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POWELL, Wyo. – Settle back for an evening of classic melodies when the Northwest Civic Orchestra presents “A Night at the Movies!” The season’s first concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Nelson Performing Arts Center Auditorium at Northwest College and features music written specifically for movies, as well as “borrowed” classical music which has become familiar to wide audiences, partly due to its use in well-known films.
Under the direction of Maurine Akin, the evening gets underway with “The Beautiful Blue Danube,” by Strauss. Fans of the cinema might recall hearing this familiar piece floating through movies such as “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Toy Story 2” and “Austin Powers.”
Many youngsters (and a few parents) in the audience will no doubt find themselves singing along to “Let It Go” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” from Disney’s animated hit “Frozen.” Akin said original artwork created by students from Powell’s Parkside, Southside and Westside Elementary schools will be displayed in large scale during the orchestra’s performance of the Lone Ranger theme (“William Tell Overture”) and medley of songs from “Frozen.”
Audience members will be invited to recall “Mr. Holland’s Opus” while listening to Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7, Allegretto,” one of the classical works mastered by Mr. Holland’s high school band in the 1995 hit movie.
The somber feeling of loss and longing in Ken Burns’ PBS film series, “The Civil War,” is captured in Jay Ungar’s lament, “Ashokan Farewell,” which was composed for the series.
Also on the program are an assortment of memorable show stoppers from Bernstein’s “West Side Story” and an arrangement of Foster’s familiar classic “Oh, Susannah!”
The movie theme continues after the concert with popcorn and soft drinks in Room 29.
General admission to the concert is $7 for adults; senior citizens pay $5. NWC students and children 12 and under are admitted free.