DIAMOND HORSESHOE PRODUCTIONS: OUR ULTIMATE TRIBUTE

by Deb and Kevin Barber

Dear Celebration Magazine Readers,

Allow me to introduce myself and my wife, Deb. We are Deb and Kevin of Diamond Horseshoe Productions, and we enjoy regularly sharing the Las Vegas-style tribute shows we love with the people of Dallas. Since 2016, it's been our pleasure to come to the Eisemann Center and present some of the best tribute artists in the industry.

This November 23, we are pleased to present our ultimate tribute - MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY - Epic Movie Music in Concert.

You might ask yourself, why a symphony show? It was an idea years in the making. You see, Deb's mom, Chris, was a music teacher, singer, and songwriter. During an extended COVID stay, I discovered a few boxes that held her record collection. Among those boxes was Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird. I put it on my turn table to give it a spin, and on the first note of the first listen, I was captivated and immersed in a world of sound and emotion that moved me to tears.

After a few beats, I caught my breath and thought, "People need to hear this." What a gift for people who aren't familiar with or have never experienced an orchestra or a symphony or classical music, for that matter. Everyone needs to hear this. What an introduction!

Now, I adore movies, and I love music, especially music in movies. The Firebird was in Disney's Fantasia 2000. There it is! The natural climax to a show that includes some of my favorite movie music.

I pitched the idea to my partner and wife, Debra, and she loved it and said we should take a chance. Next, we went to our Music Director and Conductor, Dr. Bryan English, to bring him on board. Dr English is a towering individual with a sweet soul whose life is music. He is brilliant and incredibly talented. His orchestras and big bands are composed of the highest-level professional players in and around Dallas. He's a local Ft Worth guy with deep family ties to legendary music makers.

When I asked him about thoughts I could share here, he said, "With a full symphony, all of these amazing film scores will sound like the original soundtracks. The audience will FEEL the energy of the music. I'm excited to present a symphonic show that will be such an immersive experience for everyone in the room!"

Yeah- that's exactly what I was thinking!

This presentation will be all about the mood, feel, and sound of live music. It is an opportunity to experience music written specifically to be epic and moving, played by over 35 professional musicians. The resonant energy in the room will almost be too much. Be ready to laugh, and bring a tissue. It's going to be a show you won't soon forget!

This two-act show will kick off with two Western classics, The iconic Magnificent Seven, composed by Elmer Bernstein, and the opening theme from The Big Country, starring legendary actors Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Charlton Heston, Burl Ives, and Chuck Conners. This movie is one of my all-time favorite films, with the opening shot of a stagecoach racing across a barren landscape under a sprawling sky. What man wouldn't love this music? It's fast, expansive, and broad, capturing the space of the Big Country while riding a fast horse!

You'll hear top selections from film score guru John Williams, from the raucous and playfulness of Indiana Jones to the deeply introspective Schindler's List.

The show will include playful pieces from Danny Elfman's Beetlejuice, George Gershwin's bouncy Rhapsody in Blue, and a Salute to Mancini: Pink Panther, Moon River, and Peter Gunn. Action and Drama? You got it. 007, The Da Vinci Code, The Godfather, and the eclectic and angular theme from 1974's original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, and a fun performance by Jerry Stiller. Composed by David Shire (Zodiac, Short Circuit), this will be the first known time the Taking of Pelham One Two Three will be played live onstage with a full orchestra.

Midway through selecting the music, Deb reminded me that I had written and recorded a song in a movie and it needed to be included. So, you'll get to see my orchestral debut too.

A few more songs are included in the lineup that adds a bit of sweetness and dimension to this diverse collection of music, but in the end, this whole thing was designed to present Stravinsky's beautiful, emotional, and moving piece, The Firebird. Fittingly, and not surprisingly, this will be the dramatic conclusion of our presentation, which brings me back to Deb's mom, Chris.

Our extended stay at Chris' house was to care for her while she went through treatments for stage four liver cancer. A few months later, Chris left this world and her record collection with it. She so loved music. In a way, this is our ultimate tribute show, a tribute to the music and the people that make up the soundtrack of our lives.

It is with great affection and love that we present MOVIE NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY—Epic Movie Music in concert. We invite you to join us and hope you can do so.

See you at the symphony! -Deb & Kevin