Would Star Trek be as iconic and recognizable without its theme song?
This year, as the Starship Enterprise marks half a century of inspiring awe and encouraging imagination in curious viewers of all ages, fans in 100 North American cities will have the chance to immerse themselves in the music of the show. Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage features a symphony orchestra playing music written for the series by composers Jerry Goldsmith, Gerald Fried, Jay Chattaway, Dennis McCarthy, Mark McKenzie, Cliff Eidelman, Ron Jones and others, and each performance is accompanied by scenes from not just the acclaimed TV series, but the movies as well.
The tour, which starts Jan. 19 in West Palm Beach, Florida and will remain in the Sunshine State for the first five performances, includes stops in North and South Carolina, Louisiana and Virginia before heading up to Canada for seven performances in Ontario and one in Montreal.
“Music is as much a part of Star Trek as the dialogue and the actors,” the legendary Captain Kirk, William Shatner himself, tells USA Today reporter Bill Keveney. “When great music is written…it’s both recognizable, if it were pulled out, but it also should not intrude on your appreciation of what’s going on on the screen.”
The orchestra, comprised of 40-90 musicians, will be led by Justin Freer, who told USA Today “We went in and said, ‘What are some of the great, iconic moments? What are some of the things people know? What are some of the things people maybe don’t know so well that come from iconic moments?” Among those selected for inclusion on the tour will be Kirk’s “Risk is our business” speech from Return to Tomorrow from the show’s second season, along with a speech given by Captain Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise.
They did this a few years back (I want to say 2008 because the JJ reboot hadn’t happened yet) and I caught it at Roy Thomson Hall. It was hosted by the actors who played the Doctor from Voyager and Q. Very neat, they were good hosts and the music was fantastic. Well worth the cost. Looks like this one will have a bigger production budget so I’ll seriously consider attending again.