In Thursday’s (4/7) World-Herald (Omaha, Nebraska), Erin Fogarty Owen writes, “The Omaha Symphony will accompany Shirley Jones, Julie Andrews and Yul Brynner this weekend. The orchestra played for some deep-sea creatures last week. And the group will accompany Judy Garland singing ‘Over the Rainbow’ in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ next season. That may sound impossible, but it’s all part of the national trend toward orchestras employing multi-media events to lure new listeners. The Omaha Symphony combines live music and films or video, preserving vocals from screen actors while removing the musical soundtracks, resulting in the orchestra ‘accompanying’ what’s on screen. John Goberman of New York City created, produced and will narrate this weekend’s Rodgers and Hammerstein ‘At the Movies’ program that features scenes from ‘Oklahoma,’ ‘The King and I,’ ‘South Pacific,’ ‘Carousel,’ ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘State Fair.’ … The film scenes appear on a 32-by-18 foot screen above the 70-member symphony and Resident Conductor Ernest Richardson at the Holland Performing Arts Center. … Richardson said the Omaha Symphony is always looking for ways to get into the fabric of the community – for good reason. A 2009 League of American Orchestras audience study said symphonies need to innovate to bring in more diverse and younger audiences.”
Posted April 8, 2011
