Phantom Regiment show choices...

[sburstall]

The answer to the poll (there wasn't a selection). yes. They should be allowed to do both. It's sad to see many so-called fans cry when a corps decides to redo a piece. Did any of you so-called fans ever consider the 1) the timing is right? (it's been 26 years since Spartacus was last done) and 2) they corps wanted to do it?

Again, it's the old apple/oranges comparison. Get off the elitist attitude that now exists with today's performers.

[JayM]

I've never seen nor heard the original productions, so the '08 show will be completely new to me. I will probably even like it.

They may do very well, they may even win. I guess my issue is with the whole activity these days...none of the corps really seem to know what's coming next, and I'd rather see a corps jump out on a new limb than re-hash a past performance piece.

Sadly, it seems the only corps really jumping out on a limb lately is the Cadets, but I still feel that they're jumping to the wrong limb. It's amazing how awful the narration is in the 07 show.

Edited November 18, 2007 by Jayzer

[silvertrombone]

I said the same pieces, not the same arrangements. You obviously missed the part where they said it would be NOTHING like the 81/82 show. I doubt they will even think of putting the same pieces as the did in the 80's, but even if they do it's going to be great and appropriate. Phantom Regiment is definitely not the only corps to play the same song twice. They play high caliber shows that are always memorable and never feel redundant, that's why they're out there teaching the corps, writing drill, writing and arranging the music, and not you.

[edit]

Thanks, junior--and good luck at auditions. The reason I made my little comment about "no Spartacus in 'Spartacus' " was for precisely that reason. Somebody else has already said "I don't even think they'll do all Spartacus," further lending credence to my suspicion. Interesting to see what the program will be now that we know the theme. Worked in Faust, so why not? And someone else was talking about R&J comparing it to Faust...looking for that 'spark' again, perhaps?

For some reason, I can only see only one song or so that isn't from Spartacus at all

Yeah, that's what they said.

The answer to the poll (there wasn't a selection). yes. They should be allowed to do both. It's sad to see many so-called fans cry when a corps decides to redo a piece. Did any of you so-called fans ever consider the 1) the timing is right? (it's been 26 years since Spartacus was last done) and 2) they corps wanted to do it?

Again, it's the old apple/oranges comparison. Get off the elitist attitude that now exists with today's performers.

I'm sorry, I neither marched recently, nor did I take an elitist standpoint. I asked an honest question: Repeat or New? Other was an option, so thank you for answering that as well.

Thank you all for your input--lively discussion as usual. But if anybody thinks PR couldn't pull off a great Mahler show, they haven't listened to Mahler lately. And there's even a little bit (like over half!) of Faust in the 'Symphony of a Thousand.' Check it out! Or several Strauss shows.

Hey, here's one I thought of a while back...and it's even got a theme to it for that 21st Century 'Visual' and 'General Effect' stuff, too!

Mischief...the music of Strauss and Grieg! 'Till Eulenspiegel' and 'Peer Gynt.' Now come on...JD Shaw is a French Horn player...you don't think he'd water at the mouth to do THAT show? OK, OK...they've done parts of Peer Gynt before...who hasn't? There you go, guys...another Strauss suggestion.

Ever listened to Zarathustra? It's really, REALLY obscure, but how about the Alpine Symphony? VERY similar in character to Zarathustra, without the hype of being in a nifty space movie because the original music was no good. There's two more.

Mountains...can you imagine a 'snow-peaked' mountain in the show? Think vertical, not formation. White uniforms. See if anyone gets that VISUAL.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has ANYBODY performed the Alpine Symphony? Like I said...obscure. And a full-out Zarathustra...more salivating.

There's a whole lot of stuff that hasn't been performed...by anybody...and, yes, I'll enjoy the show, I'm sure. Spend more than I budget to on souvies, etc. Wear the shirts proudly and brag about 'my guys.'

Jayzer had a good point. Don't know how accurate it is, but I question the trend towards re-hashing music that has been performed before. That was the thing that so ignited my imagination in "my" era, especially with PR. Here comes this tall, lanky kid, Mr. Band-O himself, right out of the ranks of HS band and into the DC realm. "You mean they MARCH to CLASSICAL music???" I mean, I'm not the only one out there who went out and bought CD's of Symphony Orchestras performing Pag, Bacchanale, and Ginastera b/c PHANTOM REGIMENT had performed it, am I??

