Anchorage Symphony Orchestra To Host Silent Film Night With Charlie Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH

The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra combines the magic of cinema with the wonder of classical music in a screening of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush, Saturday, January 14th (7:30pm) in the Atwood Concert Hall.

In this classic silent comedy, the Little Tramp (Charles Chaplin) heads north to join in the Klondike gold rush. Trapped in a small cabin by a blizzard, the Tramp is forced to share close quarters with a successful prospector (Mack Swain) and a fugitive (Tom Murray). Once the weather clears, The Tramp leaves the cabin and falls for a lovely barmaid (Georgia Hale), trying valiantly to win her affection. When the prospector needs help locating his claim, it appears the Tramp's fortunes may change.

Charlie Chaplin's score will be performed live by the Anchorage Symphony under the direction of Timothy Brock, who restored the 1942 score for the film. Brock commented, "This score contains what I like most about Chaplin's writing. It is so terribly free, and to my ears, one of his deepest and darkest scores."

Timothy Brock's association with silent film began in 1986 when he was commissioned to write a score to accompany the G.W. Pabst film Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks. Subsequently, he has written new or restored original orchestral scores to nearly 30 silent films, including the restoration of Chaplin's City Lights score, which the Anchorage Symphony performed in 2006 and 2016.

"As with all of my restorations of the Chaplin films for live performances, it has been my intention to go straight to the source of evidence found in the original manuscripts of the scores and parts. Over the course of 9 months, I tried to piece together all of the musical information possible, as there were many changes made, written and unwritten, to the music as they recorded it.

"Chaplin was concerned with music that wasn't just simply appropriate, but that charged the scene with what the content demanded. Yes, in the score to The Gold Rush there is storm music, fight music, love music, dance-hall music. But there is also meticulously written music for hiccups, hunger, sleep, eating, hallucinating, snowball fights, suspicion, indignity, pride and indifference; all key elements in both the film and his music."

This is the 16th Silent Film Night for the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra. It has become an annual family favorite and a great way to warm up on a cold January night.

Anchorage Symphony's Silent Film Night featuring Charlie Chaplin's "The Gold Rush", Saturday, January 14, 2023, (7:30pm) in the Atwood Concert Hall, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Infrared headphones for the hearing impaired are available concert night from the House Manager on the Orchestra Level. Tickets: Adult, $53-$28.50; (prices include all surcharges and fees). Youth, military, student and group discounts available. To purchase tickets, go to www.centertix.com or call 263-ARTS (2787), toll free at 1-877-ARTS- TIX.

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