Riverside Review - Show Themes - BD and PR

[Brutus]

Tonight's show in Riverside was a bloodbath where Phantom was stabbed through the heart by a popsicle.

The Phantom Regiment's production addresses two young women of fiction--Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, and Elsa from Lohengrin. These young female characters from classical literature are often hastily judged and called "juvenile" at first glance-- Juliet kills herself out of grief, or so men think, and Elsa from Lohengrin begins to doubt herself after being wrongly accused of murder. But there's more to these women than meets the eye, as this Phantom production deftly shows. Phantom exalts Juliet and Elsa, and illustrates their purposeful lives, ended not through mindless grief and incompetence, but ended intentionally through sense of purpose.

Heady stuff.

That's right-- Phantom exalts these two young female characters, showing them not as frivolous, emotional, suicidal victims, but in charge of their own lives and deaths-- a profound message for these performers.

Having not quite reached her fourteenth birthday, Juliet is of an age that stands on the border between immaturity and maturity-- perfect casting for this poised all-female Phantom guard. At the start of the show, Juliet gives glimpses of her determination, strength, and sober-mindedness in meeting Romeo as she propels herself full-force toward adulthood. Though profoundly in love with him, Juliet is able to see and criticize Romeo’s rash decisions and his tendency to romanticize things. She returns his plumed helmet to him, out of a sense of duty-- she is able to put her fantasies aside and return to reason.

So when she wakes in the tomb to find Romeo dead, she does not kill herself out of feminine weakness, but rather out of an intensity of love, just as Romeo did. Juliet’s suicide actually requires more nerve than Romeo’s: while he swallows poison, she stabs herself through the heart with a dagger.

Though clear in every other respect, the production's depiction of the suicide lacks specificity. (Right now, it's only shown now through an ocean of blood red flags crashing in unison toward the audience-- we need to see the deaths--otherwise we don't know what Juliet has done or why.)

But more importantly, in Phantom's portrayal, Juliet's spirit continues on after death, as she approaches the podium during Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral. Juliet is like Elsa from Lohengrin, developing now from a wide-eyed girl into a self-assured, loyal, and capable woman, fully in charge of her own destiny, although she was misunderstood at first glance.

Phantom's production is incredibly mature and profoundly moving, features strong, feminine women in the spotlight, and is a stirring visual and symphonic triumph. It joins these girls in the color guard to their own sense of purpose as women performing this piece. Freaking wow.

= = =

The Blue Devils' show features Burt Bacharach numbers. Hmm.

"The morning I wake up, before I put on my makeup.

I say a litle prayer for you."

"When there's no one there to hold you tight

And no one there you can kiss goodnight

Woah girl."

Get it? There's a shocking disparity here in these two production's thematic arguments. Phantom's moving, profound, well-reasoned portrayal of women from classical literature who forge a sense of purpose from their lives, and the Blue Devil's frothy, toe-tapping cotton candy gazebos of Bacharach's pop melodies which objectify women.

So, for the judges to award Blue Devils the win tonight over Phantom, they place impulsive pop whimsy above women's profound sense of self determination.

"While combing my hair, now,

And wondering what dress to wear, now,

I say a little prayer for you."

Edited July 4, 2011 by Brutus

[Michael Boo]

...

So, for the judges to award Blue Devils the win tonight over Phantom, they place impulsive pop whimsy above women's profound sense of self determination.

...

I bet Burt Bacharach loves waffles.

And I suspect the judges also considered stuff like brass, percussion and color guard in their decision; and if they someday award Regiment a higher score than BD, it will be because of the same criteria, not because they had second thoughts about "impulsive pop whimsy."

And now I'm hungry for waffles myself.

PS: Nowhere is there any criteria on the judges' sheets for social relevance.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Michael Boo

[chris ncsu]

uhh

[mobrien]

Is your treatise on the sexual ambiguity within the "Archie" comics book series still available? That chapter about "Jughead: Eunuch or Latent Homosexual?" was a barnburner.

[Plan9]

Tonight's show in Riverside was a bloodbath where Phantom was stabbed through the heart by a popsicle.

