'Harry Potter Film Concert Series' to open 'Chamber of Secrets' in OKC: What to know

From a flying car and a fighting tree to a determined house-elf and a petrifying monster, the cinematic and musical magic of the second "Harry Potter" movie is coming to Oklahoma City.

For the second straight spring, the "Harry Potter Film Concert Series" is casting a spell for two performances at Civic Center Music Hall. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert" is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at the venerable downtown OKC venue.

At both performances, a full symphony orchestra will perform the complete score to the 2002 movie "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" live while the entire film is projected onto a massive high-definition screen.

What can movie and music fans expect from the 'Harry Potter Film Concert Series?'

Directed by Chris Columbus, the second movie in the blockbuster film franchise is adapted from the second novel in British author J.K. Rowling's best-selling seven-book series and features a score by legendary Oscar-nominated composer John Williams.

"(With) 'Harry Potter,' these scores are so incredibly iconic. People know the theme. No matter what age you are, people recognize it," said conductor Shih-Hung Young, who will wield the baton for the upcoming OKC concerts.

Over the past decade, performing film scores live alongside the movie has emerged as a popular new frontier in the symphony world.

A Chinese conductor and violinist from Taiwan, Young has traveled all over the world conducting film concerts ranging from the "Harry Potter Film Concert Series" and "Lord of the Rings: Live to Projection Trilogy & Symphony" to "Gladiator: Live" and several Disney Live-in-Concert productions, including "The Lion King," "Frozen" and "Toy Story."

Touring around the globe, "Harry Potter Film Concert Series" conjured up "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert," the first movie based on Rowling's famed book series, at the Civic Center for two nearly sold-out shows this time last year. As long as the "Harry Potter" performances continue to prove popular with OKC audiences, expect to see them return every year until all The Boy Who Lived's wizarding adventures have been played.

"There are eight films ... so the goal is to present all eight films for the audience of the city," Young said.

How are film concerts different from other orchestral performances for musicians and conductors?

Ahead of his OKC "Chamber of Secrets" shows, Young talked with The Oklahoman about the challenges and rewards of conducting live film concerts:

Q: How did you get into doing these movie music concerts?

Being a musician myself, starting from very little, the film score always grabs me, maybe more than others. But I started with this type of genre of conducting with 'The Lord of the Rings.' ... A friend of mine was on that project and invited me to be his assistant, so that's how I was introduced to this type of format. I was assistant on 'Lord of the Rings' for over five years ... until I had the chance to step up to the podium and start conducting myself.

That's pretty much my journey, how I got to get into this niche, so to speak, of conducting, because it is quite different than conducting a regular symphony orchestra concert.

Q: Can you talk about some of those differences?

My job is to sync the orchestra, whatever we play, to the film, minute by minute, second by second. So in a way, the orchestra and myself do not have as much freedom to overly express ourselves, mainly because we need to keep time within the film.

I have a 17-inch screen in front of me that has the movie that everyone else sees on a big screen. But mine also has an overlay of (visual cues called) streamers and punches, and that helps me to sync the film.

The first three 'Harry Potter' film (scores) are written by John Williams, and his film scores are always quite intricate and difficult. So, for everybody to be able to absorb that and still to be in sync, in time, that is usually the challenges we face by putting together this production.

Q: Is it similar to keeping up with the action when you're conducting a score for a musical theater performance?

Yeah, but when you play in a musical in the pit, the tempo and everything is still being dictated by the conductor. However, my tempo and the pace of the music is being dictated by the actual film. ... Ultimately, I'm walking in parallel with the film. So, the players are still able to express themselves, but in a very limited time space.

So, I often tell the orchestra members, 'If you enjoy your solo too much, I will cut you off.' Because when the next downbeat comes, the film goes, and then if you're not done with your solo, well, I'm so sorry. And they get it.

Of course, being a musician, we want to express ourselves and everybody have a very different rendition of what each theme and each phrase should be. That's the beauty of live performances. However, I often need to remind the orchestra that we can be as expressive as we want, but within the limited amount of time that we're given.

Q: With these types of shows you're literally sharing the stage with a giant movie screen. Is it hard not to be distracted by the film during these performances?

I think it's very exciting for the audiences, but for us, I always tell the musicians not to look at the film. But sight is faster than sound, and inadvertently, people will be drawn to it. I myself have done this so many times. ... I don't completely ignore it. It is part of the production, and I try to embrace that and try to make it somewhat to my benefit. ...

It really also depends on where the screen is hung. If it's like two to five feet, right on top of me, then I can't even really see it. So, in that way, that's great for me. But sometimes it's in the middle of the stage or at the back of the stage, and I do see the big film.

At the end of the day, the music is to serve the film, and sometimes, to tell the truth, I conduct from the big film, because my screen and the big film are also synced. But when you see Harry soar into the sky with Hedwig flying, it's much more dramatic, and you can feel that more, when you watch a ginormous screen (rather) than a 17-inch monitor.

Q: What keeps you coming back to these kinds of productions?

We always want to bring in more audience to our concert halls, and with the traditional classical music program these days, it's very difficult. We have faced such challenges for a long time. And this type of performances definitely brings in a lot more audience to the concert hall: People who might never have thought that they would come to a symphony orchestra concert, but they would come for Harry Potter.

And once they see how this is made and experience a symphony orchestra, perhaps it's a gateway for them to be introduced into the orchestra symphonic world.

To me, it's very rewarding every time to be able to see, especially with 'Harry Potter,' so many young children and their families. People of all ages come and share this.

At the end of the day, I want as many people to come to hear the symphony orchestra, as much as possible. And I do feel that me doing these types of projects is helping.

'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert'

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27

Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

Street closures: The concerts are during the Festival of the Arts, so ticketholders will need to allow extra time to park due to street closures around the Civic Center.

Information and tickets: https://www.okcciviccenter.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert' opening in OKC