“Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert” -- The Sorcerer’s Apprentice scene. Images courtesy of Disney
Where and When
“Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert,” featuring the Czech National Symphony Orchestra with Ted Sperling conducting at the George Mason University Center for the Arts, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax.
Performance: Feb. 27, 2016 at 8:00 pm. Tickets: $36, $51, $60.
Call 888-945-2468 or visit http://www.cfa.gmu.…">www.cfa.gmu.edu.
Note: There will be a pre-performance discussion. George Mason University has designated “Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert” as a family friendly event. All children, regardless of age, must have a ticket.
“If you like Disney today, you owe it to yourself to see the beginnings of what came before contemporary Disney features such as ‘Frozen’ or ‘Toy Story,’ said Rob Farr, professor, Film History, George Mason University in a recent interview. “The beginnings even of contemporary music videos can be traced back to Disney and ‘Fantasia.’“
If you recall the animated “Fantasia” or “Fantasia 2000” from your own youth, “you definitely want to see this iconic, essential film with live music accompaniment” added Farr. “There is nothing like it. It is great art.”
Released in 1940, the original “Fantasia” was a provocative untried film experiment combining classic orchestral music with a full-length animated feature. “Fantasia” was regularly re-released on large screens over the next decades to become an audience favorite. A recharged sequel titled “Fantasia 2000” was released in 1999 that continued the magic for new generation.
At Mason’s Center for the Arts, patrons will be able to experience some of the preeminent parts of both “Fantasia” movies not only projected on a large screen but with a live orchestra accompaniment. Czech National Symphony Orchestra with Ted Sperling conducting will provide all the sounds and colors that live music can offer. Sperling has won both Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his work on Broadway and Off-Broadway. The Czech National Symphony Orchestra is known for its broad range of work.
Audience members can expect to see many scenes while actively listening to powerful music such as Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” Stravinsky’s “The Firebird Suite,” Tchaikovsky’s ”The Nutcracker Suite,” and Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” as well as the sweet beauty of Debussy’s “Claire de Lune,” Tchaikovsky’s ”The Nutcracker Suite,” and Saint-Saens’ “The Carnival of the Animals” to name a few.
The music will propel the animated action of adorable dancing hippos in tutus, cute alligators, scary uncontrollable broom sticks and lovable pixie mushrooms along with, of course Mickey Mouse himself. A cornucopia of flying swooping firebirds, slow moving trampling prehistoric animals, dainty spirited fairies as well as colorful graphic abstractions melded together on the screen. There is hectic comedy, roaring battles, soft reverie and chills.
Whether you have fond childhood memories or will be seeing excerpts from Disney’s ”Fantasia” or “Fantasia 2000” for the first time, this is an opportunity to experience “Disney Fantasia: Live in Concert.” Such a captivating encounter awaits for audiences of any age.