2/1-2/3 Rehearsal Weekend Journal Entry by Adam Dalton

Friday’s rehearsal started slightly later than usual in an effort to allow those members who travel long distances a chance to arrive without the added pressure of being late. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people are willing to go to be a part of the Regiment Phamily.

On Friday we jumped right in filling parts and focusing on the big picture of our show. Just like last year’s production, there are many layers that add depth and dimensionality and transform our show from ordinary to extraordinary. Rick was in to write some more rifle work for a group of boys in the ending and taught everybody something to get us out of the exchange circle just before the big “butterfly” section. Adam continued to fill in the transition from the all flag hit while Stephanie and Jonathan did what they could to clean parts of people not learning new stuff. It was a very busy 3 hours but we got a lot done.

Because of our late start, we went later than normal on Friday night and started later than usual on Saturday. We learned more staging and took some time to clean and define parts towards the end. The practice butterfly wings made their big debut as we started staging the trio section where all 18 boys are on rifle and 9 girls have giant butterfly wings. It’s truly a sight to behold when you combine all that color layered in what could be the fastest rifle choreography I’ve ever done. Thanks Greg Lagola!

We made our way all the way to the final set, and I can’t wait for people to see how this show is going to end. Something about 18 rifles going into the air that is sure to make people get on their feet. That, along with our surprise ending is sure to make this production a memorable one. I can t wait to make our WGI debut at the Nashville regional in a couple weeks!!

It was obvious to everyone that the goal of the weekend was to stage the end of the show, and because of that intense drive, every member committed to doing his or her job. The focus from the staff and members alike allowed us to get to the end of the show and set us up for a successful rehearsal weekend before the Nashville regional.

While we won’t be performing next weekend at Kell as we had originally planned on, we will spend that time tweaking the end of the show and adding a whole new layer-literally and all around cleaning the show. While I m sad we won’t be performing, the extra rehearsal will definitely help. See you guys as we burst from our cocoon in Nashville!!