Play! A Video Game Symphony

PLAY! A Video Game Symphony is a symphony world-tour featuring music from video games.

Description

The concert tour is a production by Jason Michael Paul Productions Inc., the team behind the "Dear Friends -Music from Final Fantasy-" symphony tour. Grammy award winner Maestro Arnie Roth, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Chicagoland Pops, serves as Principal Conductor and Music Director for PLAY!. Andy Brick, known for conducting the Symphonic Game Music Concerts joined as the Associate Conductor for PLAY!. PLAY! features music from such games as:

*"Dreamfall"
*"Final Fantasy"
*"Metal Gear Solid"
*"The Legend of Zelda"
*"Castlevania"
*""
*""
*"Blue Dragon"
*"Lost Odyssey"
*"Halo
*"Apidya"
*"Super Mario Bros."
*"Super Mario World"
*"Prey (video game)"
*"Sonic the Hedgehog"
*"The Revenge of Shinobi"
*"ActRaiser"
*"World of Warcraft"
*"Black (video game)"
*"Kingdom Hearts"
*"Chrono Cross"
*"Chrono Trigger"
*"Stella Deus"
*"Silent Hill"
*"Shadow of the Colossus"
*"Battlefield 1942"
*"Shenmue"
*""
*"The Darkness (video game)"
*"Daytona USA (arcade game)"
*"Commodore 64-Medley", including the titles "The Great Giana Sisters", "International Karate", "Wizball", "The Last Ninja", "Forbidden Forest" and "Ancestors - Zoids Desert Battle"
*"Commodore Amiga-Medley", including the titles "Alienbreed", "Lionheart", "Pinball Fantasies", "James Pond 2", "Lemmings" and "Turrican 2"

The PLAY! tour premiered on May 27, 2006 in Rosemont, Illinois, North America, and will be followed by stops in Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

The world-premiere of PLAY! took place at the Rosemont Theatre in Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago area). In attendance were video game composers Nobuo Uematsu, Koji Kondo, Jeremy Soule, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yasunori Mitsuda, Yuzo Koshiro, Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Akira Yamaoka and Jason Hayes. The event featured a meet and greet with the composers and director Arnie Roth as a $45 "VIP" addition to the normal ticket price. Percussionist Rony Barrak joined the concert as guest artist along with composer Akira Yamaoka and singer/songwriter Angela Aki. Yamaoka performed electric guitar accompanying the orchestra during the Silent Hill "Theme of Laura", which he composed. Aki performed the theme song from Final Fantasy XII, "Kiss Me Good-Bye," and "Eyes On Me" from Final Fantasy VIII. As a special surprise act, composer Koji Kondo performed a special piano selection from New Super Mario Bros.

The European debut of PLAY! took place at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Video game composers Nobuo Uematsu, Chris Hülsbeck, Joel Eriksson, Bence Pajor and Gustaf Grefberg attended the concert. Percussionist Rony Barrak joined the event as guest artist again. Tickets for the concert in Stockholm were sold out in 14 days only.

Composers Yoko Shimomura, Hitoshi Sakimoto and Michael Salvatori attended the concert in Detroit. Composers Nobuo Uematsu, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Chris C. Tilton and Jeremy Soule attended the concert in Toronto. As a special surprise act, composer Takenobu Mitsuyoshi performed the song "Let's Go Away" from Daytona USA. Takenobu Mitsuyoshi has been confirmed to attend all three PLAY! Singapore concerts alongside with Yuzo Koshiro in June 2007. Yuzo Koshiro will DJ selections of his works including the Wangan Midnight- and Streets of Rage-series.

For the concerts in Stockholm, Sweden in 2007 a world-premiere of the Final Fantasy VI song "Dancing Mad" has been announced recently, featuring full orchestra, choir, pipe organ and the rock band Machinae Supremacy. Composer Akira Yamaoka will be in attendance at the concerts and he will perform live with the orchestra.

Nobuo Uematsu composed the fanfare that will open each concert of PLAY! around the world.

