Wheeling Symphony Teases a Magical Concert

Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Slytherins and Ravenclaws alike will unite tomorrow to see the first film in the "Harry Potter" series brought to life by the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra.

The "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: In Concert Performance" will utilize the largest screen available at the Capitol Theatre to play the first "Harry Potter" film with a special audio track that includes only sound effects and dialogue. Who will provide the iconic John Williams score? The 85 WSO musicians sitting under the screen.

Not only will the recognizable themes of the wizarding world grace the Capitol's stage, but the 568-page-long arrangement includes all music cues from the film.

"Some pieces are very short, and some are over 10 minutes long," explained WSO Music Director John Devlin. "All the themes you recognize from the 'Harry Potter' world were all created in this first movie. John Williams and the various other composers that took over after him manipulated those themes and used them in future movies to represent the characters and ideas we love from this first film."

Though he cannot choose one favorite song from the over 50 pieces they will play, Devlin believes the first two songs the audience will hear, "Harry's Wondrous World" and "Hedwig's Theme," are the pieces that best capture the wonder of the magical world.

Due to the prior success of their Harry Potter themed concert held last October, Devlin is thrilled to see their "very large investment" of bringing the soundtrack to life pay off once again at the box office. With more than 1,950 tickets sold as of Thursday afternoon, the concert is projected to be the first sold-out WSO show in over 10 years.

As someone who grew up camping outside of Barnes and Noble for the next midnight release in the series, Devlin believes the universal love for the story has created such an overwhelming reaction from the community.

"My mother loves Harry Potter as much as I do, so I think that multi-generational experience of a franchise that we all love will be felt at this concert," explained Devlin. "There’s also no better person than John Williams to bring the world of movies alive with his music. We know him from 'Indiana Jones,' 'Star Wars,' 'Harry Potter,' 'Superman,' 'Home Alone,' all of these magical movies, but Harry Potter is probably at the top of that list of popularity throughout generations."

WSO executive director Sonja Thoms noted that with only single tickets left, families are taking the opportunity to come out and enjoy the show together. She noted the matinee show time of 1 p.m. also makes the concert easier to fit into a family's schedule.

"There’s so many generations that this is a meaningful storyline for, so it’s always a great thing for me to see families be able to enjoy that together," said Thoms. "I think it's going to be a really inspirational and wondrous opportunity for those kids in the audience to see the show in such an incredible theater."

Devlin thanked the community for their enthusiastic support of the concert, noting that it was a big decision by their staff and board to invest in this project. He also commended sponsors from the board and community for their hand in creating the show.

"We need more things like this in Wheeling, so whenever we see innovative things like this popup, we want to support it and be a part of it," noted sponsor The Glessner Group's Vice President Brett Andrews. "I think it's something all ages and generations seem to like."

Other sponsors bringing the wizarding world to life include Capitol Series Sponsor WesBanco Bank, Orchestra Sponsor Nancy Luna, Venue Sponsors Daniel and Chelsea Young and Belmont Savings Bank, Production Sponsor Grandpa Joe’s Candy and Ticket Sponsor Altmeyer Funeral Homes.

Tickets are on sale now via wheelingsymphony.com or by calling 304-232-6191.