Is this happening anywhere else? Anybody going? [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Spcy7fR56TA[/yt] http://www.ncsymphony.org/events/index.cfm?view=details&viewref=calendar&detailid=1019&eid=1752&sdate=6/1/2013
Barring further health complications, I plan to be there. Hoping to get to see George again. He's a great man and was always a good friend when I needed one.
For the record, the performance was amazing! We walked into the lobby of the concert hall greeted by Darth Vader, Chewy, Storm Troopers, and a very convincing C3PO and R2D2! Then the concert itself was fantastic. So many wonderful pieces from sci-fi present and past, both small scree and film. Great fun! George Takei walked onstage and talked for about 10 minutes. It was great to see him! He talked about some of the history of Trek, but then he told the story of how his character got the name Sulu, which I hadn't heard before. Sulu was named for a sea near the Philippines which Takei said touches Asia on all sides, so Gene chose it as a representation of all of Asia. Takei said he had lunch with Jj Abrams before the 2009 movie and JJ had found an actor he really liked for the role of Sulu but he wasn't of Japanese descent. Takei told JJ the story of Sulu's name and Gene's vision, and then JJ instantly felt better about his casting choice. But Takei said he was disappointed JJ didn't ask HIM to be in the film since they were still casting! "You know how we actors think," he said followed by an eruption of audience laughter. Later, a beautiful opera singer came out with a TOS skirt on and sang the classic Star Trek theme with help from the NC Symphony...as well as the prologue recited by Takei! Then as the symphony performed selections from "The Day the Earth Stood Still," Takei recited Klaatu's speech from memory! During a Star Wars medley at the end, the conductor used a wand that lit up like a lightsaber! On top of that, there were many wonderful pieces performed, I dare not try to list them because I will surely leave some out. I guess as they say, "you had to be there!"