Star of Indiana 1993: Revisited

[CadetsFan08]

what does bawker think?

[bawker]

what does bawker think?

I "think" I'll echo previous posters... we've taken this show apart and put it back together yearly here. :)

[CadetsFan08]

I "think" I'll echo previous posters... we've taken this show apart and put it back together yearly here. :)

booooo!

<**>

[dccorpsfan]

booooo!

<**>

Do you need a hug?

*hug*

[Sister]

I was with Black Gold in 93 and we saw the show quite a few times.

I did like the show. I liked it much better than 92.

But I am allergic to dairy. ^0^

[mchromik]

If you read the thing, Bill Cook says that he didn't enjoy the show either.

In fact, it got him irritated, which was what it was supposed to do. :)

You have to keep in mind that Mr.Cook seem to personally favor the more entertainment based shows. But he was keenly aware of demand and what made up a great performance. In other words he may be a 'burger and fries' type of drum corps fan, but sure understood the significance of 'steak and potatos'. And most of all he just seems to love drum corps, any kind of drum corps.

When we put the Alumni Corps together in 04', we had a banquet at Cook Inc. Headquarters. We set up the corps and played a montage of some of the various great moments of the corps selected with him in mind, ie. the LOUD stuff. He was beaming that evening, as where all of us. I think those gala moments are still the most played tracks on my iPod.

I find it fascinating that we have yet another thread about 93'. What more can a show ask then to be discussed for going on 15 years. Some corps sooner or later has to have the coconuts to do a show based on that show. A re-interpretation and exploration of those themes.

[Medeabrass]

I want to clarify what Bill Cook said. He said he didn't like the show at the beginning of the year but that it grew on him and became his favorite Star show ever.

Personally, I'd rather see if a corps out there has the coco's to do Belshazzar's. I don't think a literal version of Medea would be done until the memory of '93 fades some more. There's sooo much good stuff in the original that we didn't even touch in '93. In fact, my favorite part of Jimmer's arrangement was never even put on the field. I think an entire show could be done on Medea alone. As much as I liked the Bartok, I wish we had done so.

Edited July 12, 2007 by Medeabrass

[Medeabrass]

Here's an interview with Philip Burton ('93 Visual Designer) that explains a lot about the concepts in the show. I learned quite a bit.

http://homepage.mac.com/gralston/CHAPTERS/Personal197.html

Philip Burton: "Like many others on RAMD, I was stunned the first time I saw Star of

Indiana's 1993 show. We all had our reasons, I'm sure - let me share mine. I

had always thought (and still do think, with an exception that will be

mentioned below) that dance looked stupid in the context of drum corps.

However, it seemed that there must be room for some kind of non-drill,

non-dance movement that would enhance a drum corps show, and it further

seemed that there had been glimpses of it in the Cadets' shows of '88, '89

and '90 (the slow motion block, some of the characterizations in Les Mis, the

"footsie" stuff in the Bernstein tribute). Star '93 was the realization of

that potential. And it blew my mind."

SH: Who brought you to Star in 93? What was your role with them? Were you

apprehensive about having a larger role than you had in the past?

PB: Jim Mason and Bill Cook offered an aggressive invitation. I was

officially named the Visual Director. That meant that all color, line and

form was either designed or coordinated by me. However, because I felt an

outsider to drum corps, I relied on a strong collaboration with the drill

writer Jon Vanderkolf who provided tremendous support and energy. We were a

closely bound team.

SH: Why was there so much expressive movement in Star's '93 show?

PB: The musical arrangement by Jim Prime offered extended sections where not

everyone was playing. It was common sense that there were 3 choices when not

playing: stand still, march or move. The music dictated what I chose for the

movement ensembles, and it was the musical arrangement that powered the

movement choices. I was very familiar with the Barber Medea and I had

directed the play in 1980 in New York for Signature Theater Company. I also

knew Martha Graham's CAVE OF THE HEART, the dance piece done to the Barber

music. I never liked the music that much and Martha's dance piece was

uninteresting to me. It had NOGUCHI set and prop pieces that were beautiful

as sculpture and cumbersome as dance equipment. So I was not head over heels

in love with the musical choice from the beginning. Consequently, the

dynography (movement) book was pure original creation.

There was no plan to do something "experimental" or "new" or "different." We

simply chose the music, and after some earnest meetings we agreed that we

were more interested in doing what we were driven to do musically rather than

pander to tradition. Once that was behind us, we simply got on with the

business of interpreting a piece of music on a football field with all its

natural limitations. It was pure drum corps in process because that's the

only thing the staff understood. I was of value in that my background was in

theater, opera and play production, and this gave me a fresh contribution to

an otherwise old usual way of working.

Mason was always searching for a staff that could find him a different

approach from year to year. This was what he wanted Star's signature to be.

That unpredictable flexible approach would have served them well had they

stayed in DCI. No telling what they would be producing by now.

There was also this thing with me that finally after struggling with Cadets,

putting in a little bit here and a little bit there, I could do a full out

design and put in all the movement that the piece needed. It was not that

Cadets did not want my work, it was just that their style seldom needed my

contributions, and my "outsider" status never let me be accepted with Cadets

staff members as a real player.

The Star kids overlooked my newness and just did full out exactly what I told

them to do; they trusted me. Vanderkolff and Prime were also very sensitive

and attentive to the style that was emerging in the program, and both

supported me 100%. Without them, the piece would never have achieved its

place in DCI mythology."

[mfrontz]

Some corps sooner or later has to have the coconuts to do a show based on that show. A re-interpretation and exploration of those themes.

CAROLINA CROWN, are you listening?

Actually, I think BD could do a kick-butt version of this, too. They have that angry loud sound. They've actually quoted Barber's Medea I think more than once, but 96 in the closer is what I can remember.

Frankly, I think Star defined Belshazzar's Feast. I frankly can't imagine any hornline being better able to "vocalize" the choral sound of that piece. It is one of the most stunning interpretations in drum corps history.

Edited July 14, 2007 by mfrontz

[SACMellos2010]

I am late to the party here but it seems like the show succeeded in doing what it set out to do and that was to be controversial and deep. Still after 14 years being discussed and debated as to what the intent was and for the most part gaining respect.

I had the great opportunity to be asked by Donnie Van Doren to get in the line for a few camps in the winter program to help the transition and encourage the newer members and it was awesome to play this book and watch it develop. I can remember a couple of sectionals where we were like what the HE** is this all about and then when put together it was some great stuff. I always felt it was Jim Prime at his finest. I think he showed from 1990-1993 that he could take any style of music and make it unbelievable.

Lastly, to the poster that made comment about the feet in 1992. Our foot technique in 1992 was probably the best the corp ever fielded and due to a visual demand that much easier than Star had become accustomed to it allowed us to really showcase technique. We can thank Todd Ryan, Joey Keays, & Ken Karlin for our technique.