Andrew Mellanby made sure that just enough chairs were arranged in just the right ways, that the wires criss-crossing the stage floor were perfectly placed and functional, that the screen was calibrated and in focus, that the lights were ready and synced, and that every detail would be perfect for The Legend of Zelda symphony show.
Above: The cymbals reflect the brilliant stage lighting as Mellanby positions the gong.
The tablets and headphones were especially important for this performance, he said.
“This show uses a click-track system to keep the orchestra synced with the video content,” he said. “That means that many orchestra members have headphones on while they play live onstage. In their headphones, they hear a clicking sound that repeats at the tempo the music is to be played at.
“This helps to keep the music they play synced with the video content from the game. It would be terrible if Link started playing his ocarina and the orchestra wasn’t right in time with him! It makes the show more challenging, but it’s worth it to ensure it is successful.”
For the musicians, it becomes that much more important to practice before the show with a metronome, knowing that those click trackers are coming, Sharpe said.
“Most musicians make the music happen by listening intently to their colleagues, constantly adjusting to stay as perfectly in tune and in time as possible, with the conductor giving guidance on tempi and style. In this case, the click track and the conductor’s baton became the main focus. There was much less ‘give and take’ than would take place throughout a typical concert.”
1 hour before the show: The audience gathers
Even in the chilly air outside the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, it was clear this was no ordinary symphony concert.
Above: Adam Fraser of Toronto sells popcorn before The Legend of Zelda symphony.
Freelance vendors and amateur artists hawked Zelda merchandise at bargain prices as a crowd of more than a 100 crowded around the official, pricey T-shirt sellers inside the lobby.
You saw no suits and evening wear; instead, it was more like a game con, with cosplayers, people in Zelda-themed shirts and jackets and tattoos, and hordes of fans clutching their 3DSes and favorite plastic Zelda clamshells from several generations of Nintendo consoles.
The crowd in the theater was a sea made up predominantly of a familiar kelly green, illuminated by the flashes of a hundred selfies. Autumn Epple, a 23 year old from Toronto, stood in the middle of a small crowd in the lobby with her pitch-perfect Zelda costume: long blue-and-white dress, braid, her ears ending in gentle points.
She didn’t have to consider long what she wanted to cosplay for the show.
“Zelda is my favorite character, for sure, and I wanted to be a princess,” she said. “I could relate to her.”
Above: Cosplayer Autumn Epple, aka Smash Girl.
Parents were at the performance with children, and older gamers compared notes on the first Zelda games.
“I’m a really huge fan,” said Mira Yuhnke, 12, of Buffalo, N.Y. She was dressed as Link, with a gently glowing Navi (a fairy) hanging over her shoulder. “I’ve only been to the symphony once before for a class, but it was definitely not as awesome as this.”
Inside the theater, vendors carried around trays of baseball-game-style popcorn, sending the salty, buttery smell rolling up the aisles, and the mood was festive and noisy.
Above: Mira Yuhnke as Link.
Philip Marinucci, 23, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., sat with Aynsley Cunliffe, 24, of St. Catharine’s. She had given him tickets to the show for Christmas, even though neither had ever been to a symphony performance before.
She had been camping the performance website for tickets when her mother found out that Ticketmaster had quietly put them up for sale early: As a result, the couple had two of the best seats in the house, behind some of the conductor’s friends. They were quietly discussing the perils of taking a sword and shield on the subway, and Philip’s Zelda tattoos, with the other guests.
A hush didn’t descend when the house lights dimmed; instead, fans erupted in hoots and whistles.The lead violinist, the last on stage, called out to them: “All riiiiiiiiight, audience!!” They roared appreciatively back.