Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Recommended
This event is in the past
Sat., Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 22, 2 & 7 p.m. 2017
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Southwest Portland (Portland)
$35 - $115
In Hollywood, hell hath no fury like a fan of the books scorned. When it’s a series of children’s novels as beloved as J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, priority one is simply not to piss anyone off—a goal that’s apparent during the film adaptation’s enjoyable but fairly bland first installment, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s unsurprising that for the score, the producers chose multiple Oscar winner and professional “safe bet” John Williams, a guy whose work (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws) is unfamiliar only to the deaf. And honestly, he nailed it. The eerie “Hedwig’s Theme” alone is a memorable gem: The first few bars always shattered my jaded teenage shell, and I’d wager that for people of a certain age it’s as recognizable a melody as anything else in orchestral music. If you’re feeling the need to indulge your inner super fan, tonight the Oregon Symphony will perform Williams’ score in sync with the movie as it plays on an enormous screen. NATHAN TUCKER