Santa Clara’s show of “Miss Saigon” was a quasi-literal interpretation of the hit musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, the two men who brought us “Les Mis” a few years earlier.
The show was in essence an update of the Puccini opera, “Madame Butterfly,” which had been set in 1904 Japan. Like its predecessor, “Miss Saigon” featured a story of an American military man leaving behind an Asian woman, who never stopped believing he would come back for her. The musical didn’t appear on Broadway until April of 1991, but corps director Gail Royer had flown to London to view the production during the early part of its successful run of 4,264 performances. Convinced it would become a smash hit in America—with oodles of publicity—just about the time the drum corps season was to begin, he began the process of putting together a show based on something that few drum corps fans had yet to hear about.
The unique use of resources to explore new and inventive soundscapes immediately set the tone for this theatrical production. The simultaneous responsibilities of characterization by all sections of the corps and the sustained velocity of the closing number truly brought this Vanguard show to life.
As has been the case for much of Vanguard’s existence, the innovation of its percussion section hit new levels. In addition to world-class playing, the boundaries of what was possible on a football field were stretched to include a soundstage of effects. The show opened with the thick sound of rotating helicopter blades approaching an otherwise silent field. Throughout The Morning of the Dragon, the pit created the menacing march of communist boots. The ethereal chimes of the Wedding Ceremony were cut short by explosions and the wail of raid sirens as the Fall of Saigon begins. As the show comes to a close with The Fall of Saigon, the audience once again heard the sound of military helicopters. The ominous sound approached and then faded into the distance as the brass and drumline members (uniformed as American military officers) exited the field, leaving the guard behind. Santa Clara’s spectacular performance brought home yet another percussion title for Vanguard.
The color guard opened the show with eight-foot red umbrellas spinning to the haunting sound of approaching military helicopters. This set the stage for a performance that was as much about characterization, storytelling and the use of unconventional props as it was about color guard. Early on, judges noted that the guard book was light on traditional equipment (rifles and flags). When faced with the question, “Do you want to score high guard or support the overall production value of the corps’ performance?” a conscious decision was made by the guard staff to support the story production. The design choices of the 1991 guard show reflect that prioritization of theatrical storytelling over using the expected traditional guard equipment. This included the incorporation of the large umbrellas, woven fans, bamboo torches and multi-tiered banners in addition to the traditional flags and rifles that all guards use. These choices went beyond the addition of a few symbolic props. They were specifically chosen to add theatrical texture and visual interest and were also maneuvered like traditional pieces of equipment. Early in the season, the guard began their practice camps with umbrella basic blocks to ensure the performers would handle the eight-pound patio umbrellas with uniformity. (A rifle weighs approximately two and a half pounds.) Bamboo torches were weighted to ensure they would rotate consistently when tossed and spun. Because of this trade-off, additional demand was packed into the portions of the show where rifles and flags were used. This was done to showcase the guard’s talent handling traditional equipment in addition to the other equipment.
These innovative effects coupled with an aggressive drill demanding tempos never before explored for that duration, helped the 1991 Vanguard live up to its legacy of being a frontrunner in innovation, production and entertainment value. The corps placed 3rd at DCI semi-finals but dropped to 4th place the night of finals. While the score sheets did not put Santa Clara in the top 3 that night, the 1991 Miss Saigon production remains a crowd favorite for its theatrical storytelling, innovative percussion and passionate guard performances.