Nobuo Uematsu was unable to appear at the Sydney premiere, but instead producers showed a recording of him speaking about Play! A Video Game Symphony and its release.

Owing to a large number of requests for a recoding of the concerts, Jason Michael Paul Productions Inc. has also decided to publish an official CD as well as DVD. The performance used for both will be the evening performance of April, 23 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Program

The following titles are listed in the official PLAY! 2006 souvenir program.

Additional titles performed in Chicago, USA:

*Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" - Nobuo Uematsu
*Main Theme from "New Super Mario Bros." - Koji Kondo
*"Kiss Me Good-Bye" from "Final Fantasy XII" - Angela Aki
*"Eyes On Me" from "Final Fantasy VIII" - Faye Wong

Additional titles performed in Stockholm, Sweden:

2006:

*Suite from "" - Gustaf Grefberg
*Suite from "Apidya" - Chris Hülsbeck
*Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" (performed as encore) - Nobuo Uematsu

2007:

*Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI) - Nobuo Uematsu

Additional titles performed in Detroit, USA:

*"Shadow of the Colossus" - Kow Otani
*"Stella Deus" - Hitoshi Sakimoto

Additional titles performed in Philadelphia, USA & Vienna, USA:

*"Prey (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" (performed as encore) - Nobuo Uematsu

Additional titles performed in Toronto, Canada:

*"Let's Go Away" from "Daytona USA (arcade game)" - Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
*"Castlevania" - Michiru Yamane
*"Black (video game)" - Chris C. Tilton
*"Prey (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" (performed as encore) - Nobuo Uematsu

Additional titles performed in San Jose, USA:
*Suite from "The Darkness (video game)" - Gustaf Grefberg
*Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
* Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" - Nobuo Uematsu
* Music from "Lair (video game)" - John Debney

Additional titles performed in Singapore:
* Main Theme from "Lost Odyssey" - Nobuo Uematsu
* Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" - Nobuo Uematsu
*Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI) - Nobuo Uematsu
*"Let's Go Away" from "Daytona USA (arcade game)" - Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
*Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Suite from "Castlevania" - Michiru Yamane
* Music from "Super Shinobi" (performed as encore) - Yuzo Koshiro

Additional titles performed in Sydney:
* Main Theme from "Lost Odyssey" - Nobuo Uematsu
* Main Theme from "Blue Dragon" - Nobuo Uematsu
*Dancing Mad (Final Fantasy VI) - Nobuo Uematsu
*Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
*Suite from "Castlevania" - Michiru Yamane

Additional titles performed in Lillestrøm, Norway:
* Music from "Dreamfall" with vocals by Ingvild Hasund - Leon Willett
* Suite from "Castlevania" - Michiru Yamane
* Suite from "Oblivion (video game)" - Jeremy Soule
* Metallica's "One" from "Guitar Hero" performed with Machinae Supremacy and vocals by Øystein Fevang

Song trivia

* The "Chrono Trigger" and "Chrono Cross" suite contains "Reminiscence ~ Uneraseable Memories", "Chrono Trigger", "Chrono Cross ~ Scars of Time", "Frog's Theme", and "To Far Away Times."
* The "Super Mario Bros." suite contains the overworld, water and underworld themes from "Super Mario Bros.", the title screen theme from "Super Mario World", the Bob-omb Battlefield theme from "Super Mario 64" and the airship theme from "Super Mario Bros. 3".
* The "Sonic the Hedgehog" suite contains the title screen theme, the Green Hill, Marble, and Starlight Zone themes and the boss theme from the original "Sonic the Hedgehog".
* The "World of Warcraft" suite contains the Stormwind theme, portions of Song of Elune and Legacy (exclusive tracks from the limited edition soundtrack, though a portion of the Song of Elune is played in-game) and the main title theme, Legends of Azeroth.
* Akira Yamaoka, best known as the composer of the music from the "Silent Hill" series, performed alongside the orchestra on electric guitar during the Chicago and Stockholm performance.
* The "The Legend of Zelda" suite contains the title themes from ' and ', the overworld and labyrinth themes from "The Legend of Zelda", and the rain scene, light world overworld and dark world overworld themes from "".
* The "Castlevania" suite contains Vampire Killer and Wicked Child from the original "Castlevania" and A Toccata into Blood Soaked Darkness from "".

