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'Breathtaking' Houston candlelit concert celebrates 100 years of Warner Bros.' most iconic film scores and TV tunes

Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros. concert

'Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.' showcases Warner Bros. most memorable tunes in Houston.

Photo via Fever Entertainment

Quick — name some favorite movies. Chances are, many of them were produced by the iconic Warner Bros. Studios, which turns 100 this year. As expected with one of the biggest and most influential film studios in cinematic history, this year will see myriad anniversary celebrations, including one here in Houston.

“Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” toasts the studio's century in cinema with a concert of greatest hits from some of its most influential, groundbreaking, and popular films and TV shows.

The showcase of scores including The Lord of The Rings, The Wizard of Oz, Casablanca, Harry Potter, Batman, and even Friends will be performed by Listeso String Quartet on Saturday, April 28 (7 pm and 9:15 pm) at the Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave) in what producers promise will be a "breathtaking" candlelit setting.

Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased here.

Houston was one of the first-announced 25 cities worldwide taking part in the commemorative international concert series, including New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Milan, São Paulo, and Mexico City. More cities have since been added for a total of 100 worldwide.

Instantly recognizable venues across the globe were chosen for their "historic nature or unique character, from iconic cathedrals, theaters, museums and gardens, with breathtaking candlelit settings," per Warner Bros. press materials. Production partner Fever Entertainment transforms each destination into a candlelit concert.

“The “Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” concert series is a true celebration of storytelling, music, and creativity,” said Peter van Roden, SVP, Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, in a statement. “From the musicals that we know and love to the iconic films and television series that have shaped generations, Warner Bros. has long been a leader in entertainment, and we are thrilled to bring this unforgettable event to our fans and music lovers from around the world to honor this momentous occasion.”

By the numbers, Warner Bros. boasts one of the most prestigious and valuable content catalogs in the world. Its more than 145,000 hours of programming includes 12,500 feature films and 2,400 television programs comprised of more than 150,000 individual episodes.

Warner Bros. is also home to some of pop culture and entertainment's most recognizable franchises, such as Looney Tunes, Wizarding World, DC, Friends, Game of Thrones, Hanna-Barbera, and more.

As for the concert, expect a soaring night of familiar soundtracks, theme songs, and classic tunes, sure to conjure up some of the most memorable scenes in the movies. Think Willy Wonka strolling through his chocolate factory with "Pure Imagination," the chilling theme song from The Exorcist, the singlong charm of A Star is Born, and for some Texas vibes, Selena singing "Dreaming of You."

Here is the full concert lineup, with movie and theme song/score/suite.

The Wizard of Oz - Somewhere Over the Rainbow (1939)

Casablanca - As Time Goes By (1942)

Singin’ in the Rain - Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

A Star is Born - The Man That Got Away (1954)

Scooby Doo - Theme Song (1969)

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Pure Imagination (1971)

The Exorcist - Theme Song (Tubular Bells) (1973)

Purple Rain - Purple Rain (1984)

Batman - Main Theme (1989)

Friends - I’ll Be There for You (1995)

Selena - Dreaming of You (1997)

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Suite (2001)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Hogwarts’ Anthem (2005)

Inception - Time (2010)

Man of Steel - Flight (2013)

Wonder Woman Suite (2017)

A Star is Born - Shallow (2018)

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“Candlelight: 100 Years of Warner Bros.” will be performed by Listeso String Quartet at 7 pm and 9:15 pm Saturday, April 28 at the Lone Star Flight Museum (11551 Aerospace Ave). Tickets and more can be found here. $45.

Movie Review

Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay

Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios

Emma Mackey in Ella McCay.

The impact that writer/director/producer James L. Brooks has made on Hollywood cannot be understated. The 85-year-old created The Mary Tyler Moore Show, personally won three Oscars for Terms of Endearment, and was one of the driving forces behind The Simpsons, among many other credits. Now, 15 years after his last movie, he’s back in the directing chair with Ella McCay.

The similarly-named Emma Mackey plays Ella, a 34-year-old lieutenant governor of an unnamed state in 2008 who’s on the verge of becoming governor when Governor Bill (Albert Brooks) gets picked to be a member of the president’s Cabinet. What should be a happy time is sullied by her needy husband, Ryan (Jack Lowden), her agoraphobic brother, Casey (Spike Fearn), and her perpetually-cheating father, Eddie (Woody Harrelson).

Despite the trio of men competing to bring her down, Ella remains an unapologetic optimist, an attitude bolstered by her aunt Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis), her assistant Estelle (Julie Kavner), and her police escort, Trooper Nash (Kumail Nanjiani). The film follows her over a few days as she navigates the perils of governing, the distractions her family brings, and the expectations being thrust upon her by many different people.

Brooks, who wrote and directed the film, is all over the place with his storytelling. What at first seems to be a straightforward story about Ella and her various issues soon starts meandering into areas that, while related to Ella, don’t make the film better. Prime among them are her brother and father, who are given a relatively small amount of screentime in comparison to the importance they have in her life. This is compounded by a confounding subplot in which Casey tries to win back his girlfriend, Susan (Ayo Edebiri).

Then there’s the whole political side of the story, which never finds its focus and is stuck in the past. Though it’s never stated explicitly, Ella and Governor Bill appear to be Democrats, especially given a signature program Ella pushes to help mothers in need. But if Brooks was trying to provide an antidote to the current real world politics, he doesn’t succeed, as Ella’s full goals are never clear. He also inexplicably shows her boring her fellow lawmakers to tears, a strange trait to give the person for whom the audience is supposed to be rooting.

What saves the movie from being an all-out train wreck is the performances of Mackey and Curtis. Mackey, best known for the Netflix show Sex Education, has an assured confidence to her that keeps the character interesting and likable even when the story goes downhill. Curtis, who has tended to go over-the-top with her roles in recent years, tones it down, offering a warm place of comfort for Ella to turn to when she needs it. The two complement each other very well and are the best parts of the movie by far.

Brooks puts much more effort into his female actors, including Kavner, who, even though she serves as an unnecessary narrator, gets most of the best laugh lines in the film. Harrelson is capable of playing a great cad, but his character here isn’t fleshed out enough. Fearn is super annoying in his role, and Lowden isn’t much better, although that could be mostly due to what his character is called to do. Were it not for the always-great Brooks and Nanjiani, the movie might be devoid of good male performances.

Brooks has made many great TV shows and movies in his 60+ year career, but Ella McCay is a far cry from his best. The only positive that comes out of it is the boosting of Mackey, who proves herself capable of not only leading a film, but also elevating one that would otherwise be a slog to get through.

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Ella McCay opens in theaters on December 12.

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Movie Review

Star TV producer James L. Brooks stumbles with meandering movie Ella McCay