A hero’s last ride: Troopers unveil 2025 production, “The Final Sunset”

Over the past several years, Troopers have taken audiences on a multi-part journey.

High-energy productions have all centered around the evolving story of the “Trooper,” a protagonist who embodies the gritty determination of the corps’ identity. 

In that time, this character has grappled with numerous enemies, accomplished feats of nature, and risen to new heights. With him, the corps has done the same. 

According to program coordinator Tim Snyder, in 2025, it’s time for Troopers’ main character to spend some time in reflection.

"You're going to see this Trooper come to terms with the end of their time here,” Snyder said. “They’re realizing they don’t have the strength they used to, even though they still have the mindset. This show is about reflection — coming to terms with what was, what is, and what’s next."

 

Troopers’ 2025 production, “The Final Sunset,” will combine nostalgia and reminiscences into a package that aims to add emotional depth to the ever-changing story of its central hero.

“The show takes you through his memories — riding across the desert, chasing after bad guys, going after the sun,” Snyder said. “It’s an emotional journey that we hope will resonate with everyone watching.”

Beyond the publicized show title, as far as what fans can expect from the 2025 Troopers, Snyder shared an intriguing and diverse setlist of music selections. 

The corps will open with Elton John’s familiar-yet-somber tune, “Funeral for a Friend,” which last appeared on the DCI stage via the 2018 Crossmen. 

Troopers have made a trend of including cinematic music in recent years, and will continue this pattern in 2025, featuring “Many Mothers” from the 2015 film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” 

Finally, Troopers will close on a powerful note, offering their emotional take on Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection.”

 

"We will do our best to honor that ‘Resurrection’ in the biggest way possible,” Snyder said. “The stage is going to be incredible. It’s the emotional climax of the show. We want it to be overwhelming, both visually and musically, so the audience feels every bit of that final moment."

Visually-speaking, Troopers’ overall look will be much brighter than in recent years — the corps plans to don white uniforms to help create the canvas for an array of memories.

"We’re taking a different stance this year in terms of how the Troopers look,” Snyder noted. “We’re still going to wear the hat, but our uniforms will be a lighter color — mostly white. It won’t be bright white, but weathered, like it has aged through this journey.”

On this canvas, the corps plans to paint the Trooper character’s life before his own eyes, offering callbacks to recent programs within the corps’ current story arc that help tell the 2025 show’s nostalgic story. 

While Snyder didn’t get into specifics, avid drum corps fans of the 2020s should see and hear plenty of familiar motifs.

 

"You’ll see a diorama of mountains and landscapes on the field, creating the feeling of being in the West, watching this story unfold,” Snyder said. “We’re incorporating elements from past shows to connect everything. There will be little details throughout the production that tie back to what we’ve done before."

While the specifics are fresh information, drum corps fans may already be quite familiar with news of Troopers’ show title. The corps has made a habit in recent years of announcing their programs early in the offseason relative to activity-wide “norms,” but 2025’s announcement was on another level.

Troopers revealed “The Final Sunset” mere hours after the 2024 DCI World Champions were crowned — about 16 hours, actually.

Part of it, according to Snyder, was recruitment strategy.

"We announced our show the day after Finals, and the kids went nuts,” he said. “I was standing at our (season-ending) banquet and said, ‘Alright, we’re going to announce the show in a couple of hours.’ They thought I was joking. Then, right behind me, the show poster pops up, and we were ready to go. The energy in that moment was unreal."

 

It’s worked before, and it worked again this year.

"The kids who come to us want to be Troopers,” he said. “They aren’t just here to march — they want to wear the hat, they want to be Troopers. This is what they want, and it’s really cool to see that kind of buy-in."

But Troopers’ early announcement didn’t just come from a targeted marketing plan.

The Wyoming corps was eager to share the news, and the excitement has only continued to grow in the months since.

"I can’t stop listening to the show," Snyder said. "It really gives me hope. It’s one of those things that just sticks with you — I get goosebumps when I hear it. That’s when you know it’s something special."

See the Troopers on the 2025 DCI Tour