What Poetry Can Learn From the Pops

Glenn and I went to the symphony yesterday for the first time since…well, I used to go all the time when I was in junior high and high school, because I was friends with the daughter of one of the conductors of the Cincinnati Symphony and therefore got to go for free, and really enjoyed especially the outdoor pops shows with all their fireworks and fanfare…and when I lived in Richmond, VA, I got to go to all kinds of cultural events, opera, ballet, symphony – for free because I was a reviewer for some digital media outlets. But, in Seattle, I’ve rarely had the time or money – or the combination of both – to take advantage of some of the local cultural wonders, so it had been a while. So finally, when the Seattle Symphony pops had an “Sci-Fi” event, we bought a couple of tickets and went. It was a little pricey for us, but we always talk about supporting the arts, so…

We had lovely seats down by the orchestra, and they played selections from John Williams (Star Wars) and the Planets, among other things (a Thriller arrangement with zombie-dressed amateur dancers?) The energetic conductor, Victor Vanacore, gamely sang the words to “Ghostbusters.” Even better, if you are a Star Trek: Next Generation fan, Jonathon Frakes got up and introduced each piece. (I have never noticed this before, but sci-fi movie themes tend towards the bombastic and war-like – every piece sounded a bit like a march, a bit like the 1812 overture.)
I was thinking, as I looked around the hall crowded, yes, with the gray-haired, but also a surprising number of children and youngish types, that this was “symphony evangelism.” Sure, it got children to listen to some of the classics, but each piece was short enough for a child’s attention span (or the average techie’s) and there were visual cues – a charming host, zombies, etc – to help keep the audience entertained.
I’m betting it was a lot more crowded than the average symphony show. And it got me thinking – if the symphony knows how to reach out to the crowds, why not poets? Keep things short, have some banter in between readings, and maybe invite some zombies…and hope they come back for the serious stuff, the Stravinsky or Bach.