By Matt Krupa, Manager of Information Technology and Resident “Nerd Consultant”
TL; DR: My job is better than your job, but I’m willing to share the awesome.
With an unofficial title of “Nerd Consultant” (because “Application Administrator” doesn’t instill the same sense of Geek cred), it should be no surprise that the Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con is my favorite show we do each year. As we come to the end of the third season we’ve featured the Geek Series, and this show specifically, I look back at how far we’ve come. What tale in our (geeky/nerdy) universe doesn’t start with a backstory?
Before I worked on the staff of the Colorado Symphony, I was a long-time subscriber and often looked forward to the shows featuring content from popular culture. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vivaldi and Beethoven as much as the next geek, but film scores (along with Bugs Bunny) are really why I love symphonic music. In 2006, I witnessed the music of the Lord of the Rings movies in Boettcher Concert Hall to a sold-out audience. This experience, along with so many others as an audience member, is why I applied to work in our Box Office in 2010.
Not too long after, we did an entire show based on the music of Star Wars, and that led me to reach out to the Mountain Garrison of the 501st Legion. Jump in the T.A.R.D.I.S. to 2012 when we started planning the 2013/14 Season, and my incessant pestering (to the powers that be) finally netted us a whole show (volunteered as) tribute to Comic Con. I sent a random inquiry on Denver Comic Con‘s website and invited them to be a part of our awesomeness, and they jumped at the chance to do so. Umbrella Corp. Denver also replied to my inquiry, now wandering our audience every year, looking for T-Virus. A chance meeting at 2014’s Denver Comic Con sitting next to the Avistrum Academy of Sorcery led to a spot in our lobby before every Music of Harry Pottercelebration. Even the Girls of Geek 12 get in on the action every year now.
It’s all connected, and I love knowing I helped bring that all together.
Wrapping up our third year of the Geek Series with A Symphonic Tribute to Comic-Con v3.0, and an amazing one ahead in the 2016/17 Season, it really shows we’re just getting started. You don’t have to take my word for it that we’re a force to be reckoned with in programming the best music-themed geek events. Check out the press we’ve gotten since we’ve started in Westword’s The Ten Best Geek Events in Denver: #6 in January 2015, #9 in August 2015, and #2 in December 2015,
The Geek Series provides us the opportunity to hear music from our favorite movies and TV shows with really no other chance to hear it live. The orchestra gets in on the fun with their own costumes. Where else are you going to see percussion played by Thor wielding Mjolnir?! I’ve never heard the score to Star Wars, Ep. VII: The Force Awakens before, so I’m probably looking forward to that the most. The themes of “Game of Thrones” and “Doctor Who” are old favorites and definitely a welcome addition to the rep. Plus, music from Fallout and Final Fantasy?! YES, PLEASE.
Thankfully, I’m not alone in my nerdiness here on the Colorado Symphony staff anymore. We play board games once a week (OFF the clock, mind you), see who has the best Star Wars socks in staff meetings, and think of what we can do to really show the Geeks of Denver how much we appreciate them. I hope you all hear that in this year, like years before. This show is our love letter to you, the Geeks of Denver, and to ourselves.
Thank you, and May the Force be with you. Always.
– Colorado Symphony Administration Staff member and main-toner-in-the-copier-changer, Matt Krupa