The Role of Comedy in Drum Corps.... a poll and a discussion

[PunkRawkBandGeek]

Hasn't anyone mentioned Surf yet? I mean, they're not ha-ha funny so much, but out of all the corps I saw on the Atlanta webcast, they were clearly the most amusing.

[Bandguy]

As much as I loved watching VK and Bridgemen over the years, I believed they kind of painted themselves in a corner with the humor. Being funny year in and year out (at least to me) kind of equates to pranking people in college. Every new edition has to be "a little bit bigger" than the last one. It wouldn't take long for the group to implode.

I really enjoy the humor in a show as long as the humor isn't the "main ingredient".

[Horizon]

Born? Bridgemen Much? or How about The Jolly Jesters (Toronto, On.) or North Star ( North Shore Mass) etc...

It's only my opinion, but Velvet Knights were a class act. I guess you could throw Bridgemen in there too...

[kagario]

Where is VK?

[Brutus]

I think good comedy is even harder than good storytelling in drum corps.

IMHO, so far, the best comedy routines have been parodies (of other corps.) The audience eats this up.

BLUECOATS

I believe there was a perfect chance for comedy during the boxing show that Bluecoats did. Fighter gets knocked out temporarily and goes into a weak-kneed soupy fantasy sequence where the whole corps is rubber kneed with distorted notes and the guard twirls stars. Woulda been great. (I believe this falls into "parody" because we've seen the game of the birds around the head of a prizefighter before.)

Non parody is difficult to convey, but not impossible.

In general non parodies need the following components to work:

1. Establishment of Tilt/Game/Or Character with Flaw
   
2. Repetition/Pattern
   
3. Heightening
   
4. Twist on Ending
   

BLUE DEVILS

Also, wasn't BD attempting to have comedic characters in their Risking the Absurd show? It no worky.

In examining their show just briefly, I saw that they used a tightrope walking theme. I think they tried to do a progression where the guy was , at the end, able to run down the yard line and exit. But I don't think anyone understood that he was running now, and formerly was struggling to walk the line and he had progressed to this point. Nope. Nobody get-ty.

What I would have done was have a central character [protagonist] trying to tightrope walk the 50 yard line, but continually knocked off by drill formations.

1. He begins walking the 50, gets knocked off by a drill formation.
   
2. He gets back on the tightrope and tries again.
   
3. He almost makes it, gets knocked off by another drill formation. Starts from the backfield again.
   
4. Corps helps him by elevating him on a board, allowing the drill formation to pass underneath him and he makes it/End.
   

Audiences crave repetition and pattern. Without it, you get lukewarm reactions.

CADETS - ALICE IN WONDERLAND

In the Alice In Wonderland show, the Cadets used the door as a repeating device, but they used it mostly as a framing device at the beg. middle and end, which wasn't enough, IMHO. Overall the show was chaotic, without recurring pattern, with a strong emphasis on characters that were difficult to see from 100 yards away, you have to admit.

My design idea might have been to have one "Alice" versus a full color guard FULL of mad queens, all identical.

1. Alice versus 30 mad queens, dressed all alike.
   
2. Alice pushes them through the door, one at a time, wanting to morph them into regular cadet guard members. It works for the first batch.
   
3. A fight between half regular guard and half mad queens, Alice leading the charge for the regular guard.
   
4. Midpoint, there is a glitch and Alice passes the last batch through and they morph into mad hatters. Oops.
   
5. she pushes them through the door again. They all transform into regular cadets, and all on her side. End.
   

Edited July 28, 2009 by Brutus

[Penn State]

We won't see any serious attempts at funny until VK get back to World Class.

I watched them in Omaha and they made the audience laugh.

Yes, there is a place for Funny in Drum Corps but the it doesn't really fit in the tradition and style of the current World Class Corps. Jersey Surf did some funny stuff when they were in Open Class, I haven't seen them since they entered World.

i take comedy (such as the classic stylings of VK and Bridgemen) over electronics and narration ANY DAY OF ANY YEAR!!!!!

[BRASSO]

Comedy in Drum Corps is not lost. You just have to look a little harder for it, that's all.

Although not everyone agrees, some think INT is funny and makes people smile.

Edited July 28, 2009 by BRASSO

[Paralda]

Well, every bass ensemble I've ever seen has used comedy, so I'd say it could be pulled over very easily in a Drum Corps environment and I'd love to see more of it.

[BRASSO]

Where is VK?

they're competing in Open Class at present.

[oldschooldbc]

Bridgemen and VK

I would have to vote Bridgemen. Just once, I would like to see a WC corps come out at retreat today, and have their drum majors sit down in lawn funiture. And sip Mai Tais, as the scores are being read out. (Were those real adult beverages? Probably only the drum majors know.)

Or attempt a manuever, where they tried to encircle one of the field judges with their entire corps. (I heard they actually pulled that off once....maybe it is an urban legend.)

Or call out judges by name, before the start of the show. After the drum major salute, they yelled out "O Tay xxxxxx", where xxxxxx is the name of one of the judges.

No WC corps would attempt this today. No WC corps would have the guts. Imagine trying to sell your show design, to sponsors/parents/alumni: "This year, our corps will attempt to win Finals by employing a comedy theme." All you would see is blank stares.......

Bridgemen had one heck of a drumline, routinely made finals, and always entertained the crowd. Really, what more do you need? They served as an excellent counter-balance, to other corps that took themselves very, very seriously. Too seriously. (I will not name names..... you know who you are.......)

Honestly, the activity could use Bridgemen back, or some other corps with a similar attitude. Unfortunately, it probably isn't going to happen.

Edited July 28, 2009 by oldschooldbc