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The debatable immensity of the stage (compared to the whole size of the field and the vertical space in LOS as well) and its decoration was probably meant to over-dramatize the sense of being at the White House, the sense of the grandeur of the Office, and the larger than life character/egos of those who have held that position. The ole Cesario standard was always "Exaggerate, exaggerate, exaggerate" in order to communicate with the (judging) box in such a sized arena where spatial relationships are important and must be relative to the hole in all dimensions: up, down, across, side to side, back to front. Unfortunately, many of the viewers/posters saw the performance in smaller venues, sat in the cheap seats perhaps with a bias toward watching the percussionists' hands, or just had old knees like mine and find the climb up and down stairs arduous. From that perspective, the stage probably seemed large. Not so from the viewing in the judge's box, the view which tends to count in competition.

Some nice publicity being given throughout the Continent !!! about Madison's invasion of Manhattan. Nice piece with Brent Turner, MN marching band guru whose efforts help so many kids enter drum corps. Well earned. http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/video?clipId=10869524&autoStart=true and from Western Canada: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Tuba+players+will+have+blast+Broadway+with+video/10326743/story.html

would the Phantomettes end up looking like Dolly Parton and family or the usual "life is so miserable-twang-oh I am so depressed-twang-only my dawg luvs me-twang-C&W "musician"??? Being photographed with the bust of Dolly Parton outside the Sevierville, Tenn. show was always a highlight for some corps members. The mountain in the middle of the field was not. All this was supposed to be corrected with the laying of new artificial turf. But the show has not returned to the DCI schedule. Wait, that could be its own C&W drama.

Kyle, Having coached high school scholastic varsity lacrosse, I know your statement is not inclusive of the great black scholar athletes who play that game, like hockey, in a number of areas of New York State, one of the four major lacrosse hotbeds in the U.S with Michigan, Maryland, and Denver. They, like their white peers find such a quick, athletic sport a great opportunity for college, sometimes beyond usual choices. That being said, I too mourn the loss of the all black corps which came from the inner cities of NY, Philly, Newark, etc. The South Shore program out of Chicago is about the closest the activity in general sees that contribution at championships today.

But the drill and the narration developed in stages! Almost no two shows were alike.

"This will now be followed by umpteen emails by Craiga, Ghost, Emc2 and crew defending Boston's new terminology, absences, and switcheroos." Emc2 has responded right on cue, he, he.

And a further review reveals that Madison has 8 contests just in Wisconsin and lower Minnesota. Must be big time pay back for the Denver drive last summer.

Also, no Jackson, NJ show, no Chambersburg, PA show and some interesting switches. Leading into Allentown can be a fan's delight. West Chester, PA usual show is now a YEA show at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland instead of Hopkins' Alma Mater. The next night they have a all DCI show in Chester, PA's wonderful soccer stadium (Chester is about an hour from West Chester given Philly rush hour traffic and directions.) But the line-up that was split between DCI and DCA at last year's Chester show will now be the Beanpot Invite in Lynn's Manning Bowl on July Fourth but without the Boston Crusaders. And Boston's show of the last few years, the Connecticut Drums at New Haven, CT will still bear that name but on July 19th, be an Open Class show, and be hosted by the 7th Regiment. Confused???? Answer: Because we ALWAYS did it that way no longer applies. please study the schedule carefully. Do not let young turk bandos nor old time dinosaurs presume anything. This will now be followed by umpteen emails by Craiga, Ghost, Emc2 and crew defending Boston's new terminology, absences, and switcheroos. No need. All is good. It's going to be a great drum corps season where ever the contest is, if we long time fans can even afford to go.

Hey, DCI has already abandoned the Canadians/Canadiennes but still carry John Philips and those tooters at Bluecoats as tokens. Don't upset them more. They and the Buffalonians have had a tough week.

Peel Paint; You skipped Cadets 2014 for popcorn? KVG, can we "borrow" your Killbots to do a "Back to the Future" thingie???

Cappy and Lincoln, If it's Paris, Arkansas outside of Siloam Springs where DCI and PR compete, it is definitely different. If however, it is Paris, France, then the home of the guillotine is not too different from what we have seen lately. Honestly, April in Paris may appease the Gershwin lovers. Here's hoping we are all wonderfully surprised. Apologies to Tyler and Bobby L. that the "western tour" is only a California tour so that "Rick Venezuela' touches base with his homefront. The Northwest someday...

Even 2005 and 2006?

While DCP posters debate on what flash flag paint scheme Garfield modeled his colors, all DCI wants to know is whether he'll be back in Dublin for July 27th and whether ticket prices will have to be increased to pay for those chowdah bills.............................................................j/k : ;-p

Cadets and Cavies are on parallel tours for the first nine shows. Hopkins' alma mater, The Crossmen then troop with them. Crown soon joins but ends up doing less than Crown's usual number of shows by a few. They are not even doing Bristol, RI (a mainstay except when they went to Cali in '13) nor are they doing Annapolis with a very G7 line-up. Cadets and Coats almost never see each other as much except for G-7/8 and DCI regionals.

