MORRISTOWN — The Mayo Performing Arts Center celebrates The Community Theatre's movie heritage on Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. with "Songs from the Silver Screen." Musica Morristown, a brand name and series of festival events of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Wroe, takes a trip down memory lane of Hollywood's greatest movie themes, from epics such as Gone with the Wind and Lawrence of Arabia, to the Golden Age of the Musical, including West Side Story and Oklahoma, to modern favorites such as Star Wars, ET and Harry Potter.
A pre-concert lecture will take place beginning at 7 p.m., featuring Dr. Barbara Thomson, and will focus on classical music and the cinema. The concert will commemorate the Theatre's 75th anniversary.
In 1937, The Community Theatre opened as Morristown's first, first-run movie theatre and was one of the town's prime entertainment options until it closed in the early 1980s. The building was rescued and revived in 1994 by local volunteers who turned it into a concert venue, which has grown into the full fledged performing arts center it is today.
A native of Great Britain, and also an American citizen, David Wroe is both a Music Director, as well as a recipient of guest conducting endorsements from a catalogue of respected orchestras across the globe. Wroe is Music Director of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra New Jersey, Teatro Grattacielo of New York City, and a regular conductor at New York City Opera. Maestro Wroe has also conducted renowned orchestras throughout the United States and abroad has led performances with some of the finest orchestras in France, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Germany, Austria and China.
Musica Morristown is a brand name and series of festival events of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra (WSO), New Jersey's premier, fully professional, and largest free lance symphony orchestra. Founded in 1983, WSO has a presence throughout the cultural communities of New Jersey, and appears as far afield as Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall on a regular basis.
Tickets for the show ar $29 to $69. Mayo Performing Arts Center is located at 100 South St. in Morristown. For more information or for tickets call the box office at 973-539-8008 or visit mayoarts.org.