Continuing its worldwide tour in our galaxy,
STAR WARS In Concert
launches a stunning multimedia and music experience
into venues with live orchestra performances,
choir singers and narration by Anthony Daniels.

FILMEDGE reviews our October 7th, 2009 experience
at the Mos Angeles spaceport's Nokia Theater
to give you a glimpse of the future as this
fan-tastic musical experience celebrating the
iconic award-winning scores of John Williams
soon travels to a concert hall near you.

From exciting STAR WARS saga film clips
blasting across a giant high-def LED screen
to the costume and memorabilia exhibit displays,
this will be a day long remembered by fans everywhere.

Just a week after its U.S. debut, FILMEDGE got the opportunity to see STAR WARS In Concert at the first of its two Nokia Theater performances, reprising John Williams' stirring, award-winning score for all six episodes of the STAR WARS saga in a massively entertaining event.  Event is the most apt word for this experience, since it's more than a symphonic concert, octaves above a live choral recital and light years beyond a laser show.  It's STAR WARS.  But different than any STAR WARS fans have seen before and, once it departs your local star system, you may not see again.

Narrated live on stage by Anthony Daniels (C-3PO himself), the only actor to perform his role in all six films of the STAR WARS saga, he invites the audience to view this story with new eyes and ears.  Partnered with the common thread of Williams' best score compositions, Daniels spans the entire history of the Skywalker family from Anakin's youth in THE PHANTOM MENACE to his rise and tragic fall as a Jedi Knight, and on to his son Luke's journey to fear and eventually redeem his father by the finale in RETURN OF THE JEDI.  A truly marvelous, insightful and often humorous script by Jamie Richardson weaves the complex strands of this epic tale into a richly told tapestry which enjoyably sums up the STAR WARS mythology without ever taking it for granted.  Gliding across this galaxy on the main musical themes and leitmotifs of these heroes, scoundrels and villains, the tragic and lyrical poetry of STAR WARS shines through with renewed gleam.

I won't publish the entire playlist, but the evening gets off to a rousing start just like it did in 1977 as a three-story tall LED high-definition screen marks the familiar words: "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."  Williams' STAR WARS Main Theme rightly takes center stage as the orchestra plays the complete montage suite from the hit soundtrack album.   The voice of James Earl Jones introduces Daniels, who unveils the Skywalker saga again in a new form of storytelling, with film images inspired by the symphonic score and dazzling in-theater laser and pyrotechnic effects reaching out above the audience.

Yet this is no chronological rewind of STAR WARS as we've already seen it — no, STAR WARS In Concert is both a fond celebration and a new enlightenment, familiar and comforting yet bold and just plain fun.  Having seen John Williams present his brilliant STAR WARS music in concert venues before, I can assure you that this is a very different, highly complimentary experience to such performances.  Principal Conductor Dirk Brossé leads the large orchestra and choral voices through their paces early in Duel of the Fates, while the film montages on-screen expand upon young Anakin's tale by interweaving clips of his children, and the Jedi Council whom he will later betray to once again be enslaved by the Dark Side and his Emperor.

Directed and designed by Steven Cohen, this concert/experience unfurls the STAR WARS mythos in carefully timed echoes of scenes which reverberate back and forth across all six films as not even George Lucas could manage in his sprawling narrative.  The giant HD screen displays clips of Anakin as a boy and adolescent knight, infatuated and obsessed with Princess Amidala, who draws the connection through to Luke and Leia — all players of this family saga occupying the same stage in melody and image as never before.  Symphonic motifs and dramatic moments now reflect the past and future as one united adventure, father, mother, son and daughter living a seamless story together as music and movies join anew.

While the concert progresses from Episode I through to Episode VI, here these stories and characters overlap and interact with each other in visual and dramatic delight:  score and film segments may focus on Luke's unfolding destiny, while another may offer a fond salute to the many droids throughout the STAR WARS saga (with R2D2 and C-3PO getting special mention, of course!).  Similarly, score choices are made which don't always precisely follow the films' narratives frame-for-frame, as the droid salute is underscored by Williams' Jawa Sandcrawler theme arising from the deserts where Luke and we first met the robotic duo over thirty years ago.  Yet this is an apt choice as it recalls the dusty isolation and despair of 3PO abandoned with his pal on an arid planet filled with danger.  No other score choice could better explain a droid's lot in life as C-3PO sees it, and the expertly edited montages by Jeremy Stuart share this emotional resonance with all of STAR WARS' mechanical denizens, good or bad.

Likewise music and image play out parallels between Leia and her mother Padme, or the youthful vigor and aged wisdom of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and central to the saga the dark betrayal of Anakin birthing the evil terror that becomes Darth Vader.  Here STAR WARS folds origami-like upon itself in dramatic and symphonic layers, revealing new angles and themes amid familiar characters and plots to deepen our enjoyment of the fantasy saga millions have loved for a generation and beyond.

Technically STAR WARS In Concert stuns as well, as director Cohen, sound designer Fredrick Vogler and laser/pyro masters at Production Design International combine forces in a powerful alliance to elevate the music and storytelling above the stage and into the audience.   You'll definitely feel the Force as light and sound effects immerse you in the event, as even the aural environment of the STAR WARS galaxy permeates the theater before the concert even begins.  Yet that is only a sample of the thrill ride to follow as premium sound systems filled the Nokia venue with plenty of audio punch while never sacrificing the delicate subtleties of this live orchestral performance.   Multiple camera angles give Daniels and the orchestra plenty of screen time too, further blurring the lines between live event, musical concert and cinematic adventure.

John Williams' immortal scores get the respect they've earned yet Brossé and company play these themes with personal ingenuity as well, the tricky Cantina Band swing tune being a prime example of creative interpretation honoring one of the most recognizable tracks in the STAR WARS repertoire.  In the end, it matters little if you watch the screen while enjoying the score, or listen intently to the orchestra while images washes over you in the moment.  STAR WARS In Concert is about erasing such boundaries confining the imagination — it is a liberating force for old fans and young to enjoy and share this unique experience with a most familiar friend.  If you're like me, you will leave with newfound joy in the rediscovery of STAR WARS' magic, and you'll be wanting more.

A quick word about the STAR WARS memorabilia exhibit accompanying the concert tour: you'll get close-up looks at character costumes for Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Padme and C-3PO to name a few, along with rare looks at props, concept art and matte paintings from the films, plus John William's hand-written sheet music for THE PHANTOM MENACE.  I recommend arriving early to get the best chance to view these props as they draw crowds (photos are allowed), and be sure to ask your venue's staff for display locations to ensure you don't miss seeing exhibit pieces which may be in different areas or levels.  These archival treasures from the vaults of Lucasfilm will only whet your appetite for the spectacular event which follows!

Be sure to visit the official STAR WARS In Concert website linked below and check upcoming tour dates for a performance near you — FILMEDGE heartily recommends you do not miss this uniquely entertaining experience. 

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