Do Orlando’s Candlelight concerts live up to their promise? | Review

We’re all seeing the ads, right? You can’t open Facebook these days without a beguiling invitation to a “Candlelight concert,” in an unusual location, right here in Orlando.

Well, I got curious, and that’s how on a Friday night I was peering down West Church Street — way down West Church Street, past Exploria Stadium with Orange Blossom Trail nearly in sight — looking for a former airplane hangar(!) I had never known existed. Apparently, I would find a string quartet there.

And I did. Along with a lot of candles. I mean thousands of candles.

So in at least one key respect, the Candlelight concerts live up to their name. But what about the experience as a whole?

I have to say, I was favorably impressed. I checked out two concerts — a seemingly endless variation is offered, everything from Halloween-inspired music to favorite anime themes to tributes to Bad Bunny, and Adele and Coldplay. Every once in a while, an actual classical program is offered — Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” or Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” music at the holidays.

Why am I being slightly snobbish about classical music? Because all the concerts are performed by a string quartet. That’s part of the concept and distinguishes the concerts from the norm by presenting pop and other music played with orchestral instrument arrangements.

I went for variety with my two visits. One was a tribute to the music of Warner Bros. movies and TV shows, so everything from dramatic film scores to the “Scooby-Doo” theme song (surprisingly fun). The other was titled “From Bach to the Beatles” and delivered music from those artists.

Not to sound snobbish again, but the Bach was definitely the highlight for me. The selections were well-known — including the first (Allegro) movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, played with sprightly verve; the Bach/Gounod: “Ave Maria,” with its sublime melody shimmering over the motion beneath — so those who had come to hear “Hey Jude” could recognize the tunes.

And all were played with passion by the Listeso Quartet, made up of local professional musicians.

You may see a different quartet — other groups are listed for some concerts — and even if Listeso is on your bill you may see different players, as I did at my two events. Both times, however, I recognized Sarah Arnold, the assistant concertmaster of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, on first violin, and Alexander Stevens, the Philharmonic’s principal second violin, also playing second here.

At 1010 West Church, the former airplane hangar that is now an event space, cellist Troy Chang gave a lovely reading of the familiar prelude to Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1. Highlights from the Beatles numbers included a lively “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” which played in this fashion would make a fine wedding recessional, and a gentle “Yesterday,” which opened with a delicately poignant violin solo from Arnold.

Other concerts take places at venues unfamiliar to me — The Historic Little Amphitheater in Winter Park and the Azalea Lodge at Mead Gardens, among them — but I also wanted to experience a Candlelight concert in a familiar space. So the Warner Bros. tribute concert I chose was at The Abbey, in downtown Orlando.

It truly looked transformed by the thousands of candles, and I’ve never seen the venue so full.

There, some of the songs felt like novelty numbers — a singalong to the “Friends” theme song, with enthusiastic audience clapping at the appropriate moment — but other pieces showed a deeper musicality, including a sweeping suite from “The Lord of the Rings” and a haunting melody from the “Inception” score.

Not everything works: The string-quartet cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain” sounded labored at the Warner Bros. concert. But sometimes there are surprises: The short phrases of the Beatles’ “Love Me Do” put some kick in that arrangement.

So who’s coming to these shows? Everybody, it would seem. Both of my performances were packed. At The Abbey, where the show was on an early evening weeknight, I saw children with their parents, millennials sipping lattes through straws, as well as senior citizens and an array of folks in between. The Bach/Beatles outing, which was at 9 p.m. Friday seemed to have brisker bar business (yes, there’s a bar) and felt more like a date night for all ages.

The shows are presented by Fever, a live-entertainment platform that stages concerts and other events in more than 100 cities around the globe. Its website says it has sold more than 3 million tickets; based on my experiences, I can see why the Candlelight concerts are a winning formula.

Tickets usually start around $35 per concert. For more information on upcoming shows, go to feverup.com/orlando/candlelight.

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