Cavaliers Hit the Road!

Friday, June 18th, 2010 - 7:42 PM
By Christopher Lugo

After four weeks of an intense Pre-Tour, two canceled dress rehearsal, and one Cook Truck Fire, The Cavaliers are ready to show audiences across the country what makes them mad with the 2010 program Mad World.

One would think rehearsing 10-12 hours each day for nearly 28 days straight would take its toll on members, staff and volunteers. Tour Manager Mark Ackerson has a different view as "the guys are just excited to get on the road and perform!" The corps will continue to tweak the program until August 14 in Indianapolis, Ind., but the design team, instructional team and members have hit high-gear in preparing for the opening weekend. "We've seen the members and corps leadership take ownership of the 2010 corps and program from the beginning, and that sentiment has only grown the closer we get to Friday in Allentown." It helps to have incredible facilities during the summer, especially at this point in the season. "The past four weeks at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., Brookfield HS in Brookfield, Ohio, and Northern York HS in Dillsburg, Penn. have provided perfect environments to further refine technique, learn all aspects of the show, and begin to master performance from all aspects."

"Everyone in The Cavaliers organization has a stake in the success of Mad World."

The Design and Instructional Teams have strived to work even closer together early on, allowing more major adjustment earlier in the process than ever before. Tour Manager Joe Paul added that "the collaboration so far has just been incredible, and as expected the level of respect amongst the staff members is through the roof."

The Cavaliers organization has had an exceptionally smooth Pre-Tour in 2010, but drum corps is no without its surprises. Two of three scheduled dress rehearsal were canceled or cut short due to extreme weather in Illinois and Ohio. It was not until Thursday, June 17, at Northern York HS in Dillsburg, Penn. that the Green Machine had an uninterrupted dress rehearsL in front of a local crowd of approximately 1,000.

Check out photos from the 2010 season!

Also, on Wednesday, June 16 en route to Dillsburg, a fire rendered The Cavalier Cook Truck unusable for the summer. The generous support from Northern York HS, Director of Bands Jeremy Leidhecker, and the Dillsburg community helped The Cavaliers continue to provide it's members with exceptional meals while alternative kitchen arrangements were being made. The corps is still looking to its dedicated fans, friends, family and alumni to help continue the season without missing a step via the Kitchen Emergency Fund.

The corps' first stop of the season is in Allentown, Penn. on Friday, June 18, at the classic J.Birney Crum Stadium. Along with The Cadets and Carolina Crown, The Cavaliers will perform twice with a member of the Cavalier Design Team presenting between performances.

Cavaliers.org will be the ONLY place to get the most accurate information regarding housing and news for The Cavaliers. Be sure to follow and interact with The Cavaliers all summer long on Facebook and Twitter!

Let the MAD SUMMER TOUR begin!