Only a few days before the spectacular showing of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring In Concert! The NAC Orchestra will be conducted by Erik Ochsner; Laurence Ewashko directs the 130-voice Lord of the Rings Chorus, and soloists include soprano Nancy Allen Lundy and boy soprano Matthew Kronberg.
“One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in his towering three-part epic, The Lord of the Rings, was published in 1954. For decades, his words have ignited the imaginations of more than 100 million readers around the globe. Tolkien’s work was to have a profound effect on generations of readers, defining for many the archetypal struggle between good and evil, and was voted in worldwide polls the “Book of the Century.” It set the benchmark for the modern epic in its creation of an entirely new and thrillingly vital universe. It introduced an unforgettable hero – the Hobbit Frodo Baggins – caught up in a war of mythic proportions in Middle-earth, a world full of magic and lore. Most of all, it celebrated the power of loyal friendship and individual courage, a power that may hold at bay even the most devastating forces of darkness.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, featuring Sean Bean, and Ian Holm, with Andy Serkis as Gollum.
This was a first-ever experiment in filmmaking, as all three films in The Lord of the Rings trilogy were in production simultaneously. Jackson and his production team of over 2,400 filmed all over the spectacular landscapes of New Zealand. An army of artists — including digital experts, medieval weapons designers, stone sculptors, linguists, costumers, make-up artists, blacksmiths and model builders — as well as an internationally-renowned cast and over 26,000 extras gathered to make this ambitious dream come true. In 2002, the film won numerous awards, including Academy Awards for Best Music – Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, and Best Makeup.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring In Concert runs July 5 - 7.