Keith Lockhart Discusses the Boston Pops 2013 Season

By: May. 06, 2013
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Everyone has heard of the recent tragic events in Boston. Hearts around the world were touched by what happened at this year's Boston Marathon. As a result there's been an incredible outpouring of help and kindness to those who were directly affected by the two explosions on April 15, 2013. Monetary donations are pouring in and the likes of Neil Diamond have lent their support in various ways.

For Maestro Keith Lockhart the explosions were a source of great personal concern. "I was conducting the BBC Radio Orchestra in Germany at the time but my wife and three sons were still in Boston. It was more than just a little disconcerting," he explains. Fortunately they were safe, as was the staff of Symphony Hall, where Lockhart's Boston Pops will take up residence beginning May 8th with a concert featuring country western star Vince Gill. It should be noted that the venerable concert hall isn't all that far from the spot where the explosions were detonated.

In a phone conversation some time later, Lockhart proved to be back to his normal articulate and charming self as he discussed the Boston Pops' upcoming season. "This year we're doing a season-long tribute to the Hollywood film score. Film music has probably been the most new influence on orchestral music in this last century-or at least since 1929 when the talkies started. Of course we've always done lots of film music with the Pops and the vast majority of that has been written by John Williams because he's our

Conductor Emeritus and he has a long association with composing film scores. Although his music remains the cream of the crop, it'll be nice to show that there are other people out there creating great film scores as well."

In paying tribute to films, more than just a few Broadway talents will be appearing with the Pops this season. "After all that talk of Hollywood we always seem to come right back to Broadway performers because they do what we do and they're really wonderful," Lockhart explains. "This year we're having two debuts with the Pops of exciting people who have become popular because of their appearances on TV. One is Matthew Morrison of 'Glee' who is really an old fashioned song-and-dance man at heart. The other is Megan Hilty, who of course is one of the most ascending divas on Broadway these days-partly because of her appearances on television's 'Smash'. We're excited about both debuts." Broadway and television star Jason Alexander will also be performing with the Pops this season.

Lockhart continues, "If we're talking about classics. We have Donna Machecknie, who I saw in A CHORUS LINE about 37 years ago. Yeah, I saw that show a couple of years after it moved to Broadway I think it was in '78 or something like that. I remember how powerful the show was and how marvelous Donna was as Cassie. We're bringing her together with Jodi Benson in our Marvin Hamlisch tribute. You know Hamlisch had a career that moved in both directions. He composed the Broadway scores for A CHORUS LINE, THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG and THE GOODBYE GIRL as well as the film scores for such movies as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Way We Were." Actually he scored about 40 films. In my mind though, his score for A CHORUS LINE will always stand out because it's one of the most revolutionary musicals ever penned. It was no longer the kind of narrative story-telling and it removed the fourth wall which pulled the audience into the show which was very different from the Rogers and Hammerstein formula of 'Let's play an overture and tell a story with songs interposed.' It was all for better or worse. Maybe it's a mixture of both."

In regards to what musical numbers the talents of Matthew Morrison will be performing, Lockhart was uncertain at the time of this conversation. "We just got his set list a week ago and I haven't processed it yet. He's a real singer, though. Actually Matthew has appeared with us before in an ensemble cast. This was well before he appeared in LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. He was in our Sondheim tribute I believe and was definitely taking the tenor parts-very effectively. He was just a kid then.

One aspect of film making that the Pops won't be overlooking is the animated movie. There will be concerts using clips from both Disney and Pixar classics shown on the Pops' state-of-the-art projection system while the orchestra plays their scores live beneath them. "Disney, over these last couple of years, has been putting out live concert material that uses their films with live orchestral settings. One of them is a true classic-"Fantasia". That's classic, hand drawn animation. Some will say it never got any better than that. The other one is Pixar (also a Disney company) which invented the computer generated style of animation. I conducted the UK premier of that with the London Philharmonic last October. We'll be bringing it here to Boston, as well as segments from both the classic 'Fantasia' as well as from 'Fantasia 2000'. These are accompanied by some of the most compelling orchestral music ever written. Of course we'll be including Paul Dukas' 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' because how can you do a 'Fantasia' concert without Mickey as the apprentice?"

As a conductor, does it present any challenges for Lockhart o keep up with the images that are being projected on the screen? "Oh yeah," Lockhart laughs. "The 'Fantasia' thing is honestly one of the hardest shows I've ever conducted-of any sort. It's not only a matter of keeping up with the images on the screen and staying in sync-especially with 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' because those images are incredibly and tightly synced to the sound. I also have to recreate the tempos of a bygone era. This especially true of the original 'Fantasia' because it uses the Stokowski ending. This 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' is probably the fastest version I have ever heard. It is quite a challenging show that way." For those who hold original videos of the 1940's version of "Fantasia" know that the soundtrack is in extremely poor condition. Lockhart remarks, "Here's the opportunity to appreciate 'Fantasia' with its score performed live by a world class orchestra and not deal with a scratchy soundtrack."

Is there a chance that the Pops will ever perform the entire score to "Fantasia" with the iconic images projected above the orchestra? "Well, there's a real chance of that happening if Disney releases it. They have not let out the entire 'Fantasia' yet. There's more of the 1940's version than we are doing. 'Night on Bald Mountain' has not been released nor has the Bach Toccata, 'The Rite of Spring' nor 'The Dance of the Hours' with the dancing hippos have not been released either. Maybe we'll be able to do an entire 1940's version at some point but right now we aren't able to do so." If that materializes, it will certainly be a rare and wonderful treat.

In a gesture of compassion for the residents of Watertown, MA who were held virtual prisoners in their homes while the suspects of the horrific bombings were being tracked in their community, the Pops is offered them free tickets for the May 9th "Fantasia" concert. The response to that offer was so overwhelming that the Pops have opened up the May 15th Marvin Hamlisch tribute to these people as well. For these Bostonians-and most Americans for that matter-Hamlisch's song "The Way We Were" will have a new an poignant meaning. Residents of Watertown can reserve up to four complimentary tickets through the Boston Pops website at www.bostonpops.org/watertown; by phone through SymphonyCharge at 617-266-1200 or 888-266-1200, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; or at the Symphony Hall box office, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Residents of Watertown will be asked to show a driver's license, utility bill, library card, or some other form of proof of residence when picking up tickets at the Symphony Hall Box Office.

For those who would like to learn more of the Pops' 2013 schedule or to order tickets, go to: www.bostonpops.org



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