A Bowl of Hollywood

Friday night I had my first Hollywood Bowl experience. I've lived in L.A. about a year and a half now and finally made it to the bowl. It was John Williams night and it was wonderful. I probably cried or at least welled up about five times throughout the night. People who know me won't be too surprised to hear that, it doesn't take much for the water works to start. The first half of the concert was music from various films and the second half was music from John Williams' scores.

My first source of emotional surging was when I heard the oh so familiar first few notes of Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind. I grew up seeing this movie many times and it along with the book are favorites of mine - so hearing the sweeping melody while sitting in the town where so many of the great early movies were made, staring at the Hollywood sign on the hill just got to me.

The second puddle of tears came from a medley of Doctor Zhivago music. They showed clips from the movie on screens and a mixture of seeing Omar Sharif collapsing at the end of the film and remembering playing the music on the piano at my parents house hit me.

Now this one I'm a little embarassed about - I got a little choked up at the music from Superman. Actually, you know what? Screw it, I'm not embarassed - it's great music and Christopher Reeve's story is sad. When they played Can You Read My Mind? I looked up into the starry sky and yes, it was emotional. I know that's almost as cheesy as Margot Kidder's recitation of "can you read my mind? do you know what it is you do to me?" But probably if I watched that movie again, I'd cry at that also.

Of course, Johnny Williams whipped out Harry Potter, Star Wars, E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark as well. People freaked out when the horns started blaring the Throne Room music from Star Wars, the light sabers were a' waivin'.

Good job, John.