In a time when many classical orchestras increasingly rely on donors to keep the lights on, it appears the New Jersey Symphony has found a recipe for packing houses. They provide a fun audio -visual experience in multiple locations with popular franchises. 

Just weeks ago we saw Batman and the Batmero outside a showing of the 1989 Batman. This evening they brought the fun by inviting cosplayers from the 501st Legion to flank the entrance to the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert. They posed for family pictures, interacted with the audience and brought smiles and attention to this evening’s performance. I watched some people come in off the street because of their presence. 

The Mayo Performing Arts Center proved a nice break from the NJPAC with pocketbook-friendly parking ($10, or less on the street), a host of good restaurants in the vicinity, and a shorter drive home for those in central New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

The symphony understands that by performing the score during the screening of a popular movie, they will attract concertgoers like myself, along with fans of the franchise, doubling their target audience. 

Then, they take their show on the road, performing around the state to attract a wider audience while getting more return on their practice investment by performing the same concert. 

Of course, this only works if they add to the experience with their performance. Under a variety of composers, they have proven adept at precision performances where they must hit cues with metronome-level precision. This evening, under the baton Nicholas Hersh and with the powerful John Williams score on their stands, they played with precision and gusto. It was the cleanest performance I have heard from this symphony. They were at their beat. The brass section, in particular, was locked in making the marches crisp and resonate. 

You will have to determine if a more rambunctious audience of fanboys and fangirls improves or detracts from the experience, but for us, listening to a live orchestra while watching a movie is light years beyond sitting at home and watching it on an iPad. 

Several performances of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert with the New Jersey Symphony continue this weekend. Find a performance near you here.

^{*we were invited to facilitate a feature, all opinions are our own*}