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Apr 19, 2023

Santa Cruz Symphony takes audiences to the movies with season’s final concert

SANTA CRUZ — Nearly all movies are strongly tied to their music. That has been

SANTA CRUZ — Nearly all movies are strongly tied to their music.

That has been true since the dawn of cinema. Even in the so-called "silent" era, theaters had pianists provide musical accompaniment for the comedic antics and fast action taking place on the screen. Ever since the start of the sound era, there have been many iconic movie themes that have heightened the action and drama of movies and given audiences tunes they will be humming forever.

The Santa Cruz Symphony will be performing 16 of these themes as it closes out its 2022-23 season with the pops concert "A Night at the Movies" Saturday.

Symphony Executive Director Gary Reece said pops concerts tend to be lighter than the often dramatic symphonic performances during the season but are still rooted in orchestral music.

"One step away from classical, you really will find movie music," he said. "Theme songs and the scores from movies are usually orchestrated as the classical music is, but it's just a lighter tone and more fun. It's been a tradition with the Santa Cruz Symphony for a long time to end on something like that."

Movie-themed pops concerts are nothing new for the Santa Cruz Symphony. Several years back, Reece said the symphony performed themes by the legendary John Williams, and the show even featured Stormtroopers from "Star Wars" in costume.

"I will remember that for a long time," he said.

Reece said Maestro Daniel Stewart suggested doing a concert focusing on themes by composers apart from Williams "to showcase the depth and breadth that musical scores from movies bring to the public."

There is one Williams theme that will be featured: the iconic "Star Wars" theme. Apart from that, it will be an exhibition of other classic and modern composers such as Bernard Hermann, Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Nino Rota, Danny Elfman and Michael Giacchino.

The evening will begin with the 20th Century Fox fanfare initially composed by Alfred Newman and then give way to classic themes from "The Godfather," "Gone with the Wind," "Lawrence of Arabia," "North by Northwest," an arrangement of various James Bond themes, "The Pink Panther," "Mission: Impossible," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars," "Batman," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Up," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the song "Smile" from Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times."

Reece said the set provides for a blend of styles ranging from action/adventure themes to majestic ballads such as "Tara's Theme" from "Gone with the Wind" to actual classical pieces such as Richard Strauss’ "Also sprach Zarathustra," the "2001" theme.

"It's a nice variety of music," he said. "It just makes for a very nice experience for an evening."

Because it is the symphony's last concert of the evening, Church Street will be closed off starting at 5 p.m. that day for a street party featuring tables and chairs, music by Samba Cruz, food trucks, wine and sodas and — what else? — popcorn, which people can bring into the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium for the concert later.

Reece hopes audiences will take away an appreciation for film composers, both past and present, and the skills from an 80-piece orchestra such as the Santa Cruz Symphony.

"Our orchestra members have an ability to play all types of music, not just the heavy classical but the more fun stuff that they enjoy playing as well," he said.

The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Auditorium, 809 Center St. Ticket proceeds will support the Santa Cruz Symphony. For more information, go to Santacruzsymphony.org/.

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