Looking for a fun, wholesome way to keep the Halloween festivities going? Head to Greek Row … and then keep going south a block. This weekend, the Utah Philharmonia, partnered with the Character Dance Ensemble of the Department of Ballet, presents “Dr. Maestro’s Mad Lab of Sonic Wonder” on Friday at Libby Gardner Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m.
This adorable Halloween concert combines the work of finely-tuned musicians, holiday-inspired choreography and electric fun for the whole family. Each conductor, musician and dancer wears several different hats — literally! Robert Baldwin, the Director of Orchestras as well as one of the conductors of the performance, appears at first as a mad scientist, eventually emerging as a dinosaur. Baldwin is accompanied by graduate student conductors Claudia Restrepo, Matthew Mainella, Wu Bo and Daniel Rust, who all appear in some very interesting costumes.
While the performance wears an air of family-friendly fun, it is not to the discredit of the artists. These musicians are highly accomplished, performing extremely difficult works to perfection. Some “popular” or recognizable songs you may end up hearing are Spiderman selections, “Captain America Theme,” and an intriguing, full-orchestra version of everyone’s favorite Queen hit (I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself). Baldwin wrote the script himself, and he develops a theme about five months in advance. He chooses repertoire based on Halloween-themed music from a wide variety of songs, operas, soundtracks and more.
This performance also serves as a great way to promote inter-departmental mingling. The Utah Philharmonia has been putting on this performance for 14 years, but they have been partnered with the Department of Ballet for 11. As Baldwin rightfully noted, this concert may be some children’s first exposure to live music and live dance, and seeing it in a kid-friendly, spooky and fun medium can really draw their attention to the arts.
The electric buzz of energy encapsulating the stage perfectly embodies the performance: light, alive and intriguing. The charming show is extremely well-done, especially in terms of the repertoire and programming. If you have time this weekend, take your significant other, your kids, your parents or yourself to get in the Halloween spirit.