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Boston Crusaders 2016


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I just returned home to Maine after spending three days with the corps at Cushing Academy. This was my third weekend with them in 4 weeks, and I would like to add a few thoughts to what has already been said regarding their full performance last night. I have been careful to try to not over hype anything about BAC this season, and I also haven't once mentioned potential scores or placements, etc. because Brasso is correct. It is impossible to hazard a guess about such things when I haven't seen anybody other than Boston. Having said that, here are a few, indisputable facts regarding last night's performance:

First of all, the show is complete, from start to finish. All props are in. The new guard uniforms were on the field, as well as show silks. The book looks complete and is incredibly evocative of the theme.. Liahona, I lack the fashion sense to adequately describe the uniforms, but Brian Murphy explained to the crowd (which was huge, btw) that BAC had the guard uniforms, silks, and drum wraps all digitally printed to coordinate with each other. And, that the design team wanted a lot of COLOR on the field. They absolutely achieved both of these goals. If anything thinks the first show will feature the guard in black tights spinning filler work with practice silks, that won't be Boston.

Speaking of coordination, I love it when a new set of silks suddenly appears just as the entire corps hits a drill set which is the exact same design as is on said silks. One of many goose bump moments in the show.....as for those "goose bump moments", I'm sure everyone will react to different things in different ways. For me, the hornline hit in the first 45 seconds is indescribable....and did I mention those windmills yet?

The visual design literally takes a "Quixotic" journey around the field, using the ENTIRE field much of the time. This too, is a huge departure from the last several years' of Boston's design. The characterizations by all members are great at conveying the whimsical dimension of Don Quixote. Another interesting innovation is that the corps enters the field WITHOUT any guard equipment. NONE. There are no flags stacked on the sidelines, backfield etc. Ever. Yet the guard of 38 is constantly in motion, with a full compliment of flags, rifles, and sabres.

Also, and I have to say this again. I get the fact that everyone reviewing their own corps before the first show is bound to say, "they're better, cleaner" etc than last year. Regardless, I still cannot get over how well the hornline is marching. I have been around the corps many years, and I have never, EVER seen them move in a manner which I witnessed last night. While I have to give great accolades to the new visual tech team, it is also abundantly clear that the braintrust of Murphy, Murphy, & Smith know precisely what they are doing.

Finally, the music. Much was said here and elsewhere one year ago about BAC and brass performance, particularly as it pertained to volume. This year's edition of Boston's hornline melted the gates of heII last night. In fact, it almost seemed as though there were moments every 60-90 seconds where the audience reacted loudly to what the corps was teeing up. And, although there were many supportive alumni there, this event also had many folks from the town of Ashburnham who just came for the event and they were reacting to the same moments in the same way.

All in all, I can make one prediction...the 2016 season will be a memorable one for the corps members, staff, and fans. Like BRASSO, I too, cannot wait until Thuirsady at the cinema.

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Thanks Craig great review. All is well in BAC Land.

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Nice review, Craiga.

One thing I might add, not mentioned previously, is that there will be moments in the show, that one will not know where the music is coming from. Did we hear it on the left ?... or was that played maybe in front ?.... or was it in the back ? Don Quixote, lest we forget from our readings, was not always sure what he was seeing and hearing all around him was real or not. Was it real ? or just in his mind ?... he was not always sure. His mind took flight, and he went with with that journey.. sometimes confusing... with intense nobility. Boston's staff, without giving anything away, have captured that sentiment of his brilliantly, imo. His mind races.. fast.. all over the place. Its fast, and intense... sometimes his mood is even whimsical. The audience thus, will look to the right, watch something there, then we are called to look left... but..... maybe its not on the left afterall... where is it ? Is it gone ? Where too ? oh look, I can see what that Guard member did with that rifle ? opps, he's empty handed.. or.... or is he ? Was that real there ? or something else ? We will be taken on a journey with Don Quixote. A most fascinating and captivating one, imo... of endurance, of a quest to remain relevant for an old and sickly, man.. once a physically and mentally tough, but gentle man... who is now old, sickly and a bit confused now, but who still has his pride, chivalry, honor, dignity, curiousity about the world, intact... and inspiring those around him with that eternal quest we all have to be our best we can be, and to never quit, never give up, and to always be curious, inquisitive of things happening all around us. and to make it a better place.. Is Don Quixote insane ? Or is he more sane than a world all around him seemingly going mad ? In the end, Miquel Cervantes's Don Quixote sees himself as a courageous and undefeatable conqueror of all bad things in the world, whether its in his mind, or in the real world. In the end, Cervantes shows us that Don Quixote, despite his odd and sometimes "quixotic" behavior, succeeds. The nobility of his courageous fight till his last breath fighting those demons, or wizards, or the bad guys, or the monsters, ( ie, the" huge windmills" ), etc in his midst or in his mind, inspires all around him. Who's to say that this optimistic sentiment and quest to nobly fight on against all odds, on behalf of " the Good ", if not with the old and dying man himself, can not not live on forever among both the young and the old in the future world ? That is what the writer Miquel Cervantes wants us to ask ourselves, imo. I'm biased, but I think Boston's show designers nailed it with the design and programming of their show the way they have, inspired by the works of this brilliant 16th century Spanish writer.