Tour locations

2006 World Tour (Promotional Tour)

* May 27, 2006 — Rosemont, Illinois (Chicago area), USA at the Rosemont Theatre by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra and choir
* June 14, 2006 — Stockholm, Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and choir
* July 12, 2006 — Detroit, Michigan, USA at the Orchestra Hall by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Stoney Creek High School Chamber Singers
* July 27, 2006 — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at the Mann Center by the Mann Festival Orchestra and choir
* August 4, 2006 — Vienna, Virginia, USA at the Wolf Trap Filene Center by the National Symphony Orchestra and choir
* September 30, 2006 — Toronto, Canada at the Hummingbird Centre by Local Toronto Orchestra members and Stoney Creek HIgh School Chamber Singers

2007 World Tour

* May 26, 2007 — San Jose, CA at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts by the Symphony Silicon Valley and choir
* June 2, 2007 (3 pm) — Stockholm, Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and choir
* June 2, 2007 (7.30 pm) — Stockholm, Sweden at the Stockholm Concert Hall by the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and choir
* June 15 2007 — Singapore at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay by the Singapore Festival Orchestra and combined choir of the Vocal Consort and National University of Singapore Choir
* June 16 2007 (2.30 pm) — Singapore at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay by the Singapore Festival Orchestra and combined choir of the Vocal Consort and National University of Singapore Choir
* June 16 2007 (7.30 pm) — Singapore at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay by the Singapore Festival Orchestra and combined choir of the Vocal Consort and National University of Singapore Choir
* June 19, 2007 — Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation
* June 20, 2007 — Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation
* June 21, 2007 — Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation
* June 22, 2007 — Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation
* June 23, 2007 — Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Opera House by the Sydney Symphony and Cantillation
* October 26, 2007 — Lillestrøm, Norway at the ELECTROWORLD exhibition at Norges Varemesse by the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra and choir

2008 Tour

* January 19, 2008 — Fort Worth, Texas at the Bass Performance Hall by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and choir
* January 20, 2008 — Fort Worth, Texas at the Bass Performance Hall by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and choir
* January 24, 2008 — Seattle, Washington at the Seattle Symphony in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium by an orchestra TBD.
* January 26, 2008 — Seattle, Washington at the Seattle Symphony in the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium by an orchestra TBD.
* April 23, 2008 (5 pm) — Prague, Czech Republic at the Rudolfinum by the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Kuehn's Choir.
* April 23, 2008 (8 pm) — Prague, Czech Republic at the Rudolfinum by the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Kuehn's Choir. This performance will be recorded and used in the production of a CD as well as a DVD about the concerts.
* July 18, 2008 — Baltimore, MD at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
* August 23, 2008 — San Francisco, CA at the Davies Symphony Hall by the Symphony Silicon Valley and choir.
* October 25, 2008 — Copenhagen, Denmark at the Koncertsalen I Tivoli by an orchestra TBD.
* 2008 — Norway by the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra and choir. Date and location is still unknown.

See also

*
*Symphonic Game Music Concert
*
*Orchestral Game Concert
*Video Games Live

External links

* [http://www.play-symphony.com/ Official website of the PLAY! concert series]
* [http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3145496 Interview with the team behind PLAY!]
* [http://www.gametrailers.com/gamepage.php?id=2796 Video report about the PLAY! Premiere in Chicago, including composer interviews]
* [http://www.n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=518 Review of Chicago PLAY! Premiere, interviews with Uematsu and Mitsuda]
* [http://flaregamer.com/b2article.php?p=119&more=1 Review of Toronto PLAY! Premiere, including photos, comments from Arnie Roth and Nobuo Uematsu]
* [http://www.squareenixmusic.com/interviews/play.html Interview with the Producers and Conductors - Square Enix Music Online]