Show Concepts For Consideration - 2016

[HockeyDad]

I think a reboot of Walton's 'Belshazzar's Feast' with a more explicit story presentation than Star 1990 would be amazing for a corps like Phantom, Crown, or even Cadets.

More explicit? What do you mean? Like an actual big giant hand writing on a wall?

[HornTeacher]

Piggybacking on an idea which Channel3's original post brought to my mind...

Field of Dreams

A modern take on these two concertos the development of Drum and Bugle Corps written by famous father and son composers based on the music of James Horner, the corps depicts a father son relationship simply through a game of catch a father and son together attending a Drum Corps show. From a young dad trying to teach his toddler son to catch a ball the nuances of the activity as the father once knew it, time progresses through adolescence where the kid becomes preoccupied and doesn't want to play with the new ways of the activity, and then through adulthood when the father tires and grows old comes to accept that there is merit to the "new ways", while the son finds merit in the ways of the past. The ball is thrown to the dad As the show progresses, as an the old man he misses the catch, he retreats behind a screen, and returns as a toddler. a younger version of his son. A powerful depiction of the cycle of life simply portrayed, with possible tie ins to corps members' own dads.

For narration, James Earl Jones's "Baseball" soliloquy would be altered to fit the drum corps activity, and recorded by Morgan Freeman.

Edited December 30, 2015 by HornTeacher

[BRASSO]

Some Corps needs to do a future show with the theme of " Complete and Utter Nonsense", imo.

Perhaps the Blue Devils ? I believe they could pull it off . They did a somewhat similar theme ( worked successfully too ) entitled " Constantly Risking Absurdity " ( runners-up, 2008 )

The Theme of " Complete and Utter Nonsense " might be a bit confusing in portrayal to fans. But if the judges are convinced that thru interpretative dance, music, visuals the show is executed superbly, the judges should be able to overlook the fact that the show depicted before them was full of complete and utter nonsense theme wise. As a matter of fact, if it can be determined that if the show left the GE judges confused with the vibe of feeling a sense of complete and utter nonsense with such a show, wouldn't the GE judges be compelled to provide a positive feedback ? Afterall,in such a case, didn't the show designer effectively communicate the desired intellectual and emotional response as the theme was intended to ? I would have to conclude... " yes ". So.. assuming such a show was well performed and well executed by the MM's, I can't think at the moment of any downside for such a theme that would be comprised of complete and utter nonsense.

Edited December 30, 2015 by BRASSO

[HornTeacher]

Some Corps needs to do a future show with the theme of " Complete and Utter Nonsense", imo.

Perhaps the Blue Devils ? I believe they could pull it off . They did a someone similar theme ( worked successfully too ) entitled " Constantly Risking Absurdity ".

The Theme of " Complete and Utter Nonsense " might be a bit confusing in portrayal to fans. But if the judges are convinced that thru interpretative dance, music, visuals the show is executed superbly, the judges should be able to overlook the fact that the show depicted was chock full of complete and utter nonsense theme wise. As a matter of fact, it can be determined that if the show left the GE judges confused with a disconnect vibe derived of feeling a sense of complete and utter nonsense with such a show, wouldn't the GE judges be compelled to provide a positive feedback ? Afterall,in such a case, didn't the show designer effectively communicate the desired intellectual and emotional response as the theme was intended to ? I would have to conclude... " yes ".

Or to mix an oldie with your "newness" idea...Complete and Utter Nunsense

[Channel3]

The Theme of " Complete and Utter Nonsense " might be a bit confusing in portrayal to fans. But if the judges are convinced that thru interpretative dance, music, visuals the show is executed superbly, the judges should be able to overlook the fact that the show depicted before them was full of complete and utter nonsense theme wise. As a matter of fact, if it can be determined that if the show left the GE judges confused with the vibe of feeling a sense of complete and utter nonsense with such a show, wouldn't the GE judges be compelled to provide a positive feedback ? Afterall,in such a case, didn't the show designer effectively communicate the desired intellectual and emotional response as the theme was intended to ? I would have to conclude... " yes ". So.. assuming such a show was well performed and well executed by the MM's, I can't think at the moment of any downside for such a theme that would be comprised of complete and utter nonsense.

