The 1925 silent classic “Phantom of the Opera,” starring the great Lon Chaney in one of his most memorable roles, will be experienced like never before when Los Angeles-based keyboardist/composer Rick Friend brings the digitally restored version of the film and his own musical score to Pantages Theater for a special performance with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra (TSO). The March 30 concert will feature a showing of the film on a huge screen suspended over the orchestra while the players perform live accompaniment timed to correspond with the action on the screen. Maestro Harvey Felder will be conducting.
TSO Executive Director Andy Buelow said the orchestra has never done anything like this before. Inviting Friend to Tacoma for “Phantom of the Opera” occurred as a “happy accident” while Buelow was researching content for another performance he was trying to put together for TSO involving orchestral accompaniment to a series of film clips of great American cinema like “The Bride of Frankenstein” and “Star Wars,” among others. Proving to be a rather insurmountable production challenge, Buelow scrapped that idea when he saw what Friend was doing with “Phantom.”
“When we looked at what this performance would be, we realized it would be better than what we were planning and something audiences would really enjoy,” Buelow said. “Rick is a gifted composer and an amazing improviser.”
Friend has been performing silent movie concerts since 1987 to the delight of audiences everywhere, from concert halls and theaters to hotel ballrooms and fancy houses. His first experiment was with Buster Keaton’s 1927 movie “The General,” which Friend had rented in 16mm to show guests at his home. Watching it without music became tiresome, so Friend hopped onto the piano and launched into improvising his own score. He was smitten and since then has composed and performed music for numerous silent films including “Nosferatu” (1922), “The Mark of Zorro” (1920) and “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928), among others. He often intersperses his original scores with tidbits of other well-known music pieces. “Every once in a while you’ll hear something and say, ‘what is that song?,’” Buelow said. “All kinds of different things weave their way in and out of the tapestry he creates.”
Buelow noted that Friend’s dark and moody orchestral treatment for “Phantom” lends itself quite well to the equally gothic film. Add to this that the acting of that time, very early in the history of motion pictures, is by today’s standards overstated and more akin to stage acting, making for an even more enhanced theatrical experience when coupled with Friend’s music. “It’s very dramatic,” as Buelow put it.
Tickets are $10-$75 and can be purchased by calling (253) 272-7264 or visit www.tacomasymphony.org. Five seating areas have been designated for this concert so get tickets ASAP to ensure a choice seat for viewing the film. To learn more about Friend, visit www.dartfrogmedia.com/rickfrnd/theater.htm.
