USC band to debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Friday

Since the early 1980s, the USC Trojan Marching Band has performed each year at the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s summer venue at the Hollywood Bowl, accompanying the orchestra during the conclusion of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” This week, the Trojans are set to deliver their first concert at the LA Phil’s winter site, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles.

On Friday, the USC Concert Band will present an encore of its successful spring concert Six: The Musical In Concert, in collaboration with the USC School of Dramatic Arts. The USC Trojan Marching Band, USC Song Leaders, and USC Spirit Leaders will subsequently perform the traditional post-concert “rally” featuring the university’s fight songs and signature rock classics. Furthermore, in honoring the venue’s namesake, the marching band will join the concert band to initiate the evening with a medley of tunes from the first century of Walt Disney animated films.

The USC Concert Band delivered Six: The Musical In Concert in April to an enthusiastic audience at USC’s Bovard Auditorium. Six, which debuted in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2017, retells the saga of King Henry VIII through the lens of his six wives. Each queen has a solo spotlight inspired by pop music legends such as Beyoncé, Adele, Nicki Minaj, and Ariana Grande. Five of the six highlighted performers are students from the USC School of Dramatic Arts; the sixth is USC band student Rachel Cervantes, who plays trumpet when she’s not portraying Catherine Howard.

Six represents the first partnership between the USC band and the USC School of Dramatic Arts, which is commemorating its 80th anniversary. Faculty and staff from the school guided and outfitted the six performers. Costumes were crafted by two of the school’s BFA theatrical design students, and the choreographer was also a student of the School of Dramatic Arts.

Six: The Musical is a reinterpreted Spring concert

The co-production, initiated by band Director Jacob Vogel with the support of Dean Emily Roxworthy of the School of Dramatic Arts, signifies a reimagining of the USC Concert Band’s customary spring concert.

“I am incredibly proud of this partnership between our School of Dramatic Arts and the USC Concert Band and Trojan Marching Band. It embodies precisely the type of innovative, interdisciplinary artistry that highlights the strength of the arts at USC,” Roxworthy stated. “It’s such a pleasure to see our remarkably talented musical theatre students bring the compelling narratives of Six to life alongside the esteemed Trojan Marching Band — in such a prestigious location as Walt Disney Concert Hall. I’m thrilled about the creative opportunities this alliance opens for future collaborations between our programs.”

Vogel, who is entering his fifth year leading the program, conceived the idea after attending a touring production of Six at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. He is eager to now present the show at one of the most renowned arts venues globally.

“As the director of The Spirit of Troy, I’m granted fantastic opportunities, one of which is to conduct on the magnificent stages of Los Angeles,” Vogel remarked. “While I’ve visited Walt Disney Concert Hall as an audience member many times, it’s undoubtedly going to be an exhilarating experience to bring the music of Six to life in the legendary venue while providing an invaluable experience for our students.”

USC’s Delphine Vasko contributed to this report.