coolest, sexiest of stars. What's the last time that happened?" -Ellen Pfeifer, The Boston Phoenix   "Blast! blasted off in it North American premiere last night exploding into the Wang Center. It has the potential to become the next "hot" entertainment phenomenon like Riverdance. But unlike these European creations Blast! is uniquely American. It is exciting, energetic, inventive, unique and intriguing." -Nancye Tuttle, Lowell Sun   "Ireland gave us Riverdance, England produced Stomp. Now comes the American contribution to the music-in-motion movement. The audience went wild. Blast! is a joyous musical celebration. For the next few days you have a chance to see something that the rest of the world will soon be talking about." -R.J. Donovan, ShowBiz Boston   "Blast!—as explosive as a fireworks finale over the Charles River, this is perhaps the most aptly titled production ever to grace the stage. It is nearly impossible to discuss the spectacle without mentioning its wildly successful peers Stomp and Riverdance. Yet, Blast! moves the genre into entirely uncharted territory. It is nothing short of a revolution." -Boston City Search   "Intense choreography performed with astounding precision. BLAST! is simply stunning." -Cuong P. Hoang, South End News, Boston   "An innovative and exuberant musical journey! Start lining up for tickets!" -Billboard Magazine   “The dazzling spectacle appropriately titled “Blast!” …is picture perfect. The opening night audience greeted the show’s pulsating pageantry with the excitement of a successful NASA ground crew. Blast! is a soaring takeoff to new frontiers of sight and sound.” -Jules Becker, Telegram and Gazette   “Whoa! Talk about a religious experience.” -Bob Tremblay, Metrowest Daily News   “Wildly creative, exhaustingly energized two-hour show that is sound and motion from front to finish.” -Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel   “The only word that comes to mind is ‘incredible." “Word of advice: Do not miss this show.” -Katy J. Vopal, Time Out Milwaukee   “It almost makes you believe in magic.” -Martin F. Kohn, Detroit Free Press   “Rhythmically Intoxicating! This is Great Theatre!” -Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times   “’Blast!’ And a truer word was never spoken. A terrific good time … explosive entertainment. It is indeed a blast.” -Richard Christiansen, Chicago Tribune   “One of the most delightful shows of the year! You never want it to end!” -Dean Richards, WGN   “The electrifying, visceral appeal of Blast! is hard to overestimate, and apparently hard to resist, given that it is sold out. Little wonder. No rock show can top this – not in musicianship, not in sheer mesmerizing drive, not even in lighting and special effects. In short, “Blast!” is a show that lives up to every letter in its title, right down to the exclamation point.” -Gary A. Panetta, Star Journal (Peoria)   “An explosive musical blowout. …A thrill ride. …It’s about the rush of energetic thrills put forth.…Blast! ultimately leaves its audience begging for more.” -Kevin C. Johnson, Post-Dispatch (Saint Louis)   “A potent combination of bravura musicianship, breathless prop-spinning and flawless precision drill melded with sometimes frankly erotic choreography, the fresh-faced young cast held a audience rapt in a near-constant state of delirium. …I was helpless in the path of this visual and aural juggernaut, which far outdoes its elders with youthful energy and cocky panache.” -Kevin Nance, The Tennessean   “Blast! is filled with color, spectacle, youthful energy and the sound of great brass and percussion playing. Visually, the show is stunning.” -Ken Glickman, Lansing State Journal   “[Blast! is] a youthful, joyful enthusiasm that is absolutely contagious.” -John Hayes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette   “Blast! [is] slick, seamless, well-rehearsed and razor-sharp entertainment … a tumult of impressions that engage eye, ear and emotion.” -Alice T. Clark, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review   “Enough energy to light a city. … Blast! carries the day on good humor and high spirits, precision and music.” -Jim Seavor, the Providence Journal   “Blast! is a blast of pure entertainment….and you’ve never seen anything quite like it.” -Marion Garmel, Indianapolis Star   “Remember the last show you saw that got a standing ovation? Now try to think of one that had the audience on its feet – at intermission. They stepped, strutted, stomped, romped, ran rung, hung, flung, flew, threw and played their way through 16 numbers (17 if you count the percussion encore in the lobby that stopped the departing crowd in its collective tracks). It was Blast! and it was fantastic…. That said, the show is a cacophony of color and creativity – a musical montage offering nearly two hours of stimuli.” -Jan Perry, Cincinnati