‘Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage’ engaged the Fox Theatre Saturday night
Following the lead of conductor Justin Freer, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, on Jan. 30, boldly went where no man has gone before.
Following the lead of conductor Justin Freer, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, on Jan. 30, boldly went where no man has gone before. In grandiose form, “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage” blended music and images from throughout the entire Star Trek universe, touching on the original series, the Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, Enterprise, and all of the films, including J.J. Abrams’ reboots.
The adventure, philosophies, and the turmoil of deep space exploration took shape amid fugue-like suites drawing parallels between Spock’s inner conflict — torn between emotions and logic, and Data’s endeavors to be more human. Similar themes resonate throughout every installment of the series: love, death, and the need to explore. Bits from each Federation crew’s adventures were beamed onto a massive movie screen and blended into a montage that came to a fine point with Captain James T. Kirk’s rousing speech declaring: “Risk is our business.”
The 40-member orchestra sat amid a stage designed to look like the the bridge of the starship Enterprise. And while the horns and strings followed Freer’s direction for nearly two hours, the familiar threads of sci-fi and nostalgia resonated with all of the defining principles and ethics of Star Trek. Freer guided the performance across multiple eras and captains’ logs, imbuing every orchestral flourish with sense of delving headlong into the vast expanse of the cosmos. Under the Fox Theatre’s Arabian courtyard facade and starry night ceiling, it all made for an engaging Saturday night spent — not unlike catching up with an old friend.
See a gallery of more images from “Star Trek: The Ultimate Voyage” at the Fox Theatre.