Memorial Day Weekend brought out the best in the Bridgemen!!! May 27 to May 29, 2006 Saturday was a VERY good rehearsal. We retraced familiar ground and broke new ground. But for all we sacrificed on Saturday, it's Sunday I'm here to talk about. It was a HEAVY DUTY workout! We worked hard in spite of the obstacles thrown in our path. Yes, it was hot, but we were DETERMINED to give our all to get as much accomplished as possible, to face down whatever obstacles stood in our way. For a while, our first obstacle was the sun. It was a hot day and sunblock didn't seem to help enough! We began our warmups in sectionals, splitting into the 3 main sections of any major corps: the horns, drums, and guard isolated and focused on what we needed to accomplish that day. The temperature was in the 80s throughout the day, but we focused on our objectives and worked music or handled guard equipment before we got together on the field to run drill. Our next big obstacle was the ticking clock. You see, this was a very special day for the Bridgemen. In the afternoon, we wrapped up rehearsal and changed out of our lightest summerwear and changed into our yellow or black coats. Though we've been together a year and a half as an Alumni Corps, this was the first time we donned the classic coats again. Kudos to Nancy Ducharme for doing such an OUTSTANDING job recreating these classic costumes to help us feel the parts we play in this production! Nancy is like the Production Manager behind the scenes of a Broadway production: handling costumes and keeping us all on schedule for opening night! We lined up at the equipment truck to receive our coats and wild hats. These oversized fedoras have the LOUDEST bandanas/hat scarves on Earth! They're just one more example of the bold statement we're unleashing this summer. Yes, it's an outrageous costume, but DAMN we're having a lot of FUN! Welcome to the Bridgemen, brothers and sisters. Horn, drum, and color guard members met back by the truck a half hour later, eager to put on a SHOW for the crowd. Today was the day we took a major step to reclaiming our legacy as one of the most influential and entertaining field corps in the history of the activity. Fans, families, and friends in the stands couldn't help but caught up in the excitement! We were either wearing a yellow coat with black cuffs & collar (horns and drums) ... or a black coat with yellow cuffs & collar (color guard) ... and wearing the SILLIEST grins on our faces for having made it this far! The new coat is lighter than in the old days, but is still a pretty faithful recreation of the coats the corps wore between 1976 and 1987. As George Lavelle commented to us, “For the first time in 30 years, the Bridgemen are making their premiere in the coats that Bobby Hoffman dreamed up for us.” And launched the makeover of the Bridgemen. We reveled in the sight of ourselves and each other in these outrageous costumes, some for the first time in a long time, some for the first time ever. We joked with each other, took pictures, and soaked in the experience as members united in a cause. Then we circled up near the field's back gate to listen to George. But Donald Glenn stole the moment with his intense, impassioned speech which had us laughing at times and nodding our heads at times. George sat up and commented to Donald, “Can I have the corps back now!?” Executive Director George Lavelle's inspirational words helped fire us up for a heartfelt performance. Next we lined up and made our way to our opening box to come on the field. The color guard surrounds our opening formation as we cross the back of the field on the way to center field. The guard's bright smiles, enthusiasm, and explosively-loud rainbow flags provide a splash of color that will leave many amazed! The color guard brings a sexy optimism to our show that goes far beyond expressive equipment work. Their commitment and dedication are evident everywhere you look. We moved the box across the field and turned on the 45 yard line, moving it forward and making our way to the back hash mark. We came forward with the classic Bridgemen Knock and launched into our trademark dance step. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you're STARVING for entertainment. In front of us, Director George Lavelle addressed the crowd and reminded us all that we represented the first Bridgemen drum corps on the field in 19 years. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Bridgemen Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps!” Soon we were in our opening set and were called to action under the strong direction of Drum Major Jim Jordan. We cut loose with the opening chords of Larry Kerchner's arrangement of Pagliacci to the crowd's delight! We moved briskly into Chuck Mangione's Land of Make Believe with some soulful, latin rhythms from the drumline and hornline. Rob Hunter's solo alone will be worth the price of admission this summer. What's it like to have cute women dancing around you while you're playing a solo? You'll have to ask Rob. We next changed the mood/color of the program with the mysterious strains of My Favorite Things, Larry's classic arrangement from 1973. It has a jazzy, pulsating drive to it, with a memorable Dennis Delucia drumbreak, building slowly and relentlessly towards a power push that will make a believer of anyone! It's amazing how well this arrangement has stood the test of time in the hands of a capable hornline and drumline. The opening of Summer of '42 brought to the field a story of lovers who find each other against the backdrop of WW2. The haunting melodies and harmonies speak of the tragedy they must endure as they realize their relationship is not meant to be. We again shifted colors to our ever-popular hallmark In The Stone. This classic song from Earth, Wind & Fire is a celebration of life and could put a smile on anyone's face! These funkadelic rhythms return to the field as only the Bridgemen can deliver! Every section of the corps has its moment in the spotlight, as everyone gets a piece of the action. Next, we gave the crowd a taste of our rich heritage with the reintroduction of the William Tell Overture, a showpiece that shows off our blood-pounding