Geez, I LOVE the Spanish theme...Spanish/Cubano Jazz, etc. 94 BD et al. Malaguena, even as often as it gets performed. On and on. 94 Cavies, Jayzer...purdy nifty, no? I lucked out...it was on the Ginastera album, so I couldn't be mistaken as buying a CAVALIERS piece! But OMG, there is SO much Spanish-themed classical music out there. Some of it obscure like Ginastera, some of it relatively common like 'Ritual Fire Dance' (ours in 94--don't ever try to 'Bolero'-ish that piece!). Why not explore more of this variety? I mean, if the Mayan Calendar goes out in 2012, might as well go out performing South American music, no???

Alright, now after all of that, didn't the corps do Nevsky in the 70's, too??? Wouldn't mind seeing/hearing that. I mean, if we're going to rehash old standards, why not, right?

Oh, and then there's opera...Nikk had some great suggestions in that realm that were well-received! Not like there's anybody out there performing much opera, eh? And talk about visual! Geez, if you can't pull visual effect out of opera, you're not familiar with Fritz Freeling! "Kill the Wabbit"? Visual to spare...you'd be cutting visual, there'd be so much it would be distracting.

[jthomas666]

I've no problems with a corp revisting past glories--hell, I was thinking that a good Regiment show for this year would be Return to the Winter Palace. For something more original, I thought of a show entitles "A Muse of Fire", comprised of music inspired by Shakespeare.

silvertrombone is right that there is a lot of new material out there--in fact, I could see Mahler being worked into the Spartacus show.

But for me, the bottom line is simple--If they can revisit an old show and field something that makes the crowd stand up and scream like lunatics, more power to them.

Edited November 18, 2007 by jthomas666

[silvertrombone]

silvertrombone is right that there is a lot of new material out there--in fact, I could see Mahler being worked into the Spartacus show.

Do tell...what pieces?? Interesting choice of composer for this theme.

[chaos001]

But for me, the bottom line is simple--If they can revisit an old show and field something that makes the crowd stand up and scream like lunatics, more power to them.

AMEN!!!

[Rocketman]

Let me pose this, just suppose they had 6-8 titles and were bringing back pieces from shows that won titles, would that change your position? It seems I've never heard this argument when a corps, whose show WON, brings back previously played tunes.

RM - I'm not spartacus

ampssuck

[Rocketman]

It's really, REALLY obscure, but how about the Alpine Symphony? VERY similar in character to Zarathustra, without the hype of being in a nifty space movie because the original music was no good. There's two more.

Mountains...can you imagine a 'snow-peaked' mountain in the show? Think vertical, not formation. White uniforms. See if anyone gets that VISUAL.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but has ANYBODY performed the Alpine Symphony? Like I said...obscure.

No, and it's a shame. I came Across Alpine about 15 years ago and immediately thought Regiment (and posted this on some other thread)

RM - Alpine =

ampssuck

[Sutasaurus]

I have hesitated to post my opinion here due to the fact it will probably be written off by most people due to perceived bias.

In the same way that they've re-used the crab wedge and leg-kick, I think that in re-doing a classic show Phantom is admitting that they're not really sure what new concepts they can bring to the show-design table anymore.

I just think it's a shame. Classical music is such a huge genre, and I just can't believe that instead of choosing one of the thousands of great pieces out there they would opt to redo a show they've done not once, but two times in the past.

Not a word has been said about what the corps is playing and you feel it's a shame the Regiment can't come up with anything more creative?

Man what a tough audience.

[Sutasaurus]

Hey as a Regiment alum who performed Gershwin in the 70s, I certainly appreciated what JD and the corps did in 2005. Highly entertaining and just plain fun.

I have a feeling we may get a smattering of the original ballet music with, let's say, something more contemporary. I'm not really a huge fan of Phillip Glass but 1000 Airplanes on the Roof rocked my world!

Gimme more! b**bs