Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, celebrating its roots in the film and television recording industry, presents “LACO @ the Movies: Buster Keaton’s The General,” featuring Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards) conducting the world premiere of his score for the seminal 1926 silent action-adventure comedy, on Saturday, November 11, 2017, 8 pm, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel, in downtown Los Angeles. The Orchestra performs live to the film for this entertaining evening of cinema and music, suitable for the entire family. Considered among the greatest films ever made, the historical parody was adapted from The Great Locomotive Chase and is set during the Civil War. LACO, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary and considered one of the world’s premier chamber orchestras as well as a pacesetter in presenting wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissions, was founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the recording industry’s most gifted musicians. Film tickets, which include a post-concert party with entertainment, music and concessions, and separate VIP reception tickets are available.
“Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is proud to present The General during the Orchestra’s momentous 50th anniversary season,” says LACO Executive Director Scott Harrison. “We are particularly pleased to collaborate with Jeff Beal for this evening of incredible artistry and entertainment that reflects and embraces the key role LACO artists have played in the motion picture recording industry since the Orchestra’s inception.”
Beal, who composes for film, media and the concert hall, has received a total of 15 prime-time Emmy nominations for his music and won four statues. With musical beginnings as a jazz trumpeter and recording artist, he has been hailed for works that are infused with an understanding of rhythm and spontaneity. The New York Times proclaimed “the richness of Beal’s musical thinking…his compositions often capture the liveliness and unpredictability of the best improvisation.” Beal’s seven solo CDs established him as a respected recording artist and composer. His score and theme for the Netflix drama, House of Cards, has received four prime-time Emmy Awards nominations and two statues. Regarding his compelling score for the documentary, Blackfish, the late film critic Roger Ebert wrote of Beal’s ability to “invoke many genres; thriller, mystery, melodrama.” Other scores of note include his dramatic music for HBO’s acclaimed series Carnivale and Rome, as well as his comedic score and theme for the detective series Monk. His commissioned works have been performed by such leading orchestras as the St. Louis, Rochester, Pacific, Frankfurt, Munich and Detroit symphony orchestras. Other commissions include the World Science Festival for Brian Green’s Light Falls, Six Sixteen for guitarist Jason Vieaux and the Lexington Chamber Ensemble, and the Smuin Ballet’s Oasis. His score for director Philip Haas’ art installation Butchers, Dragons, Gods & Skeletons was showcased at the Kimball Art Museum and the 2011 Venice Biennale. Current commissions include new works for The Brooklyn Youth Chorus, a concerto for flutist Sharon Bezaly, song cycles for Cantus, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Beal and his wife Joan recently endowed and established the Beal Institute at their alma mater, to promote the study of film and contemporary media music creation.
The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA, located at the heart of downtown’s revitalized Broadway Theatre district, adds a special flourish to the festivities. Built in 1927, just a year after The General was made, the 1,600-seat, Spanish Gothic movie palace was designed by C. Howard Crane for Maverick Film Studio, founded by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W Griffith and Charles Chaplin. The interior, which has been delicately restored, was inspired by the 16th century Cathedral at Segovia and features a three-story, 2,300-square-foot grand lobby, an ornate open balcony and mezzanine and a spectacular vaulted ceiling with thousands of tiny glimmering mirrors.
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, ranked among the world’s top musical ensembles, marks its 50th anniversary in the 2017-18 season. Beloved by audiences and praised by critics, the Orchestra is known as a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks as well as a champion of contemporary composers. Headquartered in the heart of the country’s cultural capital, LACO has been proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra” (Public Radio International), “LA’s most unintimidating chamber music experience” (Los Angeles Magazine), “resplendent” (Los Angeles Times), and “one of the world’s great chamber orchestras” (KUSC Classical FM). LACO, which performs throughout greater Los Angeles, has garnered eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming.
Film tickets for “LACO @ the Movies: Buster Keaton’s The General” are $45, $65 and $99, which include a post-concert party with entertainment, music and concessions. VIP reception tickets are available with any film ticket for an additional $100. The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA is located at 929 South Broadway Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. For tickets and information, call 213-235-9614 or visit https://theatre.acehotel.com/events/laco-movies-buster-keatons-general/.
WHEN/WHERE:
Saturday, November 11, 2017, 8 pm
The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA
929 South Broadway Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Top image: Buster Keaton in ‘The General’
