It’s great to have a second childhood. I’ll be indulging in mine this Saturday night, when Bugs Bunny at the Symphony comes to town.
It’s a live program featuring some classic Warner Bros. cartoons (mostly starring Bugs Bunny), with the cartoon’s scores performed by a local symphony orchestra conducted by guest conductor George Daugherty.
Daugherty has a long and fruitful history with the Warner Bros. cartoon gang, starting with two late-1990’s cartoons he scored for director Chuck Jones: Jones’ final Road Runner cartoon Chariots of Fur, and Another Froggy Evening, the sequel to Jones’ 1955 classic One Froggy Evening.
Chuck Jones, George Daugherty, and some animated friends.
In 1990, Daugherty and his collaborator, David Ka Lik Wong, came up with the idea of a Looney Tunes road show, providing classic Warner Bros. cartoons with the full symphonic treatment. The first show was on Broadway and was given an extended run after its first sold-out performances. Daugherty and his cartoon program have been touring worldwide ever since.
Cartoons to be screened include the Road Runner in Zoom and Bored, and Bugs and Elmer Fudd in the opera send-ups The Rabbit of Seville and What’s Opera, Doc? There will also be “cameo” on-screen appearances by Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo.
Regular readers of this blog know that I’ve revered Chuck Jones’ work ever since I started reading movie credits. I’ve been hearing about this show for years, but I always figured it would remain on my bucket list. Happily, it’s coming to Jacksonville this weekend, and I’m dragging my son along (he got hooked on The Rabbit of Seville years ago).
Click on the banner at the top of this blog to visit the show’s website and see if it’s coming to or near your city. If so, I hope it makes you as happy as it’s already making me.
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