Photos and story by Monty Siekerman

- Check out the photos below -
One word best describes the Boston Crusaders performance: Excitement.

The theme “S.OS.” effectively portrays the sad state of affairs of a group of people who become marooned as castaways on an island. The dramatic music builds. The musicians and flag members act out their dilemma. The scenery of beaches and palm trees adds to the reality.

The Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps held their final rehearsal Wednesday evening at Dial-Robinson Stadium. Thursday night (tonight) you can catch them, and six other corps, at Ford Field in Detroit. Tickets range from $40-64 per person.

A downpour on Wednesday nearly cancelled the Boston Crusaders final rehearsal, which the public was invited to attend. With the rain falling, the 6 p.m. start was pushed back to 7 p.m. As they say in the trade, “The show must go on.”

Generally, several hundred local residents and family members of corps personnel attend a final rehearsal. Instead, the group performed to 20 audience members on Wednesday. No matter, the Boston Crusaders got in their last rehearsal before competition begins in the Motor City in less than 24 hours.

The Boston Crusaders will perform will travel 28,000 miles to perform 36 shows in many states before the season ends in late summer in Indianapolis. The 78-year-old corps has placed as a finalist 20 consecutive years in the World Class category during the final competition in Naptown.

PHOTOS:

• 154 performers huddle before taking the field.
• A tarp, painted to look like a beach, is put in place. The “beach” stretched the entire width of the end zone.
• Tarps cover percussion instruments toward the end of a rain storm.
• The rain ends. The set up begins.
• Performance underway.