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PACIFIC SYMPHONY’S SUMMERFEST PRESENTED BY CITY OF HOPE ORANGE COUNTY OFFERS INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK™
LIVE IN CONCERT, SUNDAY, AUG. 13 PERFORMANCE AT FIVEPONT AMPHITHEATRE
Start the engine, Jock! Pacific Symphony takes audience members to the edge of their seats for the film that gave the world one of its greatest movie heroes—Indiana Jones. Relive the magic on the silver screen with John Williams’ complete score performed live-to-film. Indiana jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark™, features Harrison Ford as the intrepid, renowned archaeologist and expert in the occult. The compelling storyline brings together a profound religious-archaeological icon, the Ark of the Covenant (a tool that can be used to speak to God) and the 20th century’s most infamous criminals, the Nazis. Internationally touring guest conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos joins the Symphony for this special evening.
The action-packed blockbuster takes place Sunday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m., and marks the second concert of Pacific Symphony’s SummerFest presented by City of Hope Orange County at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine. Tickets begin at $39. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.
“In creating the character Indiana Jones, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg introduced an enduring and much-loved figure into the pantheon of fictional movie heroes,” says the legendary composer of the movie’s score, John Williams. “Raiders of the Lost Ark was illuminated by the superb comedy-action performance of Harrison Ford and enlivened by the spirited direction of Steven Spielberg. Speaking for myself, I must say that the experience of composing the music for this film, and for the subsequent installments in the series, was a very happy one, and offered me a wild and truly joyous ride.
“I’m especially delighted that the magnificent Pacific Symphony has agreed to perform the music in a live presentation of the movie,” continues Williams. “I know I speak for everyone connected with the making of the ‘Raiders’ in saying that we are greatly honored by this event… and I hope that the audience will experience some measure of the joy and fun we did when making the film more than 40 years ago.”
The film’s hair-raising moments are innumerable. Who could possibly forget Indy (Ford) running from the giant boulder in a cave? Or being confronted by a large, hissing cobra? Or brandishing his whip or pistol to take out bad guys and menacing forces? This wildly entertaining film is chock-full of grand spectacle—non-stop action, exotic locales, a hero for the ages, despicable villains, a beautiful love interest, humor, horror and lots of snakes.
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark™ was created by the dream team of Steven Spielberg (director) and George Lucas (co-writer and executive producer)—who essentially invented the box-office blockbuster with 1970s films like Jaws and Star Wars. Yet another huge success, the 1981 Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark™ told the story of Dr. Jones, who is hired by the U.S. Government to find the Ark of the Covenant, believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler’s soldiers are also after it. Indy and his ex-flame, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), escape from various close calls in adventures from Nepal to Egypt on a quest to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis get to it.
Capturing it all with music is legendary film composer and 25x GRAMMY®-winning artist John Williams, whose career spans five decades. He has become one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and concert stage, and remains one of our nation’s most distinguished musical voices. Williams has composed the music for more than 100 films, including all nine Star Wars (Skywalker Saga) films, the first three Harry Potter films, Superman, Memoirs of a Geisha, Home Alone, and The Book Thief. His 40-year artistic partnership with director Steven Spielberg has resulted in many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and successful films, including Schindler’s List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan, and Lincoln—in addition to all of the Indiana Jones movies.
Conducting the movie’s score is Maestro Kitsopoulos, who comfortably spans the worlds of opera, symphony, and musical theatre around the globe. Kitsopoulos conducts in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Royal Albert Hall, and for musical theater, where he can be found leading orchestras on Broadway. His work has taken him all over the world where he has conducted the major orchestras of North America, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Tokyo Philharmonic. In addition to Maestro Kitsopoulos’ engagements as guest conductor, he is Music Director of the Festival of the Arts Boca and General Director of Chatham Opera. He is General Director of the New York Grand Opera and is working with the company to bring opera, free and open to the public, back to New York’s Central Park.
City of Hope
City of Hope is an independent biomedical research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a leader in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy such as CAR T cell therapy. City of Hope’s translational research and personalized treatment protocols advance care throughout the world. Human synthetic insulin and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs are based on technology developed at the institution. A National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope is the highest ranked cancer hospital in the West, according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals: Specialty Ranking. Its main campus is located near Los Angeles, with additional locations throughout Southern California. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.
Pacific Symphony
Pacific Symphony, led by Music Director Carl St.Clair since 1990, has been the resident orchestra of Orange County’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over a decade. Founded in 1978, the Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years and is not only a fixture of musical life in Southern California, but is also recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scenes. In April 2018, Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall, where it was invited to perform as part of a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass’ 80th birthday. The Symphony made its first-ever tour to China that year, with performances in five cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. In Orange County, the orchestra presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country’s five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras. The Symphony’s education and community engagement activities have been recognized by the League, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.
FivePoint Amphitheatre
Located at 14800 Chinon, Irvine, CA 92618, FivePoint Amphitheatre is an amphitheatre at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. It opened in 2017 as a replacement for the defunct Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.
