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Suncoast Sound 1988


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Regarding audience response to Phantom's performance, I have to agree with those posters who stated that Phantom got the biggest fan response. I don't think the lack of rain was much of a factor, if at all. The last three numbers, Danza Final, the Fire of Eternal Glory and Death Hunt were all loaded with general effect. I had seen PR early season in NJ and was not particularly impressed. However, the late season additions, such as the moving and whirling triangle in Danza and the hats on the field mimicking headstones in a cemetery in Fire were terrific. If you listen to the crowd reaction at the end of Fire, the ballad, it is off the charts, and rightly so. I have never been a big Phantom Regiment fan, but that show finals week was wonderful and merited every bit of audience adulation.

1993 Phantom is still my favorite show from them ever.

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Maybe the crowd loved Cadets because they were rooting against Star?

“Cadets can’t beat this?”

93 had a lot of muscular, older style shows, Cadets and Star didn’t fit that mold as such they didn’t inspire such visceral reactions from the crowd. They were also not to my tastes.

I agreed with what you said, Regiment got the best reaction at finals, better than either Cadets or Star, think BD was also better received

Can’t say how Cadets were received earlier on tour don’t recall seeing them until finals week and they were not the darling of DCI then. just looked at Star’s scores and tour that year, not sure how that matches with your recollection either but whatever

Maybe you sat in the Cadets block for Finals that year and got a different take on the crowd?

Cool. No I didn't sit in a Cadets block... Just my perspective on it.

Sounds like we all remember the terrific Regiment response. And I totally agree that BD got a great reaction from the crowd. Meaty/muscular is a great word for some of those 93 programs!

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  • 5 years later...
15 hours ago, Suncoast 88, Magic 90 said:

Hi, I was in the Suncoast '88 color guard, and I literally was the "contemporary child," soloist dancer (you know, the "little girl" in a sailor suit dress and hat?).

 

You, Madam, are an absolute legend!   Thank you for your 88 performance....it was wonderful, as was the show itself.

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9 hours ago, 84BDsop said:

You, Madam, are an absolute legend!   Thank you for your 88 performance....it was wonderful, as was the show itself.

Thank you for your kind words. I ended up in Suncoast 88 because of George whom I had worked with strictly as a ballet dancer for a couple of Christmas shows in Dallas, Texas (and got paid!) that also featured former members of Karl's Odyssey winterguard (I had seen a video of the innovative '87 show I think it was). He gave me a call from Florida and asked me if would I be interested in being a part of the 88 show: A young boy was supposed to have done my part but that fell through.

I knew nothing about drum and bugle corps/DCI. There wasn't internet to look up stuff, so I flew to Florida with so much ignorance that I called the corps a "marching band"--I was, of course, swiftly informed of the differences! 😅 

So many things to say but here are a few. What was really challenging for me was trying to dance in the immense space of a football field (as well as on all varying ground conditions from field to field) instead of in a small theatre stage with decent flooring!

Karl would take me through where he wanted me to be on a specific count (OMG, I think at one point in the show, he wanted me on a count of 42 to hit my mark--I never counted music like that). As well, while he gave me some particular moves to make, for other parts he left it up to me to choreograph my own steps and moves: Same thing for Magic 90, Fantasia, and in that one I wore pointe shoes. LOL, try doing that on grass, grass/dirt or slippery astroturf perched on your toes!

Anyway, I so loved my time in DCI and will feel forever thankful for all the support the Suncoast staff, corps members, other corps's folks, fans and everyone else gave me!     

Edited by Suncoast 88, Magic 90
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I just saw that someone posted the show on Youtube recently. OMG it makes me wince to watch my dancing but it reminded me of the difficulties of 1) trying to dance through such long distances of space, 2) doing so in flimsy ballet slippers, 3) hit all my marks on time with the rest of the corps, 4) the wind was against me throwing up and catching that darn ball throughout the entire show (not just the end of it as I mentioned above), and more. The real stars of the show were the guard and musicians!!! 

