Last week an event more significant than Brittney Spears finally came to my fair city of Bossier City, LA. We were fortunate enough to be one of the many stops for Star Wars in Concert on their national tour. Jumping at the chance to engage in something equal parts nerd and culture, I scooped up tickets for the best seats in the house.
I actually had not read anything about the event, so I went in not really knowing what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. They began with a decent selection of exhibits filling up the foyer of our Centurytel Center. I took my picture beside many replicas such as Darth Vader’s suit, Kit Fisto, and even Han Solo encased in carbonite. They even had a page from one of John Williams’ original scores. It was amazing to see his handwritten musical notation. To me, that was the best movie artifact they had, especially considering the musical nature of the event.
After having a great time immortalizing myself for Facebook, I slid into my seat and excitedly awaited an onslaught of music. To my absolute surprise, Anthony Daniels came waltzing out and began narrating the entire concert. My inner Star Wars fanboy cried out in sheer delight. Looking back, I was glad I knew almost nothing about the event as my shock from seeing him live and in person was totally worth it.
The orchestra began by playing the 20th Century Fox opening music along with a small showing of lights mimicking the searchlights from the logo. At that point, I was ready for the Star Wars experience. After which, the legendary words faded onto the massive screen, ‘A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away’. The orchestra, of course, followed it with the Main Titles piece with a good montage of footage playing on the screen.
The rest of the show was great. They played a great selection of tunes from all six of the movies while related montages displayed on the screen. A complementary light show flowing in tandem with the video montages also highlighted the musical numbers. The melding of music, video, and lights formed a great show that really brought out everything that Star Wars exemplifies.
Overall, it was an incredibly entertaining experience. Nostalgia for all the movies (yes even the new ones) awoke once inside me, driving me to watch them all in a single marathon.
If you get a chance to see Star Wars in Concert, you absolutely need to go and check it out. May the Force be with you…
Technorati Tags Music,StarWars,SciFi,ScienceFiction,Concert,LiveMusic
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