Very likely the OP is a troller with an added agenda. For one how little he enters into dialogue but to rant and throw tanrums. Second, most of the show is already decided by the time Hopkins announces it. He has already flown thrice to Austin, Texas to consult some prop and band show experts according to various tweets he has posted this Autumn. Now certainly he has changed his mind over the seasons about certain shows and certain designers. His ole roommate Marc Sylvester is one example. Music selections have come and gone along the way for various reasons. But rarely is something absolutely new added but something previously discussed. But anyone who knows Hopkins knows that he is more likely to entrench rather than to dialogue in an antiseptic forum; with him there is always an agenda and some say, an ego or (past) baggage. So the OP is a bit late trying to have any influence on the Allentown algorithms.

Hey! I like this. http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=2AAACF0F-427C-4180-8378-AAD181295F71 For the July 2nd, Boston Crusaders anniversary show at Foxboro (home of 2005 DCI's and the New England Patriots), the lead banner unit on the DCI page is 7th Regiment followed by the Blue Devils, that being the A corps of course! Nice Alphabet, Regiment. Have a great season and a great show at Foxboro too.

In the 40 plus years of DCI, "show concepts" are an add-on tradition more similar to something marching bands in MBA (forerunner of BOA) or the indoor WGI would do. Cavies' Circus Show or Madison's Wizard of OZ shows were forerunners certainly. But look at SCV and most in early DCI history, it was just music and drill, not stories/philosophical debates/and other impositions.

perhaps, Mingus, you might explore the Monk side of your personality. Silence can be Golden. It's not that staff are deprived the right to be human. I think the complaint is when the staff becomes the performance rather than the corps. Do the corps members see it and become affected? Sometimes. But more often the paying public doesn't have their rights respected after paying the staff's salaries through their ticket prices so that the show can deliver the cheques to DCI and the corps to pay the bills. God knows Garfield (the poster, not the corps) has reminded all DCPers that the activity needs be mindful of who pays the bills.

Wedgie, Having read the thread throughour, your energetic response is being received by many as somewhere between Charlie Brown idealism and a full blown pre-season panic attack. You assert your opinions with much confidence, some clarity, and definite bias. But no where have you presented for those who read the thread what credentials you bear or what substantive history bolsters your opinions. In grey areas, you leave us little than your own assertiveness of why your perception should be considered either by us or by Allentown. No ill will here. I for one know too well and personally the foibles of the present CEO, but it is a unit with whom I have had a long, memorable multi-decade connection. Please give a greater horizon to your choices otherwise they come off at times as rantings and tantrums rather than truth. Thank you for the time you have put to this. By the way, members and alumni use the signature "F(or) HNSAB", a tradition respectfully honored by usually not being used by spectators.

i am re-wording what I wrote and will resubmit later.

Is the faculty member reacting from genine spontaneous emotion, cheerleading, or meant to spark a crowd interest as well? Does the seating of the staff (or their position when not seated) interfere with viewing by the paid spectators? Is the emotional response of the faculty member pure reaction to the corps members or somehow colored by the placement bonus which "some" corps pay at the end of the season based on caption and/or contest placements? Is the viewer in the stands presuming every reaction is cerebral (better or only) or are other reactions/reactors so effusive that they are embarrassing? In stadia as large as Georgiadome, San Antonio, LOS, MetLife, etc., does one person's reaction generate influence at all, is it communicative of feelings toward the performers, or are these but an outlet of the viewer's emotions qua viewer? No black or white answers here at all. But just like maids or butlers, paid help should step aside and let the performers benefit from the attention.

Wow! Cliff Notes for the DCP thread. How Excellent! Thanks LabMaste !

Hopefully one or more DCPers will use "electronics" altruistically and post the TV vid of Scouts actually doing the parade in order to oblige those unable to see the actual performance due to church services, working (such as hospitals, emergency services, etc.) or volunteering their time to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving. I know the Scouts' official message has that they will make some FB, twiiter, and perhaps other availabilities possible; but if all goes as wonderfully as planned, Chris Komnick/Scott Stewart/and crew may be very, very busy for awhile expressing thank yous and receiving great congratulations. Now, if only the weather obliges... Thanks.

Remember the times. The activity then did not have as many music majors marching as we do now. Many DCI marchers didn't do a lot of other music activities. The number of valves on horns were different and that adaption took some learning time for others accustomed to three valve instruments. Corps tended to keep signature pieces as a tradition (Cavies Bully, Boston's Conquest, SCV Bottle Dance). Beyond the music, the drill writing and learning did not have the benefit of the computer programs, I-pads, and other electronic help. The '82 and '83 shows were iconic not only with the style of drill but in the learning and cleaning given the parameters of that time.

I still shudder when I remember Regiment and Gershwin. Oh I loved the show and agree that a return to a classy, light-hearted theme of similar importance would be a positive change. I shudder remembering the pain of their solo male dancer who put his hand down on the grass during the practices just before Finals. He landed on a piece of jagged glass which cut several serious veins in his hand. Luckily Will Pitts (the conductor as he was later for Spartacus) was being visited by his parents. Will's Dad is a surgeon who went quickly to work saving the injured, the show, and the great memories all of us have of Regiment's performance. I have always had a greater respect for that young man dancing his way across the field without most of us knowing his pain and near tragedy. Kudos to him.