In a symphony setting usually known to perform the works of Ravel, Stravinsky, and Bach, who would’ve thought seeing Toy Story in concert would be so enthralling? Well, film fans for one. But actually, what Randy Newman did for that very ambitious animated property (which Pixar debuted in 1995) has gone on to delight people all over the world. So, like the film itself, his music is a huge draw. People are likely more familiar with “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” and “I Will Go Sailing No More” than the score for the film, but through the Pixar in Concert series, symphony halls have been showcasing the tremendous effort Newman and other composers (and sound engineers) put into their music.
If you’ve never seen a live-to-picture concert, here’s how it works: the film plays uninterrupted on a big screen while members of the symphony play the music in its entirety (with an intermission for the conductor and musician’s sake). For the entire event, we see and hear how the music doesn’t just underscore the narrative but highlights blink-and-you-miss-it moments as well. Disney has been rolling out these concert experiences for more than a decade, and sought after conductor Sarah Hicks is making sure they are fun. We spoke to Sarah about this process, and her three-night engagement at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
Her biggest takeaway from these performances is how much effort went into producing this film score. Without live players, fans of the film or Randy Newman‘s music might never get to appreciate the placement of the music within certain scenes. There are plenty of small moments where tiny sonic gestures make these experiences more impacting in a concert than at home or though headphones – a blast of horns signal the parachute opening of the toy soldiers, wood blocks clap when Buzz pulls Scud’s eyelids to save Woody, etc.
To focus on how important the music is, let’s call up two specific scenes where, even after a dozen or more viewings, I never truly noticed the importance of Newman’s work until this concert. And these two actually work as narrative counterpoints to one another.
The first is when Woody finds a literal window of opportunity to free himself and Buzz from Sid’s bedroom, and there is simply no music at that point. That choice was intentional and let the story play out as the characters experience the gravity of what they were dealing with. Woody had a lifeline (via Christmas lights) back to Andy’s room, but the other toys room let it go. Woody and Buzz needed to work things out for themselves. So, much like the toys in Andy’s room not giving the duo a hand, the music also wasn’t offering any help. In that instance, even the absence of music is effective.
Now follow that up with the scene where Buzz and Woody connect for the first time, minutes before Sid awakens to launch Buzz into space. That music plays quite tender on TV, but with the symphony (much like Spinal Tap taking it to 11) it’s loud, but you really feel the importance of Woody’s realization and Buzz coming around, the result of which finds them collaborating to save themselves and other toys. The music supports their newly minted partnership which continues throughout their escape, as well as to infinity and…well, you get the idea.
Inside The Eugene McDermott Concert Hall, there isn’t a bad seat in the house. However (as press seats tend to be on the orchestra floor) I might add that to plus this experience, a higher tier seat might have served better for one specific reason: Randy Newman’s score has a lot of horns and brass. So sitting where we were, I would have loved to put eyes on those musicians to see the whole symphony working together specifically all the times those horns rang out.
Sarah Hicks and the DSO made this a rousing and unique experience even when not playing to picture. For instance, following the intermission, there was a very lively entr’acte expanded from Newman’s score. Additionally, the DSO even started the night playing the Disney logo fanfare music, and kept that energy and crystal clear sound straight through to the end credits. The hall was certainly a buzz with energy, laughs and lots of fun for all.
