‘From Broadway to Hollywood’ Review: A Night of Generational Nostalgia with the Boston Pops

On Sept. 12, the Boston Pops performed a spirited sequence of selections from Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Pops presented the audience with a vibrant yet nostalgic show.

With the stage lit in red and blue hues, the orchestra first ventured into “Prelude” from “Ben-Hur” by Miklós Rózsa. The Pops’ rendition was smooth and assertive, flaunting the creative technique of the orchestra. With a synchronized power coming from the orchestra, this selection served as a perfect introduction for the night, creating anticipation for what was to come.

Maintaining the mood, the Pops then gave a beautiful rendition of the “Main Title” from “Gone with the Wind,” composed by Max Steiner. The brass section and first violins were showcased prominently in this piece, and created an alluring melody.

After that performance, Lockhart paused to give context to the evening. He explained that the selections for the night were almost all from films and musicals that had won either Academy Awards for Best Picture or Best Musical Score or the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Before introducing the next selection, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, Lockhart introduced Jacyn Tremblay, the evening’s vocalists. While Tremblay’s singing was satisfying to listen to, layering vocals over the selection made it difficult to hear the full range of dynamics of the instruments in the orchestra.

In between songs, Tremblay shared her philosophy for approaching each rendition.

“I think with any song, you just want to make it your own as best you can and connect with it the way that you feel is necessary to carry the performance,” said Tremblay. “It’s all about reaching people, right?”

Tremblay definitely seemed more in her element in her second song with the orchestra, “Before the Parade Passes By” from “Hello, Dolly!” by Jerry Herman. Tremblay’s vocals and Boston Pops’ music perfectly meshed together in this performance, evoking a joyful and hilarious atmosphere. In addition to enjoyable tunes, the performance was infused with effective comedic gimmicks like Tremblay marching to the beat and changing places with Lockhart to conduct the orchestra.

The best performance of the night was Leonard Bernstein's “Symphonic Dances” from “West Side Story.” Lockhart opened the performance by complimenting Bernstein as the best example of Broadway having impact far beyond what it intended.

The Pops’ rendition was the perfect pacing, alternating between bittersweet melodies and more lively sections of the score. This song also hosted the peak of the orchestra’s theatrics, as they shouted and snapped in between playing their instruments. The performance was punchy yet professional, and didn’t drag on despite being one of the longer selections of the night. Before intermission, the Pops performed Maurice Jarre’s “Overture” to “Lawrence of Arabia,” which was not as impressive as the grand production in the previous song.

The first half of the night was definitely stronger compared to the latter half. Still, the second half started strong with the “Overture” and “Music of the Night” from “The Phantom of the Opera” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The serene entrance of the selection helped warm the atmosphere back up, and the orchestra’s delicate performance summoned a tranquil mood.

Other prominent selections from post-intermission included John Williams’ “Adventures on Earth” from “E.T. The Extraterrestrial,” which had a grand finish by the Boston Pops, as well as Adele Adkins’ and Paul Epworth’s “Skyfall,” from the James Bond movie of the same name. Tremblay made another appearance for the latter performance.

For the final two selections, Lockhart said that they were going to go off script a little bit and do things from films that “should have won.”

In this category were selections like James Horner’s “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic” and Ennio Morricone’s “Bestiality” from “The Hateful Eight,” which were charmingly played. However, for songs acting as the show’s finale, they proved underwhelming.

Overall, the Boston Pops showcased their strengths throughout the entire performance, with truly amazing performances in the first act that set them apart from other orchestras. Yet the selection, while faithful to Oscar, Tony, and honorary People’s Choice Awards history, could have afforded to deviate from its pattern and perform more fan favorites from other films and shows.

—Staff writer Makayla I. Gathers can be reached at makayla.gathers@thecrimson.com.