For someone who is not a huge Star Wars fan (I really have nothing against it, I’m just quite indifferent about the whole thing), I found myself entering into an alternate galaxy filled with grown men dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi and children with plastic light sabers.
Fresno, or at least the Save Mart Center, was swallowed by a black hole on Thursday as local Sith Lords and Luke Skywalker wannabe’s gathered to witness Star Wars in Concert, a live symphony orchestra performing music from all six movies.
When my in-laws first told me that I would be spending $60 to attend a Star Wars concert, I was less than thrilled. However, as Thursday approached my curiosity got the better of me, and I found my excitement building. I pictured a scene straight out of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, belittling all the freaky nerds in full costume and declaring the event “Return of the Dorks.” To my surprise, we were greeted by a much larger percentage of sweet families with eager children in tow instead of the crazies I had envisioned. My 4-year-old nephew and 3-year-old niece were among the wee Storm Troopers and Leias in attendance, and watching their reactions was priceless.
The crowd hummed with excitement, families crowed for photo ops with Darth Vader (yes, I was among those vying for a Kodak moment with the Dark Lord), memorabilia from the films lined the hallways, a group of Storm Troopers marched through the crowd and inside the orchestra prepared to take center stage.
Aside from the franchise hype and commercialism involved, the performance itself was incredible. The story unfolded through the narrated prose of Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO. Daniels, who came out on stage before each score, did a superb job of introducing the audience to the characters and story. At one point in the show he even impersonated his beloved character, unbuttoning his black tuxedo jacket to reveal a shiny gold vest. With each score, the audience was transported through time and space. The notes filled the building as scenes from the movies played on a large screen above the orchestra and choir. A number of scores were synchronized with green rays of light shooting across the crowd like flashes from a light saber. It really was out of this world!
After the final note was played, Daniels, the maestro and the performers were greeted with wild cheers and glowing light sabers shaking in approval. After a few minutes of clapping and cheering, Daniels came back on stage and exclaimed that we were quite the joyous audience. “Do you wish to return to the dark side?” he asked with sly grin. The crowd, in unison, shouted an emphatic “YES!” and Darth Vader’s famous Imperial March brought the evening to a close.
Needless to say, I am thankful that I married into a nerdy, Star Wars-loving family; otherwise I may never have been “forced” to visit this faraway galaxy!
1 comments:
hahahaha. classic kristin. i love it.
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