Maestro of the Movies - John Williams & LA Phil ft. David Newman
John Williams. Many may recognize this name in the credits of some of the most iconic films in film history. Even more recognizable is his music. He has written and composed over 100 film scores for production companies such as LucasFilms Ltd., Amblin and Universal Pictures. He even scored music for the 1984 Olympics. On the weekend of September 3rd 2021, he made his grand appearance at the Hollywood Bowl to conduct the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra to some of his greatest hits. Fans of his music know that John Williams is getting up there in age and that this could potentially be his last live performance. I was supposed to go see him for my birthday the previous year in San Diego, but tickets sold out. This time, I bought them months in advance as soon as they went on sale. I grew up watching the films he composed, so getting to see him conduct live was something I would never forget.
In case people are wondering how you even get to the Hollywood Bowl and are intimidated by LA traffic and lack of parking, I highly recommend taking an Uber, carpooling with friends or do what we did, take a bus. I rarely if ever take public transportation in Southern California, but this was so convenient and a lifesaver. There is a shuttle bus that picks people up in Lakewood, CA and drives you straight to the Hollywood Bowl. From what I remember the bus fair was pretty cheap and the bus drops you off right at the front of the Bowl entrance. The only downside is once the show ends you have approximately 10 minutes to get back on the bus before it takes off, which if anyone has ever gotten out of a stadium when a concert or sporting event lets out, getting out of there in under 10 minutes without speed walking/running is nearly impossible. We managed to board in time but just barely.
Once inside we took our seats. You’re allowed to bring in food and drinks. My friend and I brought sandwiches. They also served food, but the line for that was long. When the show started, I could already feel the goosebumps coming. Composer David Newman opened the show for everyone playing scores from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Godfather Suite, Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia. David Newman’s work I was familiar with because he has composed countless movies as well, mostly comedies. It was just as exciting to see him conduct in-person.
John Williams conducting themes from Star Wars
When John Williams came out on stage the crowd went wild. I would say about 75% of the people who were in attendance brought their Star Wars lightsabers so it was cool to see them turn them on and light up the bowl in honor of John. He walked across the stage and grabbed the microphone. He spoke to us about how happy he was to be there with all of us despite the pandemic and talked about how movies are a comfort for a lot of people. They help us escape and so does music. He started the night off with Olympic Fanfare and Theme from the 1984 Olympics. One after the other he played the Suite from The BFG, two selections from the Indiana Jones franchise and to end the night (or so we thought) played From a Galaxy Far, Far Away…, The Adventures of Han Solo: A Star Wars Story, Yoda’s Theme, The Throne Room and Finale from the Star Wars franchise. At this time, everybody was waving their lightsabers in the air, waving them back and forth. My friend was in Star Wars heaven. This was his childhood growing up. He was loving every second of it.
Just as we thought John Williams was finished, he left the stage to a roaring crowd applauding and shouting for an “Encore!”. John came back out waving his conductor stick in the air and stepped back onto the podium. We were all so excited because we had no idea what score he was going to play next. As soon as the music started playing I burst into tears. He was playing the Flying Theme from E.T. Extra-Terrestrial. My friend and I looked at each other and both started cracking up laughing. I knew how pathetic I looked but I didn’t care. I grew up on Steven Speilberg movies, specifically Jurassic Park, E.T. , Jaws, and others he’s produced, so to hear a familiar song from my childhood brought back all the feels. I was also emotional because I realized at that moment how cool this was being in Hollywood where movies are made, seeing John Williams live in-person and doing so in an iconic venue. This was my first Hollywood Bowl concert and honestly, if it’s my last I can die happy because nothing will ever top seeing John Williams there. Before closing out the night he also played The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back and The Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Once the concert was over, he took his final bow to a standing ovation illuminated by lightsabers.
My heart was so full that night with joy because music is just as much a part of my life as my love of watching movies. There will never be another John Williams. There will never be another George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. It was such a privilege to be able to attend an event such as this because I might not have had the chance to otherwise. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.
