Posted February 28, 2016
DAYTON, OH (February 28, 2016) – On Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 3 pm in the Mead Theatre of the Schuster Center, the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance will present The Listener: Magic Circle Mime Company with the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, the third and final concert in Dayton Power & Light Foundation’s 2015–2016 Family Concert Series. The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, under the leadership of Conductor Patrick Reynolds, will provide the music for this unique concert experience, which unites the philharmonic orchestra with imaginative and captivating visual theater. The Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is proudly sponsored by First Financial Bank.
In the dramatic storyline of “The Listener,” the conductor has prepared a program of music from various artistic disciplines but finds his efforts complicated by the unexpected participation of two audience members. Musical challenges between bugle and trumpet and tap dancing to ballet music are just part of the action, as these two characters and the audience learn about the orchestra, its music, and the art of listening.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer says of this magical concert experience, “Many emotions are experienced at a symphony concert, but wonderment is seldom one of them. It was as if everyone in the audience had created the magic himself.”
“The Listener,” which received the Washington State Arts Commission’s highest rating for quality, introduces young audiences to the workings of a concert orchestra and explores the active relationship between the listening audience and the musician. The art of listening requires talent and training. “The Listener” establishes this important concept through humor, drama, and dance, leaving the audience appreciating their own abilities as well as those of the orchestra.
Concertgoers are invited to come early at 2:00 pm for pre-concert fun activities in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, including an instrument petting zoo, a craft table, and a scavenger hunt.
Tickets for The Listener are $22 for adults and $12 for students and children and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and military discounts are available at the box office. For more information on this concert or on other upcoming performances by Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Dayton Ballet, visit www.daytonperformingarts.org.