The symphonic winds invited Biola students, families and alumni along on a humorous and wacky adventure around the world with a renowned traveler.
Found adventure
Around 250 people attended the annual POPS! Concert: The Intrepid, Stalwart—And Sometimes Foolhardy Adventures of Cornelius Lockwood in Chase Gymnasium on May 7.
The production incorporated several humorous pop culture icons throughout the show in the music, as well as the script. The music included pieces from “The Lord of the Rings,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “The Hunger Games.” The script also incorporated references to Katniss Everdeen and Deadpool.
“Sometimes classical music can be a bit intimidating so this is a good way to start your immersion into music and participate in the music and what the conservatory has to offer…it’s a fun way to experience something unique and fun,” said Anna Petrizzi, senior biblical studies major, co-director, scriptwriter and actor.
Petrizzi played Josephine Davenport, a journalist who followed the adventures of Cornelius Lockwood, played by senior music composition major Jonah Gallagher. Lockwood and his team traveled around the world looking for an unknown artifact, yet only found adventure.
Petrizzi was inspired by her own doodles on her math homework in elementary school of the character Cornelius Lockwood. While searching for a theme for the concert, she was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback she received from her co-directors and was happy to see her character come to life on the stage.
Big daydreamer
“I was a big daydreamer, so through the years continuing that, I would just kind of create his stories and his adventures and what he would do in my head,” Petrizzi said. “It’s kind of cool to see a character that I created so long ago and has been such a part of me kind of come to fruition in a way.”
Senior music education majors Denise Marinez and Sierra Allen were also co-directors with Petrizzi, as well as conductors for the production. They chose music pieces that would represent the different aspects of the story.
“Based on that theme, then we as student conductors, we search music, what kind of music do we want to play, and how can we fit that in…so it’s very much tied together, the music and the acting, and so the entire production is just kind of meshed together,” Martinez said.
During intermission, the audience had the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for one of several prizes, including three posters signed by the cast, three chances to conduct the band or a handmade quilt. The money raised by the raffle, concert tickets and concessions will go toward supporting the symphonic winds.
The audience enjoyed the familiar pieces and the humor portrayed by the characters, even as they ran through the audience. According to freshman music major Emy Carter, some highlights of the show included the cast’s interaction with the audience and the two unicycles, which became part of a wacky scene change during a music piece. Carter found the show more humorous than a production she attended.
“It was a little bit like the opera earlier in the year that I had gone to, but it was way more hilarious and more comedic than the opera,” Carter said.
