OGDENSBURG -- The next professional theater troupe to headline for Ogdensburg Command Performances will be the Japanese music, dance and drumming sensation “Drum Tao,” tonight, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at George Hall Auditorium.

The show artistically blends traditional Japanese Taiko drumming with eccentric displays of music, percussion and athletic choreography bathed in colorful costuming and stunning changes of set, mood and lighting.

Drum Tao member Taro Harasaki says the group’s unique blending of modern performance art and traditional Japanese drumming was inspired by a trip to Las Vegas to see a staging of the long-running Cirque du Soleil show called “Mystère.”

“Our show uses traditional and classic types of drums, but what we do is far away from that classic style,” Harasaki said in a recent interview. “Our director and founder decided he wanted to make a Drum Tao show just like a Cirque du Soleil show which is full of entertainment and full of joy.”

Established in 1993, the cultural phenomenon known as Drum Tao has entertained more than nine million people across the globe.

Mr. Harasaki said the high-octane and adrenaline-pumped performance that the group brings to each venue is far more than a classical music show.

“We dance and perform, as well as showing you some martial arts on stage with rhythms and music, so it's a totally brand-new kind of culture, both traditional and modern,” he said. “We put many years into one number to make the songs rich.”

Other than drumming the group also highlights modern and classic usage of instruments such as the Japanese shamisen guitar and the country’s traditional bamboo flute known as a shakuhachi.

The Drum Tao members are based out of Oita, Japan on the country’s southwestern-most island of Kyushu. Historians consider the area to be the birthplace of Japan’s 2,000-year-old culture.

Ogdensburg Command Performances Administrator Sally F. Palao said Drum Tao is one of Japan’s most noteworthy international touring groups. She said this is a special opportunity for north country residents to see the artists on stage.

“This is the kind of sophisticated art, music and dance performance that I love to bring to the north country, and quite frankly, that the New York State Council on the Arts loves to see us have in our lineup,” Mrs. Palao said. “From a cultural and entertainment point of view, Drum Tao has it all. To be able to see international performers of this caliber and magnitude here in Northern New York is indeed a great and unique opportunity for all of us.”

Tickets are available by calling 315-393-2625 or by emailing ocp@ogdensburgk12.org. More information can also be obtained by visiting www.ILoveTheatre.org.