By Mabel Pais

The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) presents screenings of the complete film Star Wars: A New Hopewith Oscar-winning composer John Williams’ musical scores performed live on Thanksgiving weekend, November 23–25.

In the first film of the original Star Warstrilogy, Luke Skywalker begins a journey that will change the galaxy, as he leaves his home planet, battles the evil Empire and learns the ways of the Force. Fans will be able to experience the scope and grandeur of this beloved film Star Wars: A New Hope in a live symphonic concert experience at three New Jersey venues (program details below).

Since the release of the first Star Warsmovie over 40 years ago, the Star Warssaga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams.

For more information on the Star Wars series or to purchase tickets, visit njsymphony.org/starwars.

TICKETS

Tickets are available from the NJSO online at njsymphony.org, by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or in person at Patron Services.

Tickets for the November 23 performance are available from the Count Basie Center for the Arts online at thebasie.org, by phone at 732.842.9000 or in person at the box office.

Tickets for the November 24 performance are available for purchase from NJPAC online at njpac.org, by phone at 1.888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or in person at the box office.

Tickets for the November 25 performance are available from State Theatre New Jersey online at stnj.org, by phone at 732.246.SHOW (7469) or in person at the box office.

PROGRAMS

 

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT

Fri, Nov 23, at 3 pm and 8 pm | Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank

Sat, Nov 24, at 3 pm and 8 pm | NJPAC in Newark

Sun, Nov 25, at 3 pm and 8 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick

CONSTANTINE KITSOPOULOS conductor

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

JOHN WILLIAMS

Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all eight of the Star Wars saga films, beginning with 1977’sStar Wars: A New Hope, for which he earned an Academy Award for Best Original Score. His scores for The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jediand Star Wars: The Force Awakensand Star Wars: The Last Jediwere each nominated for Oscars for Best Original Score.

Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards five Emmy Awards and 23 Grammy Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy’s most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams’ score to 1977’s Star Warsas the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Warsalso was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry for being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the US box office (adjusted for inflation).

DISNEY CONCERTS

Disney Concerts, the music arm of The Walt Disney Company, produces concerts and tours and licenses Disney music and visual content to symphony orchestras and presenters on a worldwide basis.

Disney Concerts’ concert packages include a variety of formats, such as “live to picture” film concerts and themed instrumental and vocal compilation concerts, and range from instrumental-only symphonic performances to multimedia productions featuring live vocalists and choir.

Current titles include the Star Wars Film Concert Series (Episodes IV–VII), Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, Pixar In Concert, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice In Wonderland, Frozen, Ratatouille,The Pirates of the Caribbeanseries (Episodes I–IV) and Silly Symphonies, which last year collectively accounted for more than 400 performances in many of the world’s top concert venues, including Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Tokyo Forum and the Hollywood Bowl.

Numerous new concert packages and touring productions from Disney’s portfolio of studios, including Disney’s feature animation and live-action studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel, are currently in development.

NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Named “a vital, artistically significant musical organization” by The Wall Street Journal, the NJSO embodies that vitality through its statewide presence and critically acclaimed performances, education partnerships and unparalleled access to music and the Orchestra’s superb musicians.

Music Director Xian Zhang – a “dynamic podium presence,” as praised byThe New York Timesfor her “technical abilities, musicianship and maturity” – continues her acclaimed leadership of the NJSO. The Orchestra presents classical, pops and family programs, as well as outdoor summer concerts and special events. Embracing its legacy as a statewide orchestra, the NJSO is the resident orchestra of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark and regularly performs at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown and bergenPAC in Englewood. Partnerships with New Jersey arts organizations, universities and civic organizations remain a key element of the Orchestra’s statewide identity.

In addition to its lauded artistic programming, the NJSO presents a suite of education and community engagement programs that promote meaningful, lifelong engagement with live music. Programs include school-time Concerts for Young People; NJSO Youth Orchestras family of student ensembles, led by José Luis Domínguez; and El Sistema-inspired NJSO CHAMPS (Character, Achievement and Music Project). NJSO musicians annually perform original chamber music programs at community events in a variety of settings statewide through the NJSO Community Partners Program.

For more information, visit njsymphony.orgor email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone at 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra’s website.

COUNT BASIE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Count Basie Center for the Arts is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that reflect the diversity of the region.

As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity. The Basie Center has hosted an array of world-class artists, including Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tony Bennett, Sophia Loren and Ringo Starr.

For more information, visit thebasie.org.

STATE THEATRE NEW JERSEY

State Theatre New Jersey: creating extraordinary experiences through the power of live performance. The theater exists to enrich people’s lives, contribute to a vital urban environment and build future audiences by presenting the finest performing artists and entertainers and fostering lifetime appreciation for the performing arts through education.

For more information, visit stnj.org.

(Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health and Wellness)