Grand Rapids Symphony to Present Musical Highlights from Classic DREAMWORKS Films

The tales told in films from Dreamworks Animation are some of the best in contemporary cinema.

An unexpected friendship between a hapless, young Viking and a dragon; a surprising romance between an ogre and a princess; and the unexpected adventures of animals who have spent their entire life in New York's Central Park Zoo, suddenly thrust back into their native habitat, all are told in How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek and Madagascar.

But the drama of the Bridge scene in Kung Fu Panda or the intensity of the Calling the Guardians in Rise of the Guardians wouldn't be as dramatic or intense without the music illuminating the action.

As good as it is to see in the theater, it's even better when the music is LIVE.

Dreamworks Animation and CineConcerts bring Dreamworks Animation in Concert to Grand Rapids for one-night only at 8pm Saturday, October 22nd, in DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.

Guest conductor Justin Freer leads the Grand Rapids Symphony in a live performance of favorite moments from some of Dreamworks Animation's most beloved films.

"DreamWorks has brought such delight to families around the globe with their vibrant characters and adventurous stories," said Freer, President of CineConcerts as well as Producer/Conductor of Dreamworks Animation in Concert. "What carries us through these charismatic experiences is the inspired and fitting music. To be able to showcase the music in a movie-like environment is an entertainment memory we hope lasts forever."

Enjoy years of inspired animation and iconic music scores by Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, John Powell, Alexandre Desplat, Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman and many others. Relive moments from Puss in Boots, Monsters vs. Aliens, The Croods and Mr. Peabody and Sherman as scenes from the films are projected in HD onto the big screen, and the Grand Rapids Symphony does the rest.

Dreamworks Animation Live Entertainment Head Eric Stevens says, "We are excited to bring the stunning music of our composers to life on stage to be showcased in this great and fun event for music and movie fans of all ages."

The studio has released a total of 32 feature films, including sequels for films such as Shrek, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Several have become modern classics.

Shrek, released in 2001, is ranked No. 8 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre of animation. The film voiced by Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, who is a sister-in-law of Grand Rapids Symphony Music Director Laureate David Lockington.

How to Train Your Dragon, released in 2010, garnered an Academy Award nomination for composer John Powell for Best Original Score.

Rise of the Guardians, released in 2012, features the character of North, who, whenever he's surprised or alarmed, shouts out the name of a famous Russian composer. When North, voiced by Alec Baldwin, falls down the rabbit hole, he cries out, "Shostakovich!" and in Bunnymund's warren, he yells out, "Rimsky-Korsakov! That's a lot of eggs!"

Kung Fu Panda, released in 2008 was intended to be a spoof of martial arts movies. But director John Stevenson opted for a blend of comedy and action to make the film an epic. It became the first Dreamworks Animation film to be released in IMAX.

Madagascar, released in 2005, as well as its sequels, is filled with nods to Rod Serling's 1959 TV series, The Twilight Zone. In this movie, a lemur spoofs the cookbook scene from the 1962 episode To Serve Man.

Tickets

Tickets for Dreamworks Animation in Concert start at $18 and are available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9am to 5pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)

Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10am to 6pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.

Dreamworks Animation is a global family entertainment company with business interests that span feature film and television production; licensing and consumer products; location-based entertainment; and new media properties, including the Company's controlling interest in AwesomenessTV. The Company's feature film heritage includes many of the world's most beloved characters and franchises, including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon, while its 32 feature film releases have amassed more than $13 billion in global box office receipts. DWA's television business has quickly become one of the world's leading suppliers of high-quality family programming, reaching consumers on linear and on-demand platforms in more than 130 countries and winning a total of 30 Emmy™ Awards to date. The Company's deep portfolio of intellectual property is supported by a robust, worldwide consumer products practice, which includes licensing and location-based entertainment venues around the world. The Company is also the majority owner of AwesomenessTV, a leading video destination for Generation Z and Millennial audiences, and also owns 45% of Oriental DreamWorks, a world-class animation studio in China that produces family entertainment for both Chinese and global audiences.

CineConcerts is one of the leading producers of live music experiences performed with visual media. Founded by Producer/Conductor Justin Freer and Producer/Writer Brady Beaubien, CineConcerts has engaged millions of people worldwide in concert presentations that redefine the evolution of live experience. Recent and current live concert experiences include Gladiator, The Godfather, It's a Wonderful Life, Dreamworks Animation In Concert, Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage 50th Anniversary Concert Tour, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Justin Freer has quickly become one of the most sought-after conductors of film music with a long list of full symphonic live to projection projects. He has appeared with some of the world's leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. From full-length movie screenings with live orchestra to music-interactive sporting event experiences to original 3D-environment holiday programming, CineConcerts is at the forefront of live entertainment.

Organized in 1930, the Grand Rapids Symphony is nationally recognized for the quality of its concerts and educational programs. Led by Music Director Marcelo Lehninger, Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt and Associate Conductor John Varineau, nine concert series are presented, featuring a wide range of music and performance styles. More than 400 performances are given each year, touching the lives of some 200,000, nearly half of whom are students, senior citizens and people with disabilities all reached through extensive education and community service programs. Affiliated organizations include the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus; Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Classical Orchestra; and Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Choruses. GRS provides the orchestra for performances by Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Ballet and sponsors the biennial Grand Rapids Bach Festival, which returns in March 2017.

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