“Ladies and gentlemen, the concert is about to begin. Please pull out your cellphones and turn them ON,” writes Kerry Lengel in Saturday’s (4/18) Arizona Republic (Phoenix). “Instead of fighting the good fight against texting during classical-music performances, ProMusica Arizona is saying, ‘If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,’ with a choose-your-own-adventure program this weekend dubbed ‘The Unpredictable Adventures of Henry Hicklebee.’ The family-friendly event is part concert and part theater. The title character is investigating his family’s roots, and the audience will vote via text message to help him decide which clues to follow. If Henry gets on the train to Spain, say, the orchestra will play something flamenco-inspired. If he heads off to Russia, the next selection will be by Prokofiev…. ‘The idea came from me and my wife (Ashley Stich),’ [ProMusica artistic director Adam Stich] says. ‘We’re both theater people, so I sort of approach concerts from a different place….’ Founded in 2003, ProMusica is a community orchestra and choir with members ranging from teenagers to seniors.… ‘I’m hoping that a new audience of classical-music fans will enjoy being able to engage in the process, instead of it being a passive experience,’ says Stich.”
Posted April 20, 2015
