J.R.R. Tolkien once said, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” Nerds in the Bay Area can get their fill of at least two of those at the Lord of the Rings trilogy in concert with Symphony Silicon Valley. For four days only the Symphony Silicon Valley is presenting all three Lord of the Rings films back-to-back, accompanied by a live orchestra and chorus.
The movies will be projected in HD on a 48-foot by 20-foot screen, and 250 musicians will perform Howard Shore's Academy Award–winning score. Think of it as one of those shadow cast Rocky Horror Picture Shows but on steroids — gigantic, classy steroids.
Also, this is the first time a performance of this magnitude has hit the West Coast, and once it's over you'll have to wait years to see it again . We all saw these movies when they came out, but chances are we saw them on our neighborhood theater screens surrounded by other kids in elf ears. With this experience you'll not only see all the action on a gigantic screen, you'll also feel the live music reverberating through your body. Think of it: the epic battle songs, the original theme (you're humming it in your head now aren't you), and, of course, Pippin's haunting “Into the West.” Remember how that gave you goose bumps? Imagine how it will sound live! Home is behind, my friend, the world is ahead.
This isn't like other nerd events. When your friends say, “Oh, you like Lord of the Rings? What do you do? Go to little conventions and play Dungeons and Dragons with your friends?”, you can say, “Um, actually, I go to the symphony. When's the last time YOU went to the symphony, DAVE?!” And Dave need never know that you went home and played D&D the next day — that'll be our little secret.
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Tickets for all three performances are a little over $300, but even that is reasonably priced considering you're getting three movies and basically three full-length symphony orchestra concerts. Hell, if you sneak in your own lembas bread or eat your 11th breakfast a little earlier you won't even have to worry about food! Of course, if you’re the type who hoards gold, you can get a single ticket for as little as $60.
And if you're concerned about the schlep to San Jose, I'd like to remind you of another person who was nervous about leaving the comfort of his home: Frodo Freaking Baggins! He turned out OK! No one ever lost a finger from seeing a beautiful show in San Jose, trust me. And don't worry, we definitely did NOT invite the Sackville-Bagginses! Tickets are available for performances April 16–19 here or you can call (408) 286-2600. The venue is San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts, 255 South Almaden Blvd, San Jose.