JAN. 9-15, 2014 ---------------------Feature • Fort Wayne Philharmonic Pops -------------------- The Maestro of the Movies By Michele DeVinney While Constantine acknowledges that nine American composers, five of whom the most familiar and expected works will be are still living. I did a better job than I real- One need not be an orchestral expert or represented – including the aforementioned ized!” a film score geek to recognize the music of Jaws, Star Wars and Harry Potter scores – In spite of that focus, the season con- John Williams. Since the early 1970s Wil- one which he is anxious to share is the score cludes on May 10 with a rousing perfor- liams has provided some of mance of Beethoven’s the most instantly identifi- “Ninth Symphony” at the able music of our era, giv- Andrew Constantine Embassy Theatre, just one ing it such a key role in the month after a performance film that it may as well be of Beethoven’s “Fifth” at another cast member. Who the Phil’s other home at can imagine watching Jaws IPFW. In putting together without the sense of menace these programs each year, evoked the minute those Constantine has made his familiar notes are played, mark on the Philharmonic indicating the impending quickly. By the end of the danger? Or what sense of current season, it will have adventure would be had been five years since he was if the battles of Star Wars appointed to the position played out unaccompanied? of music/artistic director of It’s for that reason that the orchestra, during which every few years or so, the time he has divided his time Fort Wayne Philharmonic between his home here with revisits his immense cata- that of his family in the Bal- log and will do so again on timore area. He’s seen his January 18 at the Embassy share of challenges during Theatre. Andrew Constan- those years. tine, artistic director for the “By and large, work- Philharmonic, will take the ing with the orchestra is podium for this impressive exhilarating, but the chal- display of orchestral power, lenges come from the busi- one which he thinks high- ness struggle. I’m not say- lights Williams’ rare talent. ing that we should be above “I don’t know that the and beyond those kinds of quality of the compositions financial struggles, but the is among the greatest ever, business side of it is often but that isn’t the point,” says weighed down by the finan- Constantine. “His genius PHILHARMONIC POPS cial insecurity. comes from getting to the THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS “But I really en- emotional and psychologi- joy working here in Fort cal core of a movie. That’s why he’s better 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 Wayne,” he adds. “I love to go to the lobby known for his film scores than his con- Embassy Theatre after a performance, whether it’s at the certos, which he also has done. He brings 125 W. Jefferson Blvd. , Fort Wayne Embassy or at IPFW, and greet people and a color to the orchestrations which show Tix: $28-$70 thru Philharmonic talk to them. I’m not one to saunter around how good he is at pressing all the right but- looking severe. I think it’s important to tons in audiences. box office, 260-481-0777, have a rapport with the audience, to be part “He’s so adept that his music has taken or fwphil.org of the community, and I’ve been delighted on a life of its own,” he continues. “The to be part of Fort Wayne for the last few music from Jaws evokes a sense of some- from Catch Me If You Can which will feature years. I’ve found a few restaurants and cof- thing scary, and in the UK the music from the talents of renowned saxophonist Timo- fee places I like to haunt, so that all makes it Harry Potter is used all the time in commer- thy McAllister, an associate professor and feel very comfortable.” cials. It’s a little like The Nutcracker is here, co-director of the Institute for New Music at As the Williams performance looms, it being used in ads and situations to invoke the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern might surprise people to realize how quickly a sense of holiday cheer or whatever. The University. an evening of music can be pulled together music from The Nutcracker is so identifiable “In the midst of those obvious pieces, by the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philhar- and stands on its own, recognizable to even like Jaws and Star Wars, it’s good to provide monic. Constantine concedes that sched- those not necessarily concert aficionados. some programmatic relief from those high- uling time with the orchestra is a “critical So now you’re saying John Williams in the octane works with things like Schindler’s exercise,” and much of the preparation is same breath as Tchaikovsky.” List or Jurassic Park. It’s fun to put together left to each musician before the full group is As part of the Philharmonic’s Pops Se- a show like that, with high points and points brought together. But it’s that level of talent ries of performances, Constantine wouldn’t of meditation. It’s like putting together a and professionalism that makes the Philhar- typically be conducting – but he took advan- season, actually, where you try to find that monic concerts among the artistic highlights tage of his situation to make it happen. balance overall.” of life in Fort Wayne. “I might not typically conduct the Pops Finding a balance for the season requires “The musicians are capable of assimilat- concerts, but I am typically the music direc- some time in planning, and Constantine ap- ing masses of information which mere mor- tor, so I get to say what I’m going to con- proached this season with the intention of tals might balk at, but they know the music duct. John Williams provides some great featuring American composers. and know where their own pitfalls may be or music, some very difficult music, especially “When we put together the season, I what might have tripped them up last time for the strings, and one of the perks of the chose eight American composers, four of and work out all of those parts. It’s really a job is being able to decide that I really want whom are still alive,” he says before pausing way of life so we’re able to put things to- to conduct a particular performance.” to add, “Actually, with John Williams that’s gether in a short time.” 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com -------------------------------------------------------------- January 9, 2014 whatzup Volume 18, Number 22 ou’d think that having three whole weeks to put a weekly publication togeth- er would be relatively easy. After all, the job usually takes one week, and we had three. Of course, we completely blew off one of those weeks, it being the YChristmas holiday and all. And then there were the usual year-end tasks required to keep our accountant and the IRS happy. So when it came down to it, we only had one week to devote to putting this issue together. No problem, we thought. It’s what we do all the other weeks of the year. And then it snowed. And snowed. And snowed some more. And it was a good three days and counting before anybody with any sense left their house for any reason at all. Now that’s not a terrible thing when you work out of your own house like the guy who publishes this paper. And if you don’t mind working around the clock, then the fact that your two employees are also stuck at home may not be the greatest thing in the world, but it isn’t the end of the world either. On the other hand, if most of the people you do business with are also stuck in their homes, well, that can make putting together a weekly rag like this a mite tricky. And so, as we write this, we still don’t know if we’re going to be able to fill the holes where we’re supposed to have ads. Nor do we know when our printer is going to be able to put this sucker on the press if and when we get it to him. And if he prints it, can our drivers get out on the roads to deliver it? Who knows? We sure don’t. But if you’re reading this – and we assume you are – then everything must have turned out okay. ♫ BLACK CAT MAMBO / ORCHID f Welcome to 2014. Looks like it might be a bumpy ride. $5 MEMBERS < $12 GUESTS • features ART FIX .......................................... 22 Resonating Footsteps DIRECTOR’S NOTES ......................23 FORT WAYNE PHILHARMONIC POPS ....2 Driving Miss Daisy The Maestro of the Movies THE GREEN ROOM ........................23 EVERETT COLLIER .....................................4 Theater Folks’ Remembrances A Drive Worth Taking DINING OUT ................................... 26 The Acme • columns & reviews VOTE • calendars SPINS ...............................................5 The Year’s Best CD Releases LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY ................11 OUT & ABOUT ................................ 11 The Fort Takes It Up a Notch KARAOKE & DJS ...........................15 ON BOOKS ..................................... 21 MUSIC/ON THE ROAD ...................16 America’s Wagyu Trail ROAD TRIPZ ..................................17 ROAD NOTEZ ................................. 16 MOVIE TIMES ................................20 SCREENTIME ................................ 19 ART & ARTIFACTS .........................22 Greg’s Annual Movie List STAGE & DANCE ...........................23 ON BOOKS ..................................... 19 For Outstanding Production Whammy Award Worthwhile Reading THINGS TO DO ..............................24 FLIX ................................................ 20 Cover design by Greg Locke Relax, Guys.