Takei, Everly launch Naples Philharmonic on journey to the stars with ‘Sci-Fi Spectacular’
As the helmsman of the USS Enterprise, Mr. Sulu helped steer Captain Kirk and the rest of the “Star Trek” crew on an outer space mission “to boldly go where no man had gone before.”
As guest narrator for “Sci-Fi Spectacular,” the debut program on the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2011 Pops Season calendar, veteran actor George Takei is still soaring through the cosmos. Although these days, his journey is of a musical variety.
Inspired by the music of famed composer John Williams, Jack Everly, principal pops conductor of the Naples Philharmonic, assembled some of the best known pieces from science fiction movies and television shows during the two-hour program.
The main title orchestration from the 1977 iconic movie “Star Wars” began the performance, which also included Williams’ scores from the films “E.T., The Extra Terrestrial,” “Superman,” “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” and “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.”
During Act I, Takei shared with the audience some of the groundbreaking elements of the 1966-69 television series “Star Trek,” which he credited to series creator Gene Roddenberry.
“During a time in which the civil rights movement was in full swing, the Enterprise’s chief communications officer, Lt. Uhura, was an African-American,” said Takei. “The Cold War was still far from over, and our navigator was a Russian. And with the war in Vietnam reaching a head, my character — Sulu, the ship’s helmsman — was of Asian descent. Back in the middle 1960s, this was almost unheard of.”
Takei narrated the opening verse to “Star Trek,” accompanied by soprano Kristen Plumley, whose flawless vocals paired perfectly with Alexander Courage’s instrumental.
Between songs, Everly engaged the crowd in why each piece had been selected for the program. Among his personal favorites was a montage of several TV series themes, collectively titled “Lost In Syndication,” which included music from “The X Files,” “My Favorite Martian,” “Lost In Space” and “The Jetsons.” Backing the orchestra was the Naples chorus, dubbed for these performances as The Sci-Fi-ettes.
“I think that the science fiction genre has inspired so many artists… painters, poets and certainly musicians,” said Takei. “It is such an imaginative form of expression that speculates on our destiny — where are we going in the future? Science fiction and the music we associate with it truly resonates with so many people.”
Following intermission, the unmistakable first four notes of Richard Strauss’ theme from “2001: A Space Odyssey” was both powerful and luminescent. Perhaps the most striking selection in the program, excerpts from Williams’ 1977 score from “Close Encounters,” begins and ends with an eerie hissing of bows played across violins.
Also during the second act, Takei recited Klaatu’s speech from the 1951 sci-fi thriller, “The Day The Earth Stood Still.” His rich, precise baritone voice resonated deeply as the alien warned all earthings: “Your choice is simple. Join us and live in peace. Or pursue your present course — and face obliteration. We will be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.”
Tenor Tony Desare delighted the crowd with a special version of “Would You Like To Swing On A Star,” customized with his own “Star Trek”-inspired lyrics, later pairing with Plumley on “When You Wish Upon A Star,” both of which drew loud and long ovations from the audience.
“Sci-Fi Spectacular” closed with back-to-back performances of Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” (from “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace”) and “The Throne Room/End Title” from the original George Lucas masterpiece. During the finale, Everly conducted the orchestra using a miniature lightsaber in place of his baton.
Having worked with Everly before in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Seattle, Baltimore and across Canada, Takei said that he was drawn towards the project because meshing the now-legendary narrations from science fiction classics with powerful pieces of orchestra music helps grow the popularity of the genre.
“I’ve been an admirer of symphonic music from way back,” added Takei, who will be seen in the upcoming Nickelodeon series “Supah Ninjas” and the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts film “Larry Crowne” this summer. “And I really enjoyed my time in Naples. I had never traveled this far south along the Florida coast before.”
Everly, meanwhile, will continue the 2011 Pops Season with “A Chorus Of Hits,” featuring selections from Handel’s “Messiah” and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Requiem” (Feb. 22-27) and “Broadway’s Leading Men,” a tribute to “The Great White Way” (March 15-20).
“Viva Italia: Pavarotti, Bocelli, Sinatra, Valli & More,” featuring guest conductor Michael Krajewski, tenors George DeMott and Cody Shawn Gay and soprano Janien Valentine, closes out the Pops Season with performances April 12-17.
For additional information about the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra or to purchase tickets to a future performance, visit www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org‘>www.thephil.org.