ashevillemurphy

In the "old" version of the closer, when they were making the 4 "x's" near the very end, I expected that to turn into "MMX" by the end of the season .... now that too is gone (would've been cool though) ... since it is on their unis this year. At this point it seems like the design team may have had multiple ideas for the end but they never fully materialized ... the low and slow (and loud) new ending just doesn't get it; as someone else stated they should do crazy fast "Cadets-like" or 2008 Crown-like kaleidoscope drill to the low-slow-loud new end ... maybe? What is the song they play to the back stands right after the rewind (which seems odd to be all electronic, with no horns or pit / the Cadets did the rewind thing with a z-pull years ago but before the synths and it was effective) but before they turn and play last years ending? Has anyone seen them practice since arriving in Indy .... maybe they have something up their sleeves ... - I would also have thought the "rainbow metallic flags" would have been a semi-finals "surprise" like in 2008.

To me, the end of the show seems too slow (marching speed) and "tacking on" last years music and movement slows it down even more.

So has anyone seen/heard the new ending .... if so what's the story?

So ... after watching the show in Hattiesburg, I still am not feeling the ending is a grand as it should or could be. Do we think this is the real ending, or is there more to come. It feels like they are in slow motion, when the could/should be moving around more ..... Also, have the guard costumes been changed since the start of the season (the non jumpsuit parts)? They seem to be more metallic, and more sepia-toned now than they were in the early days ....

What's up with the guard member in the GREEN outfit .... are they giving it a second chance too?

Is Crown still using practice flags .... the season is only 8 weeks long and next week is the halfway point ... just wondering?

I know it is still early, but Crowns ending is just not up to par with the rest of their production .... it looks like they are barely moving around through much of it.

Is Crown using practice flags still ... can't tell because of the blurry vid from Normal?

What is up with the blurry video posted from Normal ..... we pay for this?

I just don't get the lack of interaction of the soloist (spirit guide) and the rest of the musicians and really, the rest of the corps; granted he is danced around by the guard at times, but he pretty much just hangs out in the backfield until the very end, and then he ends up behind the folks he is supposed to be guiding. Maybe if they lifted him up from the center at the end instead of one of the female guard members it might tie him in visually with "spirit guide idea" .... it just seems like he doesn't have enough to do as yet. The "run through the rotating box" is very cool, but it seems that it was only added to "do it" .... there is really no reason for it, and the spacing is so tight that it is very difficult to read - this happens many times in the drill when there are clusters of folks just rotating or marching along. The 2 horn players that are"left overs" as they form the two lines with the rifles down the center is distracting especially since they don't do anything but stand there while the whole thing happens and then just walk back into formation after that move. The music is beautiful and memorable (as always), the guard costumes are great, I hope the silks will be what brings the palette together ... why is the soloist in orange? They are off to a wonderful start and this will be worth watching as it comes together over the summer!

I agree that he drill is terribly compact and unreadable in many places; that said, PR always seems to get it together by seasons end. On thing I miss is a "Phantom" trademark move ( a wedge running across the field, etc), although it looks like there is a "chevron" within an ocal shape at one point. The soloist seems like he doesn't have enough to do .... there is no visual interaction with he and the rest of the musicians (I know he is supposed to be the spirit leader or whatever) but he stays back field and at times appears to be just sort of milling around in the far corner. There is plenty of time for this show to develop and with extensive clean-up and perhaps the real flags this could put PR back in the hunt.