Not so long ago in our very own galaxy, Jackson’s premier performance venue Thalia Mara Hall came back to life, and now the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra is blasting back in with the hyperspace velocity of the Millennium Falcon escaping the Death Star’s grip.
May the Force be with us all.
If a heart emoji comes to mind, that’s just perfect since this all comes together in MSO’s “Star Wars” Pops concert on Saturday, February 14 — Valentine’s Day.
After about a year and a half bouncing around to different stages across the cosmos (oops, we mean community), while Thalia Mara Hall underwent repairs, MSO’s return to its home stage is worth celebrating.
The combo of Star Wars music and the global holiday for love and affection amps up the occasion’s festive flair. Expect cosplay and costume fun as fans from dabbler to diehard levels don attire to pay tribute to their favorite characters and enhance the experience for us all. Photo ops with costumed fans and heart themes abound, pulling in an interactive component.
Such experiences can have a lasting impact. At least one fan credited an MSO concert two decades ago with igniting his love for Star Wars costuming fun.
Enjoy snacks and beverages — on sale at Thalia Mara Hall concessions — before the concert and during intermission. Pick up a light saber, also on sale at the concert, to channel your inner Jedi and take a playful swipe or two at Imperial forces. Look for Mississippi Youth Symphony Orchestra kids bearing sweet treats and consider a donation to support MYSO activities.
At the center of all this fun is the music. Selections from nine main Star Wars films – eight composed by John Williams and one from Rogue One by Michael Giacchino – conjure up amusing scenes (Cantina Band), epic adventures (Luke’s Theme) and deeply emotional storylines (Jyn Erso & Hope Suite). “Every piece here is an iconic modern classic,” MSO Maestro Crafton Beck reminds us.
Love stories in Star Wars ground the saga with heart, pump up the stakes at the stories’ core and provide memorable moments that resonate with wit, passion, poignancy and heartbreak.
There’s the Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa romance, starting with a bad boy/feisty princess attraction of opposites, full of wisecracks and comebacks, that grows into a deep love bond.
There’s the tragic, star-crossed lovers arc of Padme and Anakin, whose forbidden love defied the Jedi Code against personal attachments. His fear of losing her lured him to the dark side and fueled his transformation to Darth Vader.
There’s the compelling connection between Rey and Kylo Ren / Ben Solo with its pull between light and dark and the power of their shared feelings and kinship in the Force as they progress from enemies to soulmates.
Romantic love, buddy love, adventure love, familial love, sacrifice, redemption – plenty of it zips across the long-ago, far-far-away galaxy of Star Wars which we all know and love.