Students pose for a shot after
last year's edition of 'The Countdown.'
Drum corps fans will again get their chance to "make the call" as they select – and then judge – their favorite performances of the world's most elite marching music ensembles as part of Drum Corps International's 2009 spring cinema event, "The Countdown." Coming to National CineMedia theaters across the U.S. on Wednesday, May 13, the program will feature six full-length corps performances from among the 72 World Championship Finalists of the past six seasons (2003-2008), as chosen by fans during a two-round online vote. Cast your votes now at DCI.org/Countdown Fan voting will take place in two rounds, with the field of 72 narrowed to 12 fan favorites in round one, which will end on Wednesday, March 4. A second round of voting, lasting until Wednesday, March 11, will eliminate six of the 12, establishing the lineup to be shown in theaters on Wednesday, May 13. The units receiving the most votes – with no individual corps appearing more than once – will comprise the lineup for this special cinema event. But the fun doesn't stop there! Due to overwhelming popularity last year, fans will again have their chance to try their hand at the judging process as they put down the scores to select the "2009 Countdown Champion." "With a special downloadable score sheet, fans will again be able to enter their local participating theater and keep track of their ranking and rating of the bigger-than-life performances on the silver screen," said Chris Weber, manager of communications for Drum Corps International. "Following the event, attendees will visit DCI.org to enter their scores, and the honor of 'Countdown Champion' will be given to one of these elite groups."
Hosted by veteran Drum Corps International broadcasters Steve Rondinaro and Dennis DeLucia – this year taped live before a studio audience – fans will relive these corps performances remixed and remastered specifically for this special theatrical release. Additionally, drum corps enthusiasts will be able to "count down" the days to the official start of the 2009 DCI Summer Tour with exclusive preview features taped from the rehearsal camps of several DCI World Class corps. "Surveys completed over the past few seasons have indicated that our fans really enjoy this unofficial kickoff to the new drum corps season, which continues to grow in popularity each year," said John DeNovi, director of business development for Drum Corps International. "We've chosen the past six seasons for inclusion in this cinematic event to give our fans the best possible audio-visual experience. We expect this year's 'Countdown' to be even better than before, moving two weeks closer to the start of the competitive season and enabling new- and long-time fans the opportunity to relive some of the greatest performances in recent drum corps history. The live studio audience will also add an exciting and fun new element to the production." The six featured corps as chosen by the fan voting will be announced to the public on Friday, March 13, and tickets will go on sale through FathomEvents.com on Friday, April 10. Visit DCI.org/Countdown to vote today!
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