 

Edited by Suncoast 88, Magic 90
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On 11/12/2015 at 10:28 AM, tesmusic said:

Or maybe you could chalk it up to the posters opinion?

not really - still - he said "Most people were" so he wasn't even stating it as his personal opinion. 

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On 11/7/2015 at 8:27 AM, Tad_MMA said:

I could go on all day about the amazing construction of that show. Too bad they were on their way out, because with the right performance, holy Christmas!

But my question pertains to the color guard. In 1987, their My Fair Lady show finished dead-12th in guard Finals night. In 1988, they were 2nd in semifinals and 2nd in Finals. Had DCI used today's criteria for captions, Suncoast would have won best guard in '88. Instead, the 6th place semi-final placing Phantom guard snuck in there on finals night (Madison won guard in semis and was 3rd in Finals).

Who the how the what the heck? Who took over that program to get them that great that fast? I recall somebody saying something about a winter guard called Odyssey... That "Children's Garden..." show is so creepy (guard masks/costuming/movement) but one of the most creative endeavors ever. If you've never seen it, the whole show is on YT.

Incidentally, they finished 4th in guard in 1989 Finals, which was their last appearance---after finishing 14th in QFs. And the recaps list the same judge (J. Gilbert).

Meh.  If you watch 88 finals, (which BTW was a random draw and affected finals a LOT and it's why it's never been used again),  Phantom's guard work was amazing and clean.  No one was even close IMHO in being as clean with the amount of work they did.  I disagree, had they used today's criteria they would not have one best guard in 88.  Think of it this way, if you bothered to look at the whole season Phantom's guard hardly "snuck" in there.  Amazingly, Phantom's guard was so good in 88 they won even going on like what second that night?  That says a lot.

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On 6/24/2021 at 4:41 PM, Suncoast 88, Magic 90 said:

Hi, I was in the Suncoast '88 color guard, and I literally was the "contemporary child," soloist dancer (you know, the "little girl" in a sailor suit dress and hat?). I don't know if anyone will see this so many years after this thread was posted, but yes, it was Karl Lowe, along with George Sellers (as well as I think on that staff Kevin and Deena and sorry I don't remember their last names!), who was the designer and choreographer of the guard for Symphonic Dances for the Contemporary Child. Karl was a genius.

It was so extraordinary for me that I was asked to do the part even though I never threw a rifle or flag (and notice if you see a video, I don't). It was something magical touring that summer and to open and close the show alone on a football field--nothing I'd ever experienced before or after. More so, I so admired the rest of the guard who did some really intense guard work (that last long rifle toss/catch during Kansas City finals was a OMG moment!).

Finally, everyone in Suncoast, guard and muscians, was so dedicated to the original music by Robert Smith and original concept dreamt by him, Karl and others on staff. So, you can imagine how very emotional it was to do this show. A show that in a mere 12 minutes tried to not only be completely original in composition but also make a message about children and how the seeds of hatred implanted start wars.

On a lighter note, during finals, as I recall, at the end when I was dancing again with the "globe of earth" ball alone on the football field (with the corps on the sides), a gust of wind blew the ball and I improvised my reaction to it! For DCI folks interested, I was also the dance soloist for 1990's Magic (Suncoast staff back again), Fantasia. In the end, I only wish is that I danced better because everyone was so nice and very artistic in Suncoast/Magic and it was such a privilege for me to have experienced DCI.      

This forum has been quite an interesting challenge in the last little while.   We are tired, and we are fed-up beyond normal with what has been going on.   At this time we all want life to be different.

Your post was beautiful.  Heartfelt, appreciative and relates to so much that we like about this activity.   We sometimes forget the human aspect when discussing topics here. 

Thank you for posting!

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/27/2021 at 10:21 AM, Continental said:

This forum has been quite an interesting challenge in the last little while.   We are tired, and we are fed-up beyond normal with what has been going on.   At this time we all want life to be different.

Your post was beautiful.  Heartfelt, appreciative and relates to so much that we like about this activity.   We sometimes forget the human aspect when discussing topics here. 

Thank you for posting!

Thank you Continental for this note. I truly loved my totally unexpected venture into DCI. What wonders DCI can be and, wow, memories that are now over 30 years ago!

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