On Friday, July 24th at 9 p.m. on PBS, Natalie Portman will host the Los Angeles Philharmonic's gala celebration of John Williams--one of the greatest film composers of all time.
The LA Philharmonic's celebration of Williams' many achievements, including 49 Academy Award nominations, reunites Williams with master violinist, Itzhak Perlman. Perlman performed on Williams' original score for Schindler's List which earned both Oscars and Grammys. The opening night performance, hosted by Natalie Portman and featuring Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel airs on THIRTEEN's Great Performances on PBS.
The program is combined with conversation between Williams and Dudamel as well as archival interview footage, as the composer reminisces about his life and career. The son of a musician in New York's CBS Orchestra, Williams remarks, "I thought when you grew up you became a musician, that's the only kind of adult I knew... I grew up in the ambience of music."
According to BroadwayWorld.com, the program starts with the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets joining Dudamel and the orchestra in the Olympic Fanfare & Theme, which Williams composed for the 1984 Olympic Games and conducted at its premiere during the opening ceremonies in Los Angeles. Next, Perlman joins the orchestra to perform several pieces from Schindler's List. Additionally, there will be pieces performed from several famous films including, Star Wars ("Throne Room and Finale"), Amistad ("Dry Your Tears, Afrika") and the theme from Jaws in which members from the children's chorus, naturally, flee the stage in mock terror. Finally, Dudamel escorts the star of the evening, Williams, to the stage where he leads the orchestra in a performance of his famous "Imperial March" from The Empire Strikes Back--complete with the infamous villain, Darth Vader, himself, coming out on stage with a light saber.
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