SEATTLE — Hey, all you Trekkers, go boldly to the Paramount Theatre Friday night to see the “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage” symphonic and video spectacle.
Longtime Los Angeles composer Ron Jones, who now lives near Stanwood, will conduct a portion of the concert, basically a repeat of his work for the international tour’s debut in November with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Ultimate Voyage is playing in 100 cities around the globe and Jones is conducting portions of the concerts on the American West Coast. The concert brings five decades of Star Trek to concert halls “for the first time in this galaxy or any other.”
“I scored many episodes of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation,’ and am fairly numb to all of this, but the power of this sensory performance is really a fantastic thing to experience,” Jones said. “It is an amazing show in that the orchestra is in sync with a stunning visual presentation, all in tribute to 50 years of Star Trek films, TV series and video games.”
While a live orchestra performs the music, the most iconic Star Trek film and TV footage is simultaneously beamed in high definition to a 40-foot wide screen. It took producers more than a year to edit the footage used for the concert, Jones said.
Ultimate Voyage features the best music from the franchise’s 12 movies and 700 TV episodes.
With all of his film and TV composing and directing experience, Jones admitted he was nonetheless a bit nervous when he landed in London this past fall to conduct the London Philharmonic for the Ultimate Voyage debut.
“At a break during a rehearsal, some of the orchestra members admitted to me that they had butterflies as well, so it was a shared intimidation,” Jones said. “It’s a strenuous show for the orchestra. They practically collapse when it’s over. It’s like an Olympic event.”
The matinee and evening concerts in London in November were attended by a standing-room-only and very sophisticated crowd, some of whom had paid $450 for the show, he said.
“I was pleased that my TV show scores held up in full orchestration,” Jones said. “In the overture to the second half of the concert, I realized I could conduct any tempo I wanted, so I was milking it. I said to myself, ‘I’m gonna dig this.’ And I did.”
After a tour on the East Coast this past winter, the Ultimate Voyage moved up the West Coast. Jones participated in concerts in San Diego, Los Angeles and Portland. He also will conduct in Vancouver, British Columbia. The tour then heads across Canada, through the mid-U.S. and then back to Europe.
“Even if you aren’t a Trekkie, but you are a music lover, this is a great concert,” Jones said.
His advice once you are situated in your seat at the Paramount?
Buckle up and prepare for impact.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
More information
More about the “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage” world tour is at www.startrekultimatevoyage.com.
For tickets ($35 to $75) to the show, go to www.stgpresents.org or call 877-784-4849.
The concert is at 8 p.m. April 8 at the Paramount, 911 Pine St., Seattle. Doors open at 7 p.m.
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