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An evening attending the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
 Posted
2/1/2010 11:19:00 AM
I had the most amazing night Saturday - and I need to tell you about it.
But let's start with the 'why'. Late last year, the brilliant Philip Paschke from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, sent me an email asking if I wanted a few opportunities to attend the ESO this year. Naturally, I jumped at the chance... but I was nervous. I told Philip that my only experience was when I attended Symphony Under the Sky this past summer. (Well, that, and I took band for my three years in highschool.) He assured me that my lack of ESO experience was actually a good thing, because I'd be experiencing it like so many first-timers and my night wouldn't be necessarily be ruined if the violins were 'pitchy'. (Although, what's the chances of that happening?)
That brought me to the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. Which, I'd only been to once previously... and that was for the Gingerbread House competition for the Christmas Bureau. Now that I actually had time to go upstairs and take a look at the building, I realized just how nice the Winspear is. On the third floor, a MacEwan Jazz Ensemble played for the crowd, who enjoyed their beverages and mingling. Myself, I enjoyed the crowd watching. Being my first time at the Symphony, I wasn't sure how to dress. I took the casual-formal route, as did my friend - so no ballgowns and tuxedos for us. There were a few very dressy people in attendance, but most were casual-formal like us. There were even some hoodies, which surprised me. Wearing a bright red and blue hoodie to a Symphony seems akin to leaving your Christmas lights up on the first of February. It's just kind of tacky.
After our coffees and walk around, we decided it was time to find our seats. We completely missed picking up 'Signature' magazine, the program for the ESO over January and February. So, if you're headed there for the first time - pick up a copy! It will tell you information about the show you're about to see, and about the scheduled program.
My friend and I, both being 20-somethings, thought we would be in the absolute lowest check-box for the event. And I'm pretty sure we were right. Having said that, it wasn't just an event filled with an older crowd. Adults of all age-check-boxes were there, and the atmosphere was inviting. And inside? It was beautiful.
The show we were seeing was 'Broadway Rocks'. It was conducted by Steven Reineke, and Broadway singers Carpathia Jenkins, Anne Runolfsson, Darius DeHaas, and Hugh Panaro were the soloists joining the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Local choirs Kokopelli and Òran joined their voices in with the performances as well. The music was all picked out of musicals down in the last few decades. So there were songs from Movin' Out, Wicked, Tommy, and a musicial I really, truly hope gets brought to Edmonton - and soon, Dance of the Vampires, which features Total Eclipse of the Heart. The show stealer for me wasn't the music, wasn't the Broadway singers - it was Steven Reineke. I've never watched a conductor who had so much fun! He got completely into it - dancing, playing around with the soloists... he was just, so entertaining. I loved watching him work.
The show was sold out, the place absolutely packed. So next year, if you want to go - and you really should - buy your tickets early. Broadway Rocks was a great beginner show and has certainly hooked me on the ESO.
Now just to decide what to go to next. For that, I'm going to need to check up on the ESO List of Performances - and I suggest you take a peek as well. It was a great experience, one I recommend every Edmontonian should try - at least once.
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Brittney Le Blanc
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