OKLAHOMA CITY – The real world is feeling pretty bleak these days, and it seems like every day, new headlines are bringing new reasons to curl up and retreat into some comforting fantasies in classic dramas, films, and video games.
While staying informed and staying engaged are as urgent as ever right now, it’s also important to find some time to reconnect with the beauty and emotion at the heart of the things we love.
A selection of February concerts across OKC stages are aiming to do just that, bringing the music of some of our favorite stories and fantasy worlds to life in all their glory, transporting audiences immediately into the hearts and minds of beloved tales and characters from hundreds of years ago right up to now.
From a classic sci-fi film to a fully contemporary and charming game world and all the way back to history’s greatest lovers, these concerts are using iconic compositions both old and new to bring stories to life on stage in OKC.
‘Blade Runner’ Live – Tower Theatre – Monday, February 2nd
One of the inarguable greatest science fiction films of all-time screened to a live rendition of one of the most revolutionary and evocative film scores ever composed?
Yes, please.
As the relentlessly dark, gritty, digital ad-covered world of Ridley Scott’s 1982 cyberpunk masterpiece “Blade Runner” continues to look more and more like our own, its themes of god-playing technocrats, secret police, and subjugated labor classes are as timely now as they were at the outset of the 80s.
Of course, the “future” landscape of 2019 that provides the setting for “Blade Runner” is now long in the past, but its questions of synthetic life, artificial memories, and the manipulations behind free will still feel prescient and foreboding.
But for all of its groundbreaking visual effects and future-noir stylings, perhaps the most iconic and influential element of “Blade Runner” is its unforgettable synthesizer-driven score by Greek composing legend Vangelis.
Live film score performers Avex Ensemble will bring their national tour through the Tower on February 2nd, screening the long-in-development “Final Cut” version of the film in full as they provide the score live on stage through a (thematically appropriate) marriage of organic instrumentation and synthesis.
For more, visit towertheatreokc.com.
‘Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons’ Live – Criterion – Thursday, February 5th
Any fan of the rapidly expanding genre of “cozy” games knows “Stardew Valley,” the mostly relaxing, sometimes mysterious, always charming farm-tending community simulator that’s captivated gamers with its throwback look and calming gameplay.
But once again, it’s the music that’s maybe most responsible for much of that heart-grabbing, nostalgic atmosphere.
The beloved retro-style tunes of “Stardew Valley” come (like everything else in the game) from Eric Barone, A.K.A. ConcernedApe, the solo game developer/musician that wrote, built, programmed, and composed the entirety of the game himself.
Well, now there’s a 35-piece orchestra touring multiple countries presenting a full-scale symphony adapted from the game’s music, not only honoring its trademark immersive vibe and overall chill-ness, but firmly elevating the field of game music to the heights of orchestral magic.
For more, visit criterionokc.com.
‘The Fire of Love: Romeo and Juliet’ w/ the OKC Philharmonic – Civic Center Music Hall – Saturday, February 14th
On Valentine’s Day itself, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic will take a crack at interpreting the greatest love story ever told through a selection of powerfully romantic compositions pulled from across the ages.
Conducted by the Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate, the OKC Phil will carry their audience through the heightened emotions, explosive romance, and tragic fate of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers utilizing the music of some of the greatest names in expressionist composing.
The Phil’s program opens with Maurice Ravel’s “Alborada del gracioso,” incorporating a whimsical dance number followed by a song of emotional bombast, recalling the lovers’ meeting at a lavish party and their late-night incantations of sudden love.
Next is the “Poème, op. 25” by Ernest Chausson, revealing the expressionistic tensions of the lovers’ feuding houses and the overwhelming emotions of young love.
Then comes “Violin Concerto No. 2” by 20th century iconoclast Florence Price, a piece to capture the passion and rapture of the great lovers.
The penultimate feature is Wagner’s legendary “Tristan and Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod (or Love-Death),” the opening and denouement of Wagner’s operatic adaptation of the medieval inspiration for Shakespeare’s doomed couple.
And finally, the climactic “Romeo and Juliet” by Tchaikovsky, a dramatic and fantastical musical recounting of Shakespeare’s tale condensed into a heart-pounding 20-minute rollercoaster of emotions.
Altogether, it’s a two-hour crash course in the romantic and immersive power of storytelling through orchestral music, and a pretty comprehensive rundown of the complexities, challenges, euphorias, and tragedies of love.
And isn’t that what Valentine’s Day is all about?
For more, visit okcphil.org and okcciviccenter.com.
You can find out about local music and performance happenings in the OKC metro weekly in this music column by Brett Fieldcamp. | Brought to you by True Sky Credit Union.
Brett Fieldcamp is our Arts and Entertainment Editor. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for 15+ years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
