This October, the Charlotte Symphony presents two events guaranteed to get you in the Halloween spirit: a staged performance of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, Oct. 3 at Elmwood Cemetery and The Nightmare Before Christmas with Danny Elfman’s colorful score performed by the Charlotte Symphony live to the complete film, Oct. 22–23 at Belk Theater.
Spoon River Anthology
The Charlotte Symphony presents the premiere of a new stage adaptation of Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology, a series of monologues that collectively tell the story of Spoon River, a fictional small town in Illinois, spoken from beyond the grave by the town’s former residents who provide accounts of their lives, losses, and deaths.
Live music will be performed throughout the show by The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a trombone quartet featuring musicians from the Charlotte Symphony. The music will be interwoven and paired with the dialogue, evoking turn-of-the-century America with selections by John Phillip Sousa, Scott Joplin, and W.C. Handy — incorporating hymns, ragtime, blues, and classical works inspired by folk traditions such as Copland’s Appalachian Spring and the Largo from Dvořák’s New World Symphony.
The performance will take place on Oct. 3 at 3 p.m. in Charlotte’s historic Elmwood Cemetery. There are many parallels between Elmwood Cemetery and Oak Hill Cemetery, the basis for Spoon River. Those who are buried in both cemeteries lived, worked, and died in the same era — facing similar hardships and chasing similar dreams.
Members from Mecklenburg Historical Association’s Voices From the Past will be onsite to greet and interact with guests.
Tickets: Admission is free. Those planning to attend should bring their own chairs and/or blankets; seating will not be provided. Click here for more information.
The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert
The Charlotte Symphony will present Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas featuring a
full screening of Disney’s timeless holiday classic with Grammy-winning composer Danny
Elfman’s musical score performed live to the film.
The concert will be conducted by Resident Conductor Christopher James Lees on Oct. 22-23 at 7:30 p.m. at Belk Theater.
Concertgoers will receive the ultimate cinematic experience when Danny Elfman’s rambunctious and colorful score is brought to life by the Charlotte Symphony while the full-length film is shown on a larger-than-life screen above the Orchestra. Those planning to attend are encouraged to wear costumes.
Tickets. Tickets start at $10 (subject to change) and are available now through charlottesymphony.org.