The Phantom Regiment's production addresses two young women of fiction--Juliet from Romeo and Juliet, and Elsa from Lohengrin. These young female characters from classical literature are often hastily judged and called "juvenile" at first glance-- Juliet kills herself out of grief, or so men think, and Elsa from Lohengrin begins to doubt herself after being wrongly accused of murder. But there's more to these women than meets the eye, as this Phantom production deftly shows. Phantom exalts Juliet and Elsa, and illustrates their purposeful lives, ended not through mindless grief and incompetence, but ended intentionally through sense of purpose.

Heady stuff.

That's right-- Phantom exalts these two young female characters, showing them not as frivolous, emotional, suicidal victims, but in charge of their own lives and deaths-- a profound message for these performers.

Having not quite reached her fourteenth birthday, Juliet is of an age that stands on the border between immaturity and maturity-- perfect casting for this poised all-female Phantom guard. At the start of the show, Juliet gives glimpses of her determination, strength, and sober-mindedness in meeting Romeo as she propels herself full-force toward adulthood. Though profoundly in love with him, Juliet is able to see and criticize Romeo’s rash decisions and his tendency to romanticize things. She returns his plumed helmet to him, out of a sense of duty-- she is able to put her fantasies aside and return to reason.

So when she wakes in the tomb to find Romeo dead, she does not kill herself out of feminine weakness, but rather out of an intensity of love, just as Romeo did. Juliet’s suicide actually requires more nerve than Romeo’s: while he swallows poison, she stabs herself through the heart with a dagger.

Though clear in every other respect, the production's depiction of the suicide lacks specificity. (Right now, it's only shown now through an ocean of blood red flags crashing in unison toward the audience-- we need to see the deaths--otherwise we don't know what Juliet has done or why.)

But more importantly, in Phantom's portrayal, Juliet's spirit continues on after death, as she approaches the podium during Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral. Juliet is like Elsa from Lohengrin, developing now from a wide-eyed girl into a self-assured, loyal, and capable woman, fully in charge of her own destiny, although she was misunderstood at first glance.

Phantom's production is incredibly mature and profoundly moving, features strong, feminine women in the spotlight, and is a stirring visual and symphonic triumph. It joins these girls in the color guard to their own sense of purpose as women performing this piece. Freaking wow.

= = =

The Blue Devils' show features Burt Bacharach numbers. Hmm.

"The morning I wake up, before I put on my makeup.

I say a litle prayer for you."

"When there's no one there to hold you tight

And no one there you can kiss goodnight

Woah girl."

Get it? There's a shocking desparity here in these two production's thematic arguments. Phantom's moving, profound, well-reasoned portrayal of women from classical literature who forge a sense of purpose from their lives, and the Blue Devil's frothy, toe-tapping cotton candy gazebos of Bacharach's pop melodies which objectify women.

So, for the judges to award Blue Devils the win tonight over Phantom, they place impulsive pop whimsy above women's profound sense of self determination.

"While combing my hair, now,

And wondering what dress to wear, now,

I say a little prayer for you."

The first thing that came to mind when I read this was the image of a mother confronting the high school girl that refuses to date her heartbroken son. "What's wrong with him? He's nice looking, bathes, brushes his teeth, dresses well, and he's really very funny.....so why don't you like him????"

Getting past that image....I can only guess that any PR staff or MM reading that analysis would be positively cringing and desperately wanting to change the subject. After all, no one wants to be described to others (particularly perspective dates) as "having a lot of character".

But I must admit this is a very refreshing take on drum corps design comparisons.... a bit desperate sounding, but refreshing.....so for that reason alone I gave you a plus.

[BCC99Man]

I thought this was drum corps, not my high school AP English class. Drum corps is for having your face blown off; not for needing to read sparknotes before you go...

[wesleyrp]

uhh

My thoughts exactly:):):)

[Todd Tanji]

Strangest. Thread. Ever.

[chaddyt]

Uhm. Judges aren't out there judging solely theme. There are pesky issues like brass, guard, percussion and such that factor into the score moreso than "literary heft".

Although it's still 2011 and may not be too late to petition DCI to add that to the sheets for next year.

I'll be keeping an eye out for buttons at finals.

[bawker]

I knew that Womens Studies class I took in college would pay off eventually.