The Force Awakens in Concert

Last night I got to see The Force Awakens while the Utah Symphony played the score by John Williams live and it was so much fun!  Seeing this on the big screen again brought back memories of the excitement I felt when it was first released and hearing the music performed by the orchestra was such an immersive experience!  The First Order has risen from the ashes of the Empire and a new group of Resistance fighters emerges to defeat them, including Finn, a stormtrooper with a conscience, Poe Dameron, a daring pilot, and Rey, a scavenger who gets drawn into an adventure when she meets a droid carrying a secret.  They are helped by Han Solo, Chewbacca, and General Leia Organa but their actions are thwarted by Kylo Ren, a former Jedi apprentice struggling between the forces of good and evil.  The near capacity crowd at Abravanel Hall exploded in cheers and applause when the first dramatic note of the instantly recognizable fanfare played during the opening crawl and the applause continued when Finn, Poe, Rey, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Leia (and the Millennium Falcon) appeared on screen for the first time.  I may or may not have screamed in an embarrassingly loud voice when Kylo Ren removed his helmet!  I really love the music in this movie because it incorporates a lot of the well-known themes from the previous movies, including the ones for Luke, Han, and Leia, but also includes new themes for Kylo Ren, Rey, and Snoke.  I especially love it when the score transitions back and forth between Kylo Ren's theme and Rey's theme during their light saber duel on Starkiller Base.  I also really like the thrilling themes when Rey and Finn escape from Jakku in the Millennium Falcon, when the Resistance arrives on Takodana, and when the Resistance attacks Starkiller Base.  I enjoyed every minute of watching the movie and listening to the music and, if you have never attended a film in concert with the Utah Symphony, I highly recommend it.  The movies for next season are Black Panther, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Frozen, and Casablanca.  Go here for information on subscribing to the Films in Concert series.