Bridgemen Open House plots the course for 2006 September 24, 2005 Bayonne Senior Center Alumni, members, staff, administration, and fans gathered in Bayonne to find out where we're heading in the new year. There were plenty of people wearing our gear plus there were yellow bowling shirts & black pants (the Mini Corps uniform) passing through the room. Members chatted with friends and family before we were sent outside to warm up. The Mini corps (a mini hornline, three drummers, and an honor guard) were going to perform first before the meeting. The hornline then warmed up in the Church parking lot and later entered the Senior Center, pumped up and ready to showcase some of what we've practiced weekly during the summer. The crowd sat with smiles on their faces knowing they were in for a taste of what to expect next year. We opened with the mysterious “Pagliacci” as the dark chords at full volume gave way to intricate moving parts that had the crowd's attention. But it was the solos from soprano Bob Hunter that were worth the trip to Bayonne as the crowd roared its approval! Next the lush parts of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” showed what a seasoned group of performers can do. We capped our performance with “In The Stone” a beloved piece from our heyday that lets each section have their moment in the spotlight. Everyone loves “In The Stone” and it left all of us all in a good mood for the night. It was an exciting way to begin the night as members and the crowd soaked up the good vibes that the Bridgemen bring to any event. The meeting got underway soon after, with Director George Lavelle taking the podium and walking us through the administration's/staff's plans for the new era of the Alumni Corps. They've been busy with the minutae of organizational planning, as well as focusing on the big picture of entertainment. They struggled with how best to combine the legacies of two eras: the St. Andrew's (shako) era and the Bayonne Bridgemen (yellow coats) era. All of our instructors are returning to help lead the corps into the next stage of our two year plan. Dennis Delucia, Jim Mallen, Bob Dubinski, Pat Scollin, Larry Kerchner, Brian Law, Matt Hurley, Claire Kronenfeld, and Nancy Ducharme have all signed up for another hitch with the Bridgemen Alumni. After a high turnout for Memorial Day weekend, we're confident we can realize our dream of a Mega Corps of 200 members. Most members are returning and promising new recruits for the coming season. Plus we have a core base of local members that gives us a stable foundation to work from. Bayonne, New Jersey's own “Tournament of Stars” home show will begin our season on June 10, 2006 opening with other popular corps; the lineup is still in the works as commitments are being finalized. George said, “The night will be capped off with the return of the Bridgemen to the field for the first time in 18 years! Our grand entrance down the hill and onto the field will recapture the wild ride that was first unveiled in 1976.” Next season we'll play some of our classics to bring back the magic of our best years. We'll warm up backfield to “Hymn to the Last Whale” and then open our show with “Pagliacci,” blending high drama with the Bridgemen's unique style. We'll segue into the musical celebration, “Land of Make Believe.” Larry Kerchner's creative take on “My Favorite Things” will remind fans of who first took this piece down a new road; it will also include a hot Dennis Delucia drum feature. The lush ballad of “Summer of '42” will give us an emotional color change before moving into the ever-popular “In The Stone” to brighten everyone's spirits. And you can't have the return of the Bridgemen without a taste of “William Tell Overture” at the end to feast on! And what about our uniforms, you ask? George and the team struggled with this issue for some time before coming to the conclusion that attendance at DCI started out low in the early 1970s and was at it's peak in the late 1970s/early 1980s. This is the era that fans in the drum corps activity remember best and it's this era of the corps that fans are most clamoring for. You see where this is going? The Bridgemen Alumni Corps will return to the field wearing a replica of our classic coats (yellow for horns and drums, black for the color guard), tailored to fit adults instead of teenagers. Bobby Hoffman must be smiling up in heaven. George outlined our practice and performance schedule (still in the works). The schedule asks for a reasonable amount of practice time from members, taking into account our busy family lives. But it's the payoff that we're here for: an appreciative crowd in the stands, some who remember our glory days and some who are new to our show style. The Bridgemen embodied a reckless commitment to entertainment that will make converts of anyone. We pushed the envelope to create rousing shows that would make anyone feel their trip to a show was well worth the price of admission. We're credited with transforming the activity and, along with other groundbreaking corps, ushered in a new age of creativity and showmanship. We were masters of GE and will continue this tradition for years to come. We left the auditorium that night feeling proud of what we have accomplished in the past year and revved up because the best is yet to come. Anyone interested in joining the new era of the Bridgemen can click on Join! Look around our site to see what we're about and find contacts if you'd like to ask questions or coordinate with other members traveling in for rehearsals at St. Andrew (4th St. & Broadway). You can also contact us by e-mail at Bridgemencorps@Bridgemen.com to find out more. We hope to see more of you in the coming months! 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