Star Wars: The Live Concert

I had the pleasure of attending the recent Dallas Symphony Orchestra performance of Star Wars on Wednesday, February 8. Anthony Daniels(C3PO) himself was there to provide the narration. This was the first time I have been to the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, though not my first time experiencing live orchestral music. My Dad raised me on classical music, with countless records in his possession, he was always listening. He is a trumpet player, so it was not uncommon to go see him perform in the orchestra. It was mostly centered around the high schools or colleges he was working at during the time, but every once in a while we'd all go out to watch a performance. It is a wonderful thing to hear your favorite music live, especially something as timeless as Star Wars. On hand were many of the most popular themes throughout the entire Star Wars saga, from Episode I to Episode VI. Some highlights include:

Duel of the Fates(between Obi Wan/Qui-gon Jinn and Darth Maul), complete with choir (Episode I)
Anakin/Padme's love theme, a sweeping, beautiful piece and one of my personal favorites (Episode II)
Anakin/Obi Wan's lava duel, an epic, sad and emotional power piece that sent chills down my spine! (Episode III)
The opening crawl from the legendary Star Wars beginning, as the camera tilts down from the stars to the desert planet of Tatooine, and the Star Destroyer barrels overhead, dwarfing the small Rebel cruiser on the run (an event permanently burned into the conciousness of the world!) (Episode IV)
The thrilling chase in the asteroid field (Episode V), which, by the way, was introduced by Mr. Daniels as C3PO in his frantic statement that "the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,760 to 1!" Of course, any Star Wars nerd will tell you that the number Mr. Daniels stated was not the same in the actual movie! It's actually 3,720 to 1. But since he's Anthony Daniels, we'll let it slide (for obvious reasons)
Jabba's Theme from Episode VI, which garnered the tuba player a commendation --that's a "Bravo" and a thumbs up-- from the conductor (the one and only Erich Kunzel of Cincinnati Pops fame)
Luke and Leia, the melancholy, hauntingly beautiful theme from the original trilogy that was highlighted in Episode VI, another one of my personal favorites.
And last but not least, The Imperial March, which was accompanied by a few Storm Troopers marching down the aisles, and an appearance by Darth Vader (a local 501st member) up in the balcony where the organ is played.

In a fun little capper, the jazzy tune from the Cantina in Episode IV was the final piece of music played, and the Stormtroopers came out and danced, which was wacky fun. Although, I'm still scratching my head as to why one of the stormtroopers was short and a little rotund. Seemed a bit out of place. Also there's the fact that the resident Darth Vader was short and had to wear platform shoes to complete the look...

On a lighter note, it was a joy to see Anthony Daniels perform the narration. He even added some classic 3PO mannerisms that we all know and love. The best part was when he started going off on a tangent about C3PO, how great and smart and heroic he was... The conductor would get angry and stare him down... was a lot of fun.

The Meyerson Symphony Center is a beautiful place. The sound was wonderful, and although the seats down in the Orchestra section were tight and a little cramped, they were comfortable and the experience was a joy. I am definitely going back to hear some nice music. I am looking forward to the next Bach festival. Or Vivaldi. I'd also love to hear some piano.