This Halloween, the Great Falls Symphony will perform a new type of magic at the Mansfield Theater, complete with costumes, dance, and a full house of youthful spirits and ghouls.
For the first time, the Symphony will collaborate with Miss Linda's School of Dance, with dancers from the Young Dancers Company performing live on stage with the orchestra's 40 professional musicians.
"With this magic wand, I will bring this entire room full of spirits and ghosts back to life," Artistic Director Gordon Johnson said during rehearsal.
Johnson describes the cooperation as bringing a fresh visual aspect to the music.
"We have this extraordinarily special this time — our dancers from Miss Linda's School of Dance — and they're going to be here on the stage while we're playing," he added. “There’ll be Valkyries taking fallen heroes up to Valhalla, and little gnomes chasing Paragon. All that vitality will be on stage.”
The performance will feature Halloween classics such as The Addams Family, Ghostbusters, and Monster Mash, and Johnson assures that it will be both creepy and family-friendly.
Many of the young dancers will be performing for the first time in front of such a huge crowd, something they are looking forward to.
“I like personally seeing all the different faces and the different expressions when you’re dancing,” said dancer Keenan Green. "The applause at the end— it’s all worth it.”
Fellow performer Jane Dattilo stated that dancing with a live orchestra adds something special: "I like having the opportunity to dance with, like, 40 musicians live on stage." "That's insane."
23 dancers will appear in costume, ranging from fairies with wings to Pugsley from The Addams Family. The scary extravaganza includes face painting, dramatic lighting, orchestral flair, and a full theater.
KRTV anchor/reporter Tom Wylie will emcee the free Halloween performance. This show promises to provide a wonderful evening full of music, tricks, treats, and memories for the entire family.
The concert is on Saturday, October 31, at 5 pm.
Tickets are free, but can be reserved by clicking here.
