Saturday, April 28, 2:30 p.m.
Adler Theatre, 136 East Third Street, Davenport IA
For its latest full-length family concert, guest conductor Carl Topilow and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will celebrate space – the final frontier – in the Adler Theatre's April 28 event QCSO: A Space Odyssey, an afternoon of thrilling and inspiring compositions familiar to fans of everything from Star Wars to Harry Potter to The Flintstones Meet the Jetsons.
Accompanied by high-definition NASA videos projected on a center-stage Adler screen, the QCSO: A Space Odyssey repertoire begins with “A Salute to NASA” and Richard Strauss' iconic Also Sprach Zarathusta introduction, which was made unforgettable by its employment in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Best remembered from the King Arthur adventure Exclaibur, Carl Orff's “O Fortuna” from Carmina Burana follows, along with John Williams' The Mission, a rousing piece instantly recognizable as the theme for the NBC Nightly News. Robert Wendel's frisky accompaniment to The Flintstones Meet the Jetsons will then be heard, along with a quartet of pieces that will shoot audiences past the stars: Gustav Holst's “Mars” from the composer's The Planets suite; James Horner's Oscar-nominated score from Apollo 13; John Williams' “Across the Stars” from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones; and Daniel Dorff's woodwind and brass extravaganza Blast Off!
Following intermission, the second half of QCSO: A Space Odyssey is devoted to “Fantasy,” beginning with John Williams' moving suite from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and the composer's first contribution to the Harry Potter film universe – Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone. Arranged by Calvin Custner, a series of movie and TV compositions will then be enjoyed in the symphonic mash-up Star Trek through the Ages. And the QCSO program will climax with four more beloved pieces by John Williams, who stands as the most frequently Oscar-nominated composer of all time: “Rey's Theme” from Star Wars: The Force Awakens; the suite from Steven Spielberg's Peter Pan adventure Hook; the legendary “Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back; and the timeless, soaring “Theme from Superman.”
QCSO: A Spacy Odyssey will be presented at 2:30 p.m. on April 28, tickets are $3-20, and more information and reservations are available by calling (563) 322-7276 or (800)745-3000, or visiting QCSO.org or AdlerTheatre.com.