intensity. Many a crowd will be bowled over by the sheer impact that classic G bugles can deliver from a large, dedicated hornline! At show's end, we were pumped up by the reception we received from the crowd at Manville H.S. and soaked it all in! There's nothing like performing for an appreciative crowd! We made several converts that day and will be adding to our ranks this summer and next. George Lavelle told us, “Remember the RUSH you felt performing out there? That was PAYDAY for all the hard work you put in. And June 10th will be an even BIGGER payday!” George (and several others) later commented that despite how tough it was to put on a uniform after a long day's rehearsal in the heat, it was worth it for our members to get a taste of what this wild ride was about. And to work out some kinks in the show. We now have a MUCH clearer idea of what it will be like to perform at Veteran's Stadium in just a few weeks and elsewhere this summer. We all agreed it was worth it. Monday, Memorial Day (05/29/06) began much as it did a year ago. Tumbling out of bed, achey & sunburned, and showing up at St. Andrew's on 4th & Broadway. We were wearing our parade uniforms (the yellow & black bowling shirts) this day; thanks Nancy for a cotton shirt that breathes! We collected together (well, those who made it out of bed in time!) and had a group photo taken at 8:00 to commemorate the day. In time we lined up and headed a few blocks Northeast to a schoolyard where we usually warm up before parades in Bayonne. Drum Majors Jim Jordan and John Richard deftly put us through our paces as the drumline began the warmup exercises we're used to hearing in the distance. The color guard stretched out & got limber for the workout ahead. Director George Lavelle and our drum majors had us practice our new routines and go over the musical choices for the parade. Once our members were ready to roll ..... we waited. We joked around & goofed off to pass the time, entertaining ourselves until it was time to entertain the community. Soon we made our way to the opening ceremony that featured speeches by Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr. (who LOVES us!) and community leaders. We were again privileged to be featured as the premiere group of the day. We slapped down a performance to amaze the crowd ..... then waited! Soon after, we lined up again, walked in step towards Broadway and took our place in the parade. We played our parade-standard Battle Hymn of the Republic once before the familiar train overpass at 8th Street came into view. While beneath it, the crowd cheered and ate up the intense volume that the echo of the drums created! We arrived at the corner of 9th & Broadway in front of the old bank, now a Museum. Alumni, family, and friends waited patiently for our arrival. We set up quickly because George told us earlier that we only had 4 minutes to perform and leave! Soon we were into My Favorite Things and we could see the crowd get swept up by the exciting rhythms and drive that this piece delivers. The guard, drums & horns were fired up by the reaction of the crowd and the intensity just continued to build. Then William Tell Overture brought shouts of delight from supporters and strangers alike. WOW did the excitement level continue to build as the crowd and us performers kept pumping each other up! Bobby Hoffman often said, “The Bridgemen philosophy is 'You get back what you put out'” The experience was karma fulfilled. Then we were back to moving along the parade route. The gratitude and appreciation of the sidewalk crowds kept us focused on our performance. We moved, we stopped, we moved, we stopped, but kept going in preparation for the last prize of the day: the reviewing stand on West 40th Street at the end of the parade. The next thing we knew, we arrived there and quickly set up again. Though tired, we were focused on putting on a show for the home crowd and we delivered. We unleashed the fire inside us with My Favorite Things again for a wide-eyed appreciative crowd. The power push near the end bowled over the crowd with our intensity. By the time we'd finished laying down one SERIOUS performance, the community was ROARING its approval! Then William Tell Overture was the icing on the cake for all those who'd patiently waited in the hot sun for our appearance. Again, our passion and volume level were off the scale as we gave every last drop of energy to the crowd! Afterwards, us weary performers made our way into The Stephen Gregg Memorial Park (designed by Thomas Jordan) around 12:40 and circled up around Director George Lavelle. George saw that we were spent and thanked us for our contribution to making Memorial Day 2006 such a success for the Bridgemen and for all we'd given to the city of Bayonne. It was a GREAT day to kick things up a notch and soak in the appreciation of the crowds! Drum Major John Richard commented, “After the parade (and a few cool ones at the VFW Post), Jimmy Jordan and I were fortunate to spend a few hours with the 9th Street Alumni group partying at the home of Charlie and Terry Lucania (both 65-71). The party was almost exclusively B'men Alumni from the 65-73 era. The feedback was consistently positive with comments like the corps sounds 'Awesome!' 'Tremendous!' 'Great!' 'Amazing!' etc. This is a tough group to please and TRUST me they're ALL very pleased and very excited about 6-10-2006. They'll all be there!” The next rehearsals will lock down the last ingredients of turning the 2006 Bridgemen into one of the most-talked about acts of the summer! Focus on the entertainment we'll deliver as performers and we're half way there. Please come prepared for next rehearsal and review your contribution to the show: whether as a guard member, drum player, or horn player. Please review your music or equipment work, think about when to move and stand still, what direction your next set is, keeping your intervals, etc. Your drill charts will go a long way to locking in the show for you. Enjoy your participation in this ensemble of friends and performers. We did well over the long weekend and we've crossed a new threshold as individuals and as a group. The best is yet to come. HYPE! Back to Information Articles