Wynton Marsalis Portland Concert reviews
Lot of Fun
We had a lot of fun with my family. The people were all relaxed and friendly, varying in age. It really put you in the mood to walk around and take pictures with the "characters" before hand and in front of Movie Scene Backgrounds. The Concert itself was enjoyable. Anthony Daniels was playful and enjoyable as the narrator. The screen was amazing - the clarity of the picture was simply unbelievable. From beginning to end, I marveled at it. The music was fantastic. The complexity of the sounds from the live orchestra brought out just how subtle and full the music really is. The conductor is spirited and really seems to be enjoying himself, as do the orchestra members. They come back and do an encore, which is Darth Vader's theme. There is a segment of the audience to whom Vader is a "hero" character. They seem to get off on his power. They must be young fans that only saw the first movies on DVD and the later ones in the theater. As a fan that started with the first movie in the theater, it was very odd to see this Vader worship, as, at the time the original movies came out, fans saw Vader as an evil, then tragic, figure. Quite a surprise seeing the occasional "Vader" football jersey and the "Whoo Vader!" calls from the audience. I'm not a deep enough fan to do conventions: perhaps it's common enough. The only thing I would say about attending is, you forget sometimes that you are hearing LIVE music. Your eyes are glued on the screen and the music is so perfectly timed to what you are seeing that you forget that it is BEING CREATED at THAT very moment. I had to tear my eyes off the screen to watch the orchestra itself to appreciate it. But, I don't know how they would do it otherwise - they strike a good balance and to bring the orchestra more into the video would take away from it. Not a Concert of Star Wars music, if you take my meaning. If you were thinking of seeing this, definitely do so. I don't think you'll be disappointed.