Monster
08-31-2003, 03:10 AM
John Williams Night at the Hollywood Bowl. Special Guest was James Earl Jones. Lots of fun.
BEFORE THE SHOW:
Went with parents and Drew (TGM). Ate, talked, laughed, Drew and I played cards. The pre-show announcement (no smoking, show will be starting, blah blah blah) was made by James Earl Jones. No modifications to his voice, he spoke in his normal southern accent, albeit greatly faded by all the years in the movie biz.
FIRST HALF:
John Williams conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in pieces from "Catch Me If You Can" and the Harry Potter series (both movies he composed the score for). Lots of fun to listen to. Williams really saved himself in my eyes with Catch Me b/c up until that movie nearly everything he did was always reminiscient of something else that he did. He also over-uses the brass section of the orchestra. But ever since Catch Me, he's been a lot more balanced, a lot more varied. It's like he finally discovered the other areas of the orchestra can be used for main themes.
SECOND HALF:
Intro James Earl Jones. Thunderous applause. Jones narrates (so to speak) a "musical journey through the Star Wars Universe." This takes up the entire second act. Williams does pieces from all the movies, from the main theme to the Imperial March to the piece from the end of Return of the Jedi. Lotsa stuff. Loads of fun. And when the main theme began, about 20 light sabers lit up all throughout the bowl. Mostly they were the cheap-o ones, but 4 of them were the full out saber "replicas" that cost about $250.
ENCORES:
Encore 1 - "Now, Voyager"; theme from a movie released in 1942. Not his, but really good nonetheless.
Encore 2 - "Superman" main theme.
Encore 3 - "Raiders of the Lost Ark" theme. He ended on that, everybody went out whistling it. So much fun.
A fun night.
BEFORE THE SHOW:
Went with parents and Drew (TGM). Ate, talked, laughed, Drew and I played cards. The pre-show announcement (no smoking, show will be starting, blah blah blah) was made by James Earl Jones. No modifications to his voice, he spoke in his normal southern accent, albeit greatly faded by all the years in the movie biz.
FIRST HALF:
John Williams conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in pieces from "Catch Me If You Can" and the Harry Potter series (both movies he composed the score for). Lots of fun to listen to. Williams really saved himself in my eyes with Catch Me b/c up until that movie nearly everything he did was always reminiscient of something else that he did. He also over-uses the brass section of the orchestra. But ever since Catch Me, he's been a lot more balanced, a lot more varied. It's like he finally discovered the other areas of the orchestra can be used for main themes.
SECOND HALF:
Intro James Earl Jones. Thunderous applause. Jones narrates (so to speak) a "musical journey through the Star Wars Universe." This takes up the entire second act. Williams does pieces from all the movies, from the main theme to the Imperial March to the piece from the end of Return of the Jedi. Lotsa stuff. Loads of fun. And when the main theme began, about 20 light sabers lit up all throughout the bowl. Mostly they were the cheap-o ones, but 4 of them were the full out saber "replicas" that cost about $250.
ENCORES:
Encore 1 - "Now, Voyager"; theme from a movie released in 1942. Not his, but really good nonetheless.
Encore 2 - "Superman" main theme.
Encore 3 - "Raiders of the Lost Ark" theme. He ended on that, everybody went out whistling it. So much fun.
A fun night.