Our experience at Radio City Music Hall was fantastic. As luck would have it, we even knew one of the performers in the musical groups and we met with him prior to entering the venue. He said that the musical ensembles (consisting of the American Symphony and two choir groups) had eight hours of rehearsal time before its five-day run, split among two days.
The security checks prior to entering were fast and allowed ample time to check out concession and souvenir vendors. Coming back from COVID-19 closures, the venue was still well-kept and clean. There were plenty of photo-ops in the venue halls as well. This particular concert only sold programs, but no souvenirs. This led us to wonder if the conductor chose to do this because he simply wanted us to enjoy the music. Whatever his reasoning, it worked. Also to our surprise, we were allowed to capture as many pictures and videos as we wanted during the show.
The concert itself was phenomenal. It was fast paced and breathtaking. We already knew and loved the movies and the music, but hearing it live, there was much more emotion heard that simply could not be captured in recordings. The concert completely exceeded our already high expectations. In fact, after speaking with other audience members, many said that they grew up watching the movies and listening to his music as well. While the musical groups were performing, images of the related films were playing on the screens. The concert lasted about two and a half hours with an intermission and two unexpected encores. The message that the conductor put into his music was an emotional and positive message. His final encore reminded us that although the world has been struggling for the past few years, together it will heal and become stronger in the years to come.
In our opinions, this was among the best concerts that we have ever attended. The passion and dedication of the conductor and musicians were evident in each and every piece. As we left the venue, countless members of the audience were moved and smiling from the magic they witnessed that night.
Quote: My heart is heavy with the suffering of the world these past two years.
But I am grateful to be here now finding some solace in music together.
I pray for everyone's health and happiness.
-Joe Hisaishi
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