During the weekend before Valentine’s Day, February 7 through 9, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) gave the best present a weekend of “Star Wars” love! “Return of the Jedi” is the latest installment of NJSO bringing real drama to another favorite film. Complete with popcorn and photo ops with Storm Troopers, this was truly a weekend to remember!
When the film opens, we see R2 and C-3PO first arrive at Jabba the Hut’s residence on Tatooine, where the droids are conducted into the audience room. Under the baton of Constantine Kitsopoulos, we hear John Williams’ version of space-age chamber music! It has a distinctive, other-worldly feel that is very different from the famous Cantina Band ditty. And later, when the bad fun starts to happen, we get a nitty gritty blues-y vibe with an undertone of darkness.
Many of us have fond memories of Carrie Fisher’s outfit, when she becomes an amusement for the execrable Jabba the Hut! He is more thoroughly disgusting in re-contemplation, and while we get many opportunities to witness his oppressiveness, with a few frames of George Lucas’ camera and a bushel of notes from John Williams we get the full measure of the genius of both in creating this living portrait of corruption. And then the shizzle starts to sizzle, when Jabba’s land yacht heads out to feed his pet with his prisoners, the party soon becomes part of the mayhem.
Then, when the Rebels land on the Forest Moon, we meet the Ewoks, and Williams and NJSO hit it out of the park again! The inquisitive nature of these creatures is in their theme and Leia has a way that even Ewoks can’t deny. Whether it’s love or battle, the flare of the brass and the sonorous strings, the cellos and flutes and instrumental things are all weaving a spell that makes this favorite so much more deep. And sitting shoulder to shoulder in the packed State Theatre,on the Sunday before Valentine’s Day, was a Valentine in itself.
Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th Birthday Bash is on the horizon–word has it, he’s registered at NJSO and the gifts are for YOU! Tickets are available now at www.njsymphony.org.