Everyone has, or at least they should have, a favorite John Williams score. His themes are inextricably linked from some of the most beloved films in cinematic history. Perhaps you like his Harry Potter theme, the foreboding Jaws theme or his work on Indiana Jones, just a few of the great choices. Many pick the obvious with Star Wars, but none of his work hits me quite the way his Jurassic Park theme does. That theme conveys wonder and discovery in a magical way that seems impossible to improve upon. That is, until you see the theme being conducted by a T-Rex, or at least a conductor who happens to either be a good sport or a dinosaur enthusiast.
Oh yeah, that conductor didn't have to be talked into this. Judging by the little jumps, the tail-wagging and the head-bobbing, the conductor is probably the one who came up with this idea in the first place. I can't imagine conducting while wearing such a cumbersome suit was easy, but this conductor did it with style and gusto. The T-Rex head bobbing to the music is just so charming and funny. I like that the T-Rex is a bright orange(?), too. It's a bold choice, but considering that we are still discovering what color dinosaurs actually were, it might even be an accurate one. I don't want to say this is how the Jurassic Park theme should always be conducted, but it's worth considering. I also would appreciate if we could get some other dinosaur costumes for the rest of the orchestra to complete the presentation.
Rewatching Ailyn Marie's Twitter post, one of the strings players is actually wearing a hat similar to the one in The Cat in the Hat. That's unacceptable: everyone knows you never blend fictional universes. DC and Marvel, Star Wars and Star Trek, these things are simply not compatible. I can suspend disbelief that dinosaurs have been brought back to life and learned how to conduct music, but I've met cats. No matter how intelligent and anthropomorphized they become, I just don't buy they'll ever be down with wearing a hat and a bowtie; it's just a bridge too far.
This is actually one of those cool things that symphony orchestras do that people may not know about. If classical music just isn't your speed, your local symphony orchestra may have more pop culture like fare to offer. Some will even screen a film like Harry Potter or Indiana Jones while performing the score live. It's worth checking out if you are a fan of great film scores.
If a dinosaur conducting the Jurassic Park theme isn't enough dino goodness for you, rejoice! Because as we are now in 2018, you can look forward to the return of the Jurassic World franchise. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hits theaters on June 22 and features the return of franchise favorite Jeff Goldblum. For all the latest in a wooly mammoth producing a modern art installation and the dodo bird's influence on the French New Wave, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.
