My school marching band is playing this and I'm an alto saxophone. Playing the melody and/or counter melody is pretty fun and since saxophones get to sit right in the middle of everyone, the sound is amazing.
Karl King was a circus band conductor so maybe that's why most of his marches sound the same or circusey his marches Started big and strong so it could get the audiences attention so then when the performance got more dangerous then music would get more softer to focus on the dangerous act (like the trio!) (A guest band director told our band this lol)