Philip called on his way back from work and told me to go look at a local radio station's website to find out more about a screening of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. I could tell that since he suggested this that he really needed to get out of the house and do something fun. When I checked the site it turned out not to be a screening of the Rodgers and Hammerstein movie from 1965 but a stage production. I've seen many a great play ruined by a crappy local cast... but I would've happily gone to see it if I hadn't noticed something else I'd been wanting to do since I heard about it on the radio last week.

The Mobile Symphony was doing a show called A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES. I knew Philip would enjoy this much more than a play. Philip loves movie music, as do I. He owns most of John Williams' movie scores on compact disc... HARRY POTTER and E.T. being among his favorites.

So I asked Philip if he'd like to see the symphony play some movie themes (but didn't tell him which ones they were to do). He was into that idea as much as I was.

After dinner we went to the Mobile Civic Center Theater and sat in row C of the mezzanine (seats 11 and 12)... excellent seats for getting them last minute. The symphony began with a medley from STAR WARS episode five: The Empire Strikes Back. It was thrilling to hear the "Imperial Death March" performed live! They also played a medley from WEST SIDE STORY (which Philip has never seen) and a soloist sang "All That Jazz" from CHICAGO and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from THE WIZARD OF OZ... a unique arrangement of it, very nice. They also played a medley from LORD OF THE RINGS: The Fellowship of the Ring and HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE (I could practically feel Hedwig's wings flapping).

After the intermission they played a medley from THE SEA HAWK, an Errol Flynn swashbuckler (the only film referred to tonight which I hadn't seen... but the score was thrilling). Then they did THE PINK PANTHER and the James Bond theme... and the soloist came back out and sang the title tune to GOLDFINGER which I've only ever heard Varla sing live. The symphony then did a haunting piece from SCHINDLER'S LIST... and then the main theme of my favorite film of all time... GONE WITH THE WIND! I paid homage to the spirit of Max Steiner. And then they did a medley of DISNEY tunes, which was very enjoyable... and they closed the show with the music from the end of the movie E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (from the bicycle chase to when his spaceship flies away). Very, very fun.