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BRETT ANNINGSON TIMES & TRANSCRIPT
Classical music is nothing to laugh at, or is it? Antonio Delgado and Marshall Button of Symfunny Orchestra think so.
Sponsored by the HubCap Comedy Festival and Tutta Musica, New Brunswick’s Symfunny Orchestra will take the stage at the Capitol Theatre on Thurday.
The performance features Tutta Musica, the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and Sistema NB. Together, they promise an unforgettable evening of great music and side-splitting comedy.
“We started working on it about two years ago,” said Delgado. “It was Marshall’s idea to do a comedy with an orchestra. We debuted the show at the HubCap Festival and everyone loved it so much we decided to take it on tour.”
This project is the sixth major collaboration between Delgado and Button. Other shows they have done include the 2015 HubCap Comedy Festival, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, The Sound of Music, The Steeves 250 Reunion Show and NB Pops 2016.
“This is a brand-new made in New Brunswick project about New Brunswick, ”Button said. “It is really a lot of fun, providing big belly laughs and exquisite orchestral arrangements. It also showcases the amazing talent we have in this province.”
The show is a mix of musical scores and comedic acting. There are interruptions and unexpected twists, like when two guys who supposedly work for the theatre come in and ask the orchestra what they are doing, then take over.
“A lot of people who are not used to classical music think that you have to know everything about music to enjoy it,” says Delgado. “So we are trying to figuratively take away the tuxedo from classical music and make it approachable in a way that everyone can enjoy.
“From the very beginning of the show we are breaking away from the traditional way that classical music is performed.”
He said it is a fun experience designed to make people laugh and to bring them closer to the music. The final piece of the night is the presentation of the evolution of music, a sort of condensed history lesson that shows you how music has developed from the very beginning right up until today.
“We are thrilled to have such a high-calibre orchestra based in our province,” Delgado says. “Even more thrilled to be able to take them on the road.”
He said this is a professional show of the highest calibre, but it is also a laid back way to enjoy the music of a symphony orchestra. No one needs a background in classical music to know what is going on.
“If you like music, you really should come,” said Delgado. “We have a wonderful group of musicians, all from New Brunswick. And if you like comedy, please come as this show has a lot of laughs.”
SHOW FACTS
WHAT: The New Brunswick Symfunny Orchestra
WHERE: Capitol Theatre, 811 Main St., Moncton
WHEN: Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: $36.50 to $39.50. Available at the box office: 506-856-4379 or online at capitol.nb.ca
