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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

Fun visuals can't save The Magic Faraway Tree's meager plot

Photo courtesy of Vertical Entertainment

Andrew Garfield, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Claire Foy, Phoenix Laroche, and Billie Gadson in The Magic Faraway Tree.

With kids and families always on the hunt for entertainment, it’s typically a safe bet for a movie studio to offer up something new, even if it is a film based on an old property. The Magic Faraway Tree, based on a series of books that started in the 1930s, is a very old property, one that its filmmakers have tried to liven up with a few stars, a lot of whimsy, and a boatload of CGI.

The Thompson family, led by stay-at-home dad Tim (Andrew Garfield) and breadwinner mom Polly (Claire Foy), are forced to move to a rundown country home when Polly gets laid off. The kids — Joe (Phoenix Laroche), Fran (Billie Gadson), and Beth (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) — are used to the perks of city life like wifi and electricity, and each of them rebels in their own way to their new lot in life.

Fran, enticed by a fairy named Silky (Nicola Coughlan), is the first to venture out of the house, making her way to a magic tree that transports her to a world full of strange characters like Moonface (Nonso Anozie), Saucepan Man (Dustin Demri-Burns), Dame Washalot (Jessica Gunning), and more. Her adventures there not only broaden the world she thought she knew, but may be the key to helping her ailing family.

Directed by Ben Gregor and written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Wonka), the film is a pleasant enough lark, but it fails to fully capture the imagination. The five-member family has a lot going on, from an initially-mute Fran to a domestic situation that raises more questions than it answers. The film tries to incorporate an anti-technology message through Tim’s hatred of a smart refrigerator (voiced by Judi Dench!) and the kids' addictions to devices, but it’s quickly shed in favor of other options.

Once Fran makes it to the Magic Faraway Tree, there’s a nice shift in the storytelling, but it’s unclear what the ultimate goal is. It’s a good idea to have Fran, the youngest of the children, convince her older, more cynical siblings about the virtues of the magic world, but the conflict in the real world doesn’t seem to rise to the level needed for the escape the tree provides.

There also seems to be a missing link in the storytelling for viewers to understand the importance of the fantastical characters. The visuals of seeing Moonface and his crescent moon-shaped hair, a man with a suit full of banging pots, and more are fun for a while, but not enough to carry the whole film. A last-minute revelation feels like it was something that should have been disclosed much earlier to help strengthen the emotions of the story.

A two-time Oscar nominee, Garfield is making his first foray into family movies (if you don’t count playing Spider-Man), and while he does a good job, he doesn’t make the best fit for the semi-goofy role. The same goes for the Emmy-winning Foy, who isn’t given much of anything to do. The movie puts the story on the shoulders of the three child actors, and while each of them acquit themselves well, none of them are so outstanding as to be noteworthy.

With nearly 90-year-old source material, The Magic Faraway Tree needed to be something truly special to stand out in the 21st century movie world. Unfortunately, it features a mostly forgettable story that features some fun visuals, a couple of cute kids, and not much else.

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The Magic Faraway Tree is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Fun visuals can't save The Magic Faraway Tree's meager plot