LACO @ The Movies to Celebrate Walt Disney Animation Studios with Musical Premieres

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) presents "LACO @ The Movies Celebrates Walt Disney Animation Studios," an extraordinary evening of musical world premieres and eye-popping animation spanning more than 80 years with orchestral scores performed live by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, led by six-time Emmy Award-winning composer Mark Watters, on Saturday, June 13, 2015, 7 pm, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel, an historic movie palace in Downtown LA.

Filled with firsts from beginning to end, the magical event, for adults and children six and older, includes re-premieres of newly restored versions of two long lost 1920's-era "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" shorts, Poor Papa (1927) and Africa Before Dark (1928), shown for first time in more than 50 years along with world premieres of music by Watters for both films, neither of which previously had musical scores. Also featured is a screening of a newly restored print of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" from Fantasia (1940) on the occasion of this timeless classic's 75th Anniversary including the world premiere of a compelling new adaptation of the score by Watters. Other highlights include the 2014 Academy Award-nominated Get A Horse! (2013), a contemporary homage to early Mickey Mouse cartoons, shown with live music for the first time ever; the 80th anniversary of the "Silly Symphony" short Music Land (1935) highlighted by the first live musical performance to the film in its 80-year history featuring the brilliant and virtuosic score that pits the Land of Symphony against the Isle of Jazz for a unique Disney "take" on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet; the iconic Plane Crazy (1929), the first Mickey Mouse cartoon created by Walt Disney and inspired by Charles Lindbergh's fist solo-flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927; the 80th anniversary of The Band Concert (1935), the first color Mickey Mouse cartoon to use the Technicolor process; and the delightful "Have a Laugh" versions of Lonesome Ghosts (1937), in which Mickey, Donald and Goofy run a ghost exterminating agency, and Mickey's Trailer (1938), a "road picture" with Mickey, Donald and Goofy involving a car separated from its trailer traveling down a mountain incline.

Dustin Hoffman is honorary chair of the event, which benefits LACO, considered one of the world's premier chamber orchestras as well as a pacesetter in presenting wide-ranging repertoire and adventurous commissions. Film tickets and exclusive sponsorship packages, including a post-film cocktail party, are available.

"Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra is honored to team up with Walt Disney Animation Studios for this evening of incredible artistry and entertainment," says LACO Interim Managing Director Lacey Huszcza.

Even the event's landmark venue, The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA, located at the heart of downtown's revitalized Broadway Theatre district, adds a special flourish to the festivities. Built in 1927, around the time Walt Disney was revolutionizing animation, the 1,600-seat, Spanish Gothic, movie palace was designed by C. Howard Crane for Maverick Film Studio, founded by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, D.W Griffith and Charles Chaplin. The interior, which has been delicately restored, was inspired by the 16th century Cathedral at Segovia and features a three-story, 2,300-square-foot grand lobby, an ornate open balcony and mezzanine and a spectacular vaulted ceiling with thousands of tiny glimmering mirrors.

Film tickets for "LACO @ The Movies Celebrates Walt Disney Animation Studios" start at $35; tickets for the film and post-film cocktail party are $550; and exclusive sponsorship packages begin at $2,500. The Theatre at Ace Hotel Downtown LA is located at 929 South Broadway Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015. For tickets and information, please visit laco.org or call LACO at 213 622 7001.

MARK WATTERS returns to the LACO podium after premiering his score to Disney's Hungry Hobos starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as part of the Orchestra's 2013 Silent Film event at Royce Hall. He is a six-time Emmy Award-winning composer and conductor whose diverse composing credits include Pixar's Time Travel Mater, Disney's Doug's First Movie, Kronk's New Groove, Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas, The Return Of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Other credits include The Pebble And The Penguin and All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 for MGM, as well as numerous television movies, DVD's, video games, documentaries and over 350 episodes of various television series, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Tiny Toon Adventures, Goof Troop, The New Pink Panther, All Dogs Go To Heaven, 101 Dalmatians, Winnie the Pooh and NBC's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas. Watters holds the distinct honor of having served as music director and featured composer for two Olympics - in 1996 for the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, and in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. For the '96 games, he composed the Emmy-nominated song, "Faster, Higher, Stronger." Performed by opera legend Jessye Norman and featuring lyrics by Grammy Award-nominated lyricist, Lorraine Feather, the song was the triumphant finale to the Opening Ceremonies. He has served as guest conductor for such orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony, the Detroit Symphony, the New York Pops, the Baltimore Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony. His most recent credits include his original score for Disney's Oscar-nominated animated theatrical short, Get A Horse!, which appeared in theaters with the blockbuster, Frozen. He is also featured in the soon-to-be-released award-winning documentary, The Tunes Behind the Toons. Produced for Disney Animation Studios by David Bossert, the film focuses on the unique history, styles and techniques of music for animation.

LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (LACO), proclaimed "America's finest chamber orchestra" by Public Radio International and "resplendent" by the Los Angeles Times, has established itself among the world's top musical ensembles. Since 1997, LACO has performed under the baton of acclaimed conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, hailed by critics as "visionary" and "a conductor of uncommon intellect, insight and musical integrity" with "undeniable charisma," "effortless musicality and extraordinary communicative gifts." Under Kahane's leadership, the Orchestra maintains its status as a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks and a champion of contemporary composers. During its 46-year history, the Orchestra has made 31 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America and garnered eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, LACO presents its Orchestral Series on Saturdays at Glendale's Alex Theatre and on Sundays at UCLA's Royce Hall; Baroque Conversations at downtown Los Angeles' Zipper Concert Hall; Westside Connections chamber music series, designed to illustrate the relationship between music and other artistic disciplines, at the Moss Theater in Santa Monica; and an annual Discover concert, which features an in-depth examination that sheds new light on a single piece of music, at Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium. LACO also presents a Concert Gala, an annual film event, featuring the Orchestra performing the score live, and several fundraising salons each year. Additionally, LACO outreach programs, Meet the Music, Community Partners, Campus to Concert Hall and the LACO/USC Thornton Strings Mentorship Program, reach thousands of young people annually, nurturing future musicians and composers as well as inspiring a love of classical music.

PHOTO CREDIT: ©Disney Enterprises

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