On the night of January 1st, the Mummers’ Fancy Brigades are my favorite thing in the world. Feathers! Glitter! Choreography!
I’m guessing that there was some anxiety about the 2012/Doomsday/EVERYBODY PANIC! thing because there was a lot of fear-the-future darkness going on in those sequins.
I’ve only been watching the Fancy Brigade shows for a few years, but this was also the first time I’ve seen science-fiction-y themes crop up. It’s too good not to share, so enjoy the stills and video (some of which is just a cell phone video of the TV broadcast because PHL17′s video embed doesn’t work).
Satin Slipper
“Cyborgs: Rise of the Machines”
A bedazzled Darth Vader head on a tank is the best new thing I saw all day.
Golden Crown
“Apocalypse: Activate Thunderdome”
Downtowners
“The Planets: Gods of the Sun”
(The performance starts at about the 2 minute mark below)
Clevemore (my personal favorite, this year)
“Alien Rising” Battle for the Power of the Frozen Planet”
(the performance starts at about the 1:45 mark below)
Annnndddd…. one last Fancy Brigade. The Jokers doing “Midnight Masquerade.”
Related Stuff:
Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
