Who actually revolutionized story telling?

[kickhaltsforlife]

Okay, two completely different shows and story lines, but IMO they both told an effective story mostly without voice.

The only actual narration was the opening statement in Cadets 2005. Any other voice used was contributing to the music.

Phantom may had told a more emotional story so it connects a lot ore with the audience.

But who really revolutionized story telling in drum corps, does it go back even farther than 2005?

Spartacus has received tons of credit for revolutionizing the activity with this past years show. Do they really deserve all the credit?

I think it is an interesting off season thing to think about.

Please don't turn this into a bashing thread

[Huntington Mallets]

Vanguard 88/89 immediately comes to mind when I think storytelling, there are probably less famous earlier shows out there that I just haven't seen or I'm just not thinking of right now that are probably more "revolutionary"

Edited December 8, 2008 by Huntington Mallets

[bluecoats88]

Suncoast Sound 1984

[Matt_S]

I assume we're just talking about the recent past? Because story-telling has been around drum corps since before I was born, probably before DCI as well.

Phantom's story-telling in 2008 was very much in line with the show they produced in 2006, so you'd have to go there before giving story-telling credit to "Spartacus". I think the 2006 "Faust" show wouldn't have happened without what happened in 2005, but not just the Cadets. For all the grief it gets, the 2005 Blue Devils show is probably the show that rebooted story-telling within this particular decade of drum corps.

[MetalTones2012]

Phantom 06 for storytelling, Cadets 08 for story"telling".

[MikeD]

I assume we're just talking about the recent past? Because story-telling has been around drum corps since before I was born, probably before DCI as well.

True...our (Cadets) 1971 show told a very literal story about the American Revolution...and I would guess we were not the first to tell a literal story. Yankee-Rebels senior corps was famous for their Civil War shows as another example. St Rita's Brassmen 1971 show also told a story, complete with gas masks and sirens.

[raphael18]

As much as I LOVED Regiment's show this year...I'm afraid it was not revolutionary. It was just really really really good drum corps. If anything, it was showing that a revival of the more traditional approach was still competitive.

[bradrick]

Vanguard 88/89 immediately comes to mind when I think storytelling, there are probably less famous earlier shows out there that I just haven't seen or I'm just not thinking of right now that are probably more "revolutionary"

I'm sure there are MANY others, but here are the ones that first came to mind for me when I thought about what were some couple of the BIGGIE departure shows ... Shows that really lept out there in the "storytelling" area:

• 84 Suncoast (somebody else already mentioned)
  
• 86 and 87 SCV AND 85, 86 and 87 Sky Ryders - Probably some of the most obvious attempts at literal storytelling up to that point (and very clear departures from most everyone else on the field those years).
  
• And (IMO) a true revolutionary show as far as storytelling that can't be overlooked was 88 Suncoast. I've said it before on other threads: 2005 Cadets would have not been possible without Marc Sylvester and Karl Lowe and company trying a similiar thing 17 years earlier with Suncoast. (surreal fantasy, girl running around on the field taking us through the show's "story")
  

Edited December 8, 2008 by bradrick

[FTNK]

PR's show was an 80s show (in your face, over the top, simple, literal unsubtle story line) with 2000s execution.

[kickhaltsforlife]

Interesting stuff.. keep discussing!

So really Spartacus is not a new type of show, it is just trying to bring back an old way of doing things, with adding the new elements of today's drum corps. Yet they are not the only corps to do this in the recent past.