Shakespeare Chattanooga actors Jonathan Goff, left, and Megan Ariel Clark will present a scene from "Romeo and Juliet" at tonight's musical presentation of "Shakespeare in Love" by the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera.IF YOU GO• What: "Shakespeare In Love" Masterworks concert by Chattanooga Symphony & Opera.• When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9• Where: Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.• Admission: $21-$81• Phone: 267-8583• Website: www.chattanoogasymphony.org
He would be 450 years old (as of April 26), and to celebrate that milestone, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera is presenting "Shakespeare in Love," three pieces inspired by the Bard's works, in a concert tonight, Oct. 9, at the Tivoli Theatre.
The first piece is Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture," which is based on three threads of the Shakespeare original. You hear a sense of foreboding in the first, then tension of the fueding Capulets and Montagues. Finally, the passion and yearning of the main characters is presented. It was completed in 1880 after a decade of changes and edits by the Russian composer.
The second piece of the evening is Mendelssohn's "Midsummer Night's Dream Suite," written when the German composer was 17 in 1826. Its world premiere came the following year in Paris, with Mendolssohn himself playing timpani.
The final piece of the evening will be Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story," an updated version of "Romeo and Juliet." It debuted on Broadway in 1957 and earned seven Tony Award nominations.
Special guests for the evening will be actors from Shakespeare Chattanooga. They'll do a scene from "Romeo and Juliet," one from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and, according to a Facebook post, "Shakespeare shenanigans" before the concert starts. Scheduled to perform are Steve Disbrow, Stephanie Smith, Ward Fleissner, Paula Berard, Elena Nikolaeva, Dakota Brown, Jonathan Goff and Megan Ariel Clark.