Boston Pops travel to a galaxy far, far away with 'Return of the Jedi' performance
BOSTON - Get ready to experience "Return of the Jedi" in a whole new way. The Boston Pops is performing the score, live in concert, as the movie plays on the big screen.
"There would be millions upon millions of people who had never heard great orchestral music played by a great orchestra, if it wasn't for the soundtracks of John Williams' movies," said conductor Keith Lockhart.
He said the Friday and Saturday night performances could be a gateway of sorts, to bring new people to Symphony Hall.
Cellist Will Chow, in his first season with the Pops, said the way Williams composes, with a musical theme for each character, enhances the experience.
He said it brings "another dimension to the movie that I think will be highlighted here on stage. Because you'll get to see the whole orchestra, you'll get to hear the music. And the thing that's actually happening on screen, that's going to be more than a background."
It's not easy to put together these performances. Lockhart said the Pops are actually doing things in reverse.
"You don't score a movie by playing the movie and having the orchestra chase the movie. You score little bits at a time, it's edited, it's put together and slid in. They use the movie as a rough guide, but we have to play exactly what the orchestra played than the finished product of the movie."
Return of the Jedi: In Concert, is at 8 p.m. on May 26th and 27th at Boston's Symphony Hall.