As experienced people in music and performing arts know, your post encapsulates what many young arts students go through when they're first faced with considering the real challenge of creating a solid dramatic action in a performance art. They do what you did. They balk at it-- they want to satirize the concept of having a production with substance. So the students suggest a production where the performers wear hams on their head, or urinate on themselves or the audience. They'd rather lampoon the idea of a production with substance rather than really do it. (It's easier to do a parody than think of a real show idea.) That's what you're doing. And it's common. So, just to let you know, you're at the very beginning stages of getting your arms around what's involved in creating a show concept. You're at the very most remedial, early stages of recognizing the importance of underlying meaning in music and performance art, common with youths in high school and sometimes even college.

Another thing that novices like you do when they're completely inexperienced in theatrical design is they claim that all show concepts are too weighty and maudlin and should be avoided entirely. New students balk at thematic concept simply because the only concepts they can think of of are heavy-- subjects of war, starvation, The Grapes of Wrath and plane crashes in the Andes and eating children to stay alive. That's another sign of inexperience. A show concept needn't be heavy. A show concept can be comedic, topical, and witty, subtle, or even frothy and naughty. But it must have some elseness-- some meaning. You'll learn the right good balance.

Granted, some of the recent DCI shows have been too on the nose, too heavy. Overly maudlin themes are to be avoided, and only slightly worse than having no theme at all. Frankly this maudlin trend is mostly helmed by The Blue Knights who seem to have, except for last year's departure, been slogging through a swamp of depression and overly heavy premises. Even in Because, they avoided humor, even though the entire piece was based on witty, absurd philosophical whimsy. They could have made this show soar if they had floated on the field in the round shape of earth, and exited the same way. During the performance, there should have been large props popping out briefly-- a large apple, and a pair of Abby Road sunglasses and maybe a pointy mod shoe or a yellow submarine. That whimsy was so important. But by the end of it, everyone in the audience wanted to politely applaud and then commit suicide, just as they did in the previous glum seasons.

So yes, some recent show themes are too heavy. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Well developed show themes of substance are giving this ridiculous art form longevity. And to develop such a theme is harder than it looks, as your post illustrates.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Channel3

[Daave]

Drink

[noahsigs]

This idea has been in my brain for the longest time:

A War of the Ages

It would feature a sort of three-part "Battle" between the eras of drum corps, using G-Bugles, Bb instruments, and non-bell-front instruments. You could give each team certain things that are very tied to their age, like marching xylophones and cymbals (not gone, I know) to the oldest Age, narration to the Bb instruments, and a load of synths to back the non-bell-fronts. You could make SO many people happy, there would be so many ideas to explore, and obviously no one would win, it would just end it a marvelous, blow-your-as$-off chord. God, gives me chills.

[FTNK]

aha lols, lols I say!

[mfrontz]

.

Edited January 17, 2016 by mfrontz

[mfrontz]

Another thing that novices like you do when they're completely inexperienced in theatrical design is they claim that all show concepts are too weighty and maudlin and should be avoided. New students balk at thematic concept simply because the only concepts they can think of of are heavy-- subjects of war, starvation, The Grapes of Wrath and plane crashes in the Andes and eating children to stay alive. That's another sign of inexperience. A show concept needn't be heavy. A show concept can be comedic, topical, and witty, subtle, or even frothy and naughty. But it must have some elseness-- some meaning. You'll learn the right good balance.

Granted, some of the recent DCI shows have been too on the nose, too heavy. Overly maudlin themes are to be avoided, and only slightly worse than having no theme at all. Frankly this maudlin trend is mostly helmed by The Blue Knights who seem to have, except for last year's departure, been slogging through a swamp of depression and overly heavy premises. Even in Because, they avoided humor, even though the entire piece was based on witty, absurd philosophical whimsy. They could have made this show soar if they had floated on the field in the round shape of earth, and exited the same way. During the performance, there should have been large props popping out briefly-- a large apple, and a pair of Abby Road sunglasses and maybe a pointy mod shoe or a yellow submarine. That whimsy was so important. But by the end of it, everyone wanted to politely applaud and then commit suicide, just as they did in the previous glum seasons.

I still think you're trolling us.