Post   “The Blast! cast is young, cheerful, energetic, attractive – and talented…they seem to personify what we hold dear.” -Jackie Demaline, The Cincinnati Enquirer   new york quotes "WHAT A CAST, WHAT A BLAST! Their high spirits and enthusiasm are as great as their talent. An exhilarating evening." -Daily News   "BLAST! REALLY TAKES OFF! Glittering brass, perfectly synchronized movement, and a precision the Rockettes might envy." -New York Post   "BLAST! LIVES UP TO ITS NAME‹AND THEN SOME! A terrific show. Joyful, breathtaking, intense musical excellence." -The Star-Ledger   "A REAL BLAST! These kids are so good, just about every number will leave you breathless and clapping for more. An exhilarating night in the theater." -WOR-AM   "GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! A SURE-FIRE HIT. This joyous explosion of music, movement and light packs a definite punch. The only problem is in trying to describe just exactly what it is. A freewheeling fusion of then and now. As edgy and cool as the latest music video. Nothing short of breathtaking. BLAST! dazzles the eye, thrills the ear and stirs the spirit." -The Toronto Star   WHAT A CAST, WHAT A BLAST! "Anything but an evening of high-decibel noise. It is an exhilarating evening based on a large, extraordinarily talented young cast. They perform a great range of music. The orchestration and unusual instruments add to the pure joy of the sound. There is also considerable wit. Everything is done with taste and intelligence, but what makes it such a winning evening is the cast, whose high spirits and enthusiasm are as great as their talent." -Howard Kissel, Daily News   BLAST! REALLY TAKES OFF "Beguiling. Glittering brass, perfectly synchronized movement, and a precision the Rockettes might envy. Suggests a Fourth of July translated into a month a Sundays and then squared. Clearly the young performers are having a ball, and their enthusiasm and unpretentious humor are very winning." -Clive Barnes, New York Post   IT'S A BLAST! "BLAST! lives up to its name‹and then some. A terrific show. An enjoyable spectacle of brass-massed percussive music. Joyful, breathtaking in its visual precision and intense musical excellence. BLAST! blows away all preconceptions one has about band geeks. Some 15 bravura numbers comprise the swift-footed two-hour event. BLAST! thunderstorms through a well-plotted program that mixes classical, jazz, blues and other musical genres. On and on the show blazes, culminating in a rousing Malaguena finale that's a tintinnabulating red and black conflagration of flamenco rhythms and swirling flags. It's an expert, canny presentation. A reverberating parade of movement unfurls. A whiff of wholesome sex appeal underscores the music as these hunky guys and cute gals hurtle thought their uncommon routines. The exuberant BLAST! is easy-to-enjoy family fare. Anyone who has ever been in a marching band will thrill to see it. The memory of this kinetic musical celebration will certainly linger." -Michael Sommers, The Star-Ledger   "The show or should I say spectacular‹is finally here! BLAST! is a real blast. A bunch of talented American kids numbering 60 who play all sorts of musical instruments. These kids are so good at what they do that just about every number in the extravaganza will leave you breathless and clapping for more. The show stars with a single snare drum and drummer on stage which leads us into a 30-piece arrangement of Bolero, which is electrifying and that's just for starters. The costumes, lighting and sound are all first-rate. Believe me, they are something special. It makes for an exhilarating night in the theater, and anyone will have themselves a blast if they go see it." -David F. Richardson, WOR-AM   "The large cast, nearly 60 in all, performs splendidly, with robust good cheer and astonishing agility. Effective in a stirring, pulse-racing way." -Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press   A LOUD, LIVELY BLAST OF BRASS AND DRUMS -The Journal News   "Get your tickets now! A sure-fire hit. The only problem is in trying to describe just exactly what it is. This joyous explosion of music, movement and light packs a definite punch that makes it a real audience-pleaser. Part marching band, part color guard and part jam session is a freewheeling fusion of then and now. It manages to stay as square as the half-time entertainment at a suburban high school football game while being as edgy and cool as the latest music video. It stretches the envelope even while it's sealing it with a kiss. The use of color is nothing short of breathtaking. The happiness the company radiate surrounds them like a heady perfume. You surrender to a tidal wave of good feeling. BLAST! dazzles the eye, thrills the ear and stirs the spirit. This is one you won’t want to miss." -Richard Ouzounian, The Toronto Star