Edited by BRASSO
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Nice review, Craiga.

One thing I might add, not mentioned previously, is that there will be moments in the show, that one will not know where the music is coming from. Did we hear it on the left ?... or was that played maybe in front ?.... or was it in the back ? Don Quixote, lest we forget from our readings, was not always sure what he was seeing and hearing all around him was real or not. Was it real ? or just in his mind ?... he was not always sure. His mind took flight, and he went with with that journey.. sometimes confusing... with intense nobility. Boston's staff, without giving anything away, have captured that sentiment of his brilliantly, imo. His mind races.. fast.. all over the place. Its fast, and intense. The audience thus, will look to the right, watch something there, then we are called to look left... but..... maybe its not on the left afterall... where is it ? Is it gone ? Where too ? oh look, I can see what that Guard member did with that rifle ? opps, he's empty handed.. or.... or is he ? Was that real there ? or something else ? We will be taken on a journey with Don Quixote. A most fascinating and captivating one, imo... of endurance, of a quest to become relevant for an old and sickly, man.. once a physically and mentally tough, but gentle man... who is old, sickly and a bit confused now, but who still has his pride, chivalry, honor, dignity intact... and inspiring those around him with that eternal quest we all have to be our best we can be, and to never quit, never give up, and to always be curious, inquisitive of things happening all around us.. Is Don Quixote insane ? Or is he more sane than a world all around him seemingly going mad ? In the end, Miquel Cervantes Don Quixote sees himself as an undefeatable conqueror of all bad things in the world, whether in his mind, or in the real world. In the end, Cervantes shows that he succeeds. The nobility of his fight till the end, inspires all around him. Who's to say that this eternal, optimistic sentiment and quest, if not with the old and dying man himself, can not not live on forever among both the young and the old in the future world ? That is what the writer Miquel Cervantes wants us to ask ourselves, imo. I'm biased, but I think Boston's show designers nailed it with the design and programming of their show the way they have, inspired by the works of this brilliant 16th century Spanish writer.

Right on Man

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All in all, I can make one prediction...the 2016 season will be a memorable one for the corps members, staff, and fans. Like BRASSO, I too, cannot wait until Thuirsady at the cinema.

Just a reminder for this coming TUESDAY evening @7:30pm...

"Presenting an exclusive look at upcoming Boston Crusaders show and season just two days before the Boston Crusaders kick-off the 2016 DCI Tour in movie theaters across the country.

Join us live from Inspire Arts and Music headquarters in Hyde Park for a detailed designer’s preview of the 2016 production of Quixotic. We’ll have look-in video from recent rehearsals, a wrap-up of preseason performances in Boston, highlights of the upcoming tour, clips from the 75th Anniversary Documentary, Corps of Giants, and more.

Tune in for the live stream on the Boston Crusaders YouTube Channel on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 PM EDT."

Here is the link for that live broadcast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3eQBJDqH7w

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A little tease of the guards new uniform just post on BAC FB.

Edited by emc2
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can't wait to see their visuals for this show!

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