This preview has been provided by the North Carolina Symphony.
Fifty years ago, the world of science fiction was forever changed with the premiere of the television series Star Trek. The North Carolina Symphony will commemorate the continuing impact of the popular culture phenomenon with A Star Trek and Sci-Fi Spectacular at Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh on January 20 and 21, welcoming “Trekkers” and sci-fi fans of all ages for these special concerts.
The full symphony orchestra, Concert Singers of Cary, and vocalist Kristen Plumley will perform music from the numerous iterations of Star Trek throughout the decades. Also featuring an array of music from Star Wars and other science fiction television shows and movies – from classics to cult favorites – this program will bring sci-fi fans of various allegiances together. The energy and mood of the music will be complemented by a laser light show.
Special selections from Star Wars, including “Princess Leia’s Theme,” have been added to the program in tribute to the late actress Carrie Fisher.
Before the show, audience members are invited to a pre-concert talk with former Star Trek costume/prop builder and Cheralyn Lambeth, who will speak about the far-reaching appeal and lasting impact the Star Trek franchise has had on our world, not just in the arts, but in technology and other “real-life” applications. Lambeth will show authentic Star Trek artifacts from her personal collection.
Star Trek and Star Wars characters from the 501st Legion – an international organization dedicated to screen-accurate costuming – will be in the lobby for meet-and-greets and photo opportunities.
Ira David Wood – fresh from his starring role as Scrooge in A Christmas Carol in Raleigh and Durham – will provide the narration for The Day the Earth Stood Still. “I remember, when I was a teenager, seeing The Day the Earth Stood Still, and in particular, being touched by Michael Rennie’s final speech at the movie’s end,” says Wood. “I am thrilled and honored to have been asked to deliver that same speech for the North Carolina Symphony’s A Star Trek Spectacular.“
Jonathan Frakes, who was originally slated to narrate, canceled his appearance due to a directing opportunity.
Jack Everly, a symphonic pops specialist, will conduct the performances. Everly is Principal Pops Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, and National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He was previously conductor of the American Ballet Theatre for 14 years, appointed by Mikhail Baryshnikov.
With A Star Trek and Sci-Fi Spectacular, the North Carolina Symphony looks forward to celebrating the music that helps bring the ideals of science fiction and fantasy to life – the sounds that imagine worlds yet unexplored and dreams yet unfulfilled.
The North Carolina Symphony expresses its appreciation to Weekend Sponsor Celito Communications, Inc. for their generous support.
North Carolina Symphony
A Star Trek Spectacular
Friday, January 20, 2017 at 8pm
Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 3pm
Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 8pm
Meymandi Concert Hall
Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts
PROGRAM
John Williams: Main Title from Star Wars
Arranged by Jack Everly: Lost in Syndication
John Williams: Adventures on Earth: E.T.
John Barry: Somewhere in Time
John Williams: Superman March
Arranged by Calvin Custer: Star Trek Through the Years
Richard Strauss: Fanfare from Also Sprach Zarathustra as featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey
John Williams: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Michael Giacchino: Star Trek Suite
Bernard Herrmann: The Day the Earth Stood Still
John Williams: Duel of the Fates from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
John Williams: Throne Room and End Title from Star Wars
John Williams: Princess Leia’s Theme from Star Wars
PERFORMERS
North Carolina Symphony
Concert Singers of Cary
Kristen Plumley, soprano
Michael Runyan, keyboards
Jack Everly, conductor
Ira David Wood, narrator
Tickets start at $30
Online: ncsymphony.org (TicketMaster fees apply)
By phone: 919.733.2750 ($8 processing fee applies)
In-person: NCS State Headquarters Offices (3700 Glenwood Ave., Suite 130, Raleigh)
About the North Carolina Symphony
Founded in 1932, the North Carolina Symphony is a vital and honored component of North Carolina’s cultural life. Its 175 concerts and events annually are greeted with enthusiasm by adults and schoolchildren in more than 90 North Carolina counties – in communities large and small, and in concert halls, auditoriums, gymnasiums, restaurants, clubs, and outdoor settings. The Symphony’s 66 full-time musicians perform under the artistic leadership of Music Director Grant Llewellyn and Associate Conductor David Glover.
NCS’s state headquarters venue is the spectacular Meymandi Concert Hall at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh. The Symphony’s service across the state includes series in Chapel Hill, Fayetteville, New Bern, Southern Pines, and Wilmington, as well as Summerfest concerts at the outdoor Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. NCS brings some of the world’s greatest artists to North Carolina, including Lang Lang, Jeremy Denk, and Augustin Hadelich in the 2016/17 season.
Committed to engaging students across North Carolina, NCS conducts the most extensive education program of any symphony orchestra. In alignment with the curriculum set by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the Symphony provides training and resources for teachers, sends small ensembles into classrooms, and presents full-orchestra Education Concerts experienced by more than 52,000 4th and 5th graders each year. At the middle and high school levels, students have opportunities to work directly with NCS artists and perform for NCS audiences.
NCS is dedicated to giving voice to new art, introducing North Carolina audiences to 20 works by living composers – including two co-commissions – in the past year. In its 83-year history, the Symphony has given 47 U.S. or world premieres. NCS will appear at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in spring 2017, as one of four orchestras chosen for the inaugural year of SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras – an honor that recognizes the Symphony’s innovative community partnerships and creative programming that inspires increased interest in new music. The Symphony will present works by composers with ties to North Carolina, including Sarah Kirkland Snider, Caroline Shaw, Mason Bates, and Robert Ward.
The first state-supported symphony in the country, NCS is an entity of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
