Danny Elfman and Tim Burton have been collaborating for nearly 30 years, so the composer decided to do a special concert with songs only from movies directed by Burton.
The concerted was conducted by John Mauceri, founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and it had a full orchestra and choir. While the songs were being played, the audience could see scenes from the movies on the screen at the back of the stage.
The best part was definitely the appearance by Danny Elfman himself, performing as “Jack” from A Nightmare Before Christmas. This movie is my favorite from the list of collaborations between Elfman and Burton mainly because of the soundtrack. The song “Jack’s Lament”, when Jack finally realizes he’s not happy anymore only being the “pumpkin king” is one of my favorite songs from movies in general. There’s something deep and sad about that song that can resonate with a lot of people, and seeing it live was a delightful experience.
The performances in New York ran only from July 6 to July 12, 2015. But this concert has been touring the U.S. during 2015. You can check videos of the performance on the Lincoln Center website here: http://www.lincolncenterfestival.org/2015/danny-elfman-s-music-from-the-films-of-tim-burton
I’ll also leave you with the setlist of the concert.
