Music scores from ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘La La Land’ performed live
On the heels of its Oscar-winning success, “La La Land” has joined a growing roster of movies getting the concert treatment.
The romantic musical was featured in “’La La Land’ in Concert: A Live-to-Film Celebration” at the Hollywood Bowl in May, kicking off a tour which includes Canada among its international stops.
It’s part of a unique experience being offered to film buffs and music fans alike, amplifying cinematic experiences with live orchestral performances of beloved movie scores.
The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto will host a trio of performances from June 27 to 29 featuring the Toronto Symphony Orchestra showcasing the music from “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” while the film is projected on a 12-metre screen.
David Postill, vice-president of marketing for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, says they can barely keep pace with the demand for live performances of cinematic scores, which have included “Lord of the Rings,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Psycho.”
“These shows sell like you wouldn’t believe,” he said.
“People love the movies, and we kind of call it a bit of a gateway or onboarding for new customers to try out ‘What does a symphony orchestra sound feel like?’ in a way that’s kind of fun.
“You can come, buy popcorn, have a beer, sit in the audience and enjoy the film and realize, ‘Wow, a 93-piece orchestra is mind-blowing when you hear them all playing live together.’”
There is considerable effort in bringing the cinematic concerts to the stage.
Postill said the films are typically represented by distribution companies who must extract the music track while keeping the sound effects and dialogue.
A production team is then assembled, which often entails having a special conductor skilled in key dual roles.
“They not only have to conduct the orchestra, but have a special video monitor as well to monitor the progress of the film, and time the orchestra perfectly to the points where it comes in and out.”
CineConcerts president Justin Freer, the producer and conductor of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series, has had his company showcase a vast range of classic and contemporary films in its live concert experiences. “Gladiator,” “The Godfather,” “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage 50th Anniversary Concert Tour” are among the symphonic live-to-projection projects in its catalogue.
“One of the things that it’s taken the orchestra a while to come to is that the modern concertgoer is very eclectic now,” Freer said in a phone interview from Indianapolis.
“I think these projects offer an opportunity for orchestras to widen their base, to offer bridges, so to speak, to audiences that haven’t perhaps been to see ... (Sergei) Prokofiev’s piano concerto — but they do know ‘Harry Potter.’
“They come see this music in all of its grandeur with the film, and I hope that we’re inspiring some people to be musicians or filmmakers at the end of the concert.”
Postill said he estimates about 75 per cent of audiences for the cinematic concerts are those who are newcomers to the symphony, under age 35 and “very pop-culture friendly.”
The outreach to patrons continues after the performances where they seek to transform first-timers into recurring symphony-goers.
“We follow up by email ... or our social media channels and we say ... ‘If you really like Alfred Hitchcock and the strings (in his films) why don’t you try some Beethoven?’ It turns out they come back in droves.”
With a seemingly endless amount of entertainment options in the era of streaming, Freer said he hopes that the cinematic concerts draw individuals seeking an experience they can’t easily replicate elsewhere.
“It’s becoming easier and easier to envelop yourself in your home theatre or your living room or your bedroom, perhaps, with the amount of technology that now exists,” said Freer.
“To get people out of their homes, it’s more challenging than it has been in the past.
“I hope events like this which you can only see this way ... encourages people to continue to appreciate music, to appreciate film.”