RPO Blasts Off Into the Heavens Accompanied by Hubble Images and John Williams’ Star Wars
Rochester/Canandaigua, NY – On Saturday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m., the stage at the Constellation Brands – Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center (CMAC) will be transformed into a virtual launch pad, as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra embarks on its Constellation Brands Summer Series in Canandaigua in a truly stellar fashion. With Music Director Christopher Seaman at the helm, “Out of This World: Star Wars & The Planets” will take the audience through an intergalactic musical adventure with the help of thrilling music from Star Wars and Holst’s The Planets, accompanied by awe-inspiring images from NASA’s unmanned spacecraft.
Helping families get in the celestial mood will be pre-concert activities from 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. during which time kids can make solar system crafts and meet the ominous Imperial Storm Troopers and other costumed Star Wars characters. Weather permitting, the night sky can be viewed through telescopes from the Astronomy Section of the Rochester Academy of Science.
Out of This World begins with John Williams’ epic musical voyage to a galaxy far, far away… Star Wars Suite for Orchestra includes heroic fanfares, battle music and the menacing tones of the Imperial March, the signature music of the Emperor’s henchman, Darth Vader. Williams’ powerful symphonic score has thrilled movie- and concert-goers for decades, and the “under the stars” CMAC setting provides a worthy venue for this cosmic orchestral force.
The RPO’s CMAC performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets Suite for Large Orchestra, Op. 32 (1916-18) is an unforgettable juxtaposition of music and visual art, as film and photo images assembled from NASA’s unmanned spacecraft – including the Hubble Space Telescope – illustrate Holst’s astrological journey. With the assistance of live narration (narrator TBA), the audience goes on a symphonic tour of our solar system with Holst’s imaginative and unique instrumentation. Each planet is represented by music inspired by the very Roman deities for which each was named. The Canadian Chronicle-Herald called the program “Clear, imaginatively animated, full of detail, realistic, elegantly linked up to climactic moments in the music…It was marvelous.”
A variety of ticket options are available. Advance single ticket prices range from $13-$50; single tickets purchased at the gate range from $18-$60. Discounts are available for senior citizens, students and children 12 and under in the shell. New this summer: lawn seats are free for children 12 and under. Subscription packages are available through July 11 at www.rpo.org or at the RPO Box Office. CMAC tickets are not available at Wegmans.
CMAC concerts take place rain or shine; except for lawn seating, all other seats are covered. The grounds open at 6 p.m. and concertgoers are encouraged to bring their own blanket or lawn chair for relaxing on the hillside. Visit www.cmacevents.com for venue ground rules. Parking is free in the main lot at Lincoln Hill and East Lake Roads. RPO concertgoers may park in the preferred lot on Lake Shore Drive by purchasing preferred parking passes online, by phone or in person: $10/concert or $30/four-concert series.
The RPO’s CMAC Series is sponsored by Constellation Brands; its CMAC residency is sponsored by Canandaigua National Bank & Trust with additional concert support by Canfield & Tack and Hylan Enterprises Inc. Christopher Seaman’s appearance is made possible by The Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation.
