Halloween came early for attendees of the Spooky Symphony on Sunday, October 25th, 2015 as part of the Free Family Fest at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. As an enjoyable, family friendly concert, Spooky Symphony capitalizes on its ability to entertain both youth and adults alike with their musical talent. Parents and children alike flocked toward the event dressed as their favorite characters, tickets in hand, to fill the seats of the concert hall.
The event began at 4, introducing songs played by both The Greater Miami Youth Symphony and the Alhambra Orchestra in the illustrious Knight Concert Hall. With a word from their sponsors and introductions of the first half of the set from the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, the performance began with a media presentation on the “Monster Screen” at the forefront of the stage.
Decked out in costume themselves, the symphony played a haunting aria from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute, titled “Oh, Tremble Not, My Dear Son” („O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn”), with vocals from a visiting renowned Venezuelan Soprano. .
Hell’s Vengeance (“Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”), the second aria of The Magic Flute, was the next piece that followed with a powerful shift in tone from the first aria. The atmosphere changed from a saddened Queen of the Night pleading for the prince to save her daughter, to the now insane Queen asking her daughter to murder her rival.
Following its spooky theme, the first half of the performance ended with a few pieces featured in the Broadway’s Wizard of Oz spin off, Wicked, followed by an animatic to the tune of the song “Gravity”. With the audience applauding, the Greater Miami Youth Symphony exited the stage to mark the entrance of the Alhambra Orchestra and their pieces of musical intrigue.
Their sets included pieces from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Disney’s 1929 short film Spooky Scary Skeletons, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone’s opening theme “Harry’s Wondrous World.” After finishing their sets, there was a brief intermission that allowed all of the costumed parents and children to gather for a walking tour around the center’s halls. The staff cheered on as the children presented themselves for the audience in what could be called a Parade of Costumes.
Opening up the second act, the Alhambra Orchestra covered the theme from Batman: The Dark Knight with original footage playing in the background. After this piece, the Greater Miami Youth Symphony made their return, joining the Alhambra Orchestra to play a rendition of the Jurassic Park theme song.
With rousing applause from the audience, the orchestra finished off the night with The Firebird, as the conductor, dressed as a phoenix herself, led the players with a flourish of swift movements and energy.
The Adrienne Arsht Center’s Free Family Fest knows how to hold an event with the aid of its community, as the Spooky Symphony is no exception. In all the event was an overall success, with parents and children leaving happily after the final number.
If you would like to know more about the Adrienne Arsht Center and its events, please visit www.arshtcenter.org or the box office at 305.949.6722.
