The Eagles championship season is getting a Philadelphia Orchestra soundtrack at the Mann this summer
Last time, Jason Kelce played sax. This time - who knows?
Fly, Orchestra Fly.
The Philadelphia Orchestra will extend the city’s Eagles euphoria and give it a soundtrack this summer at the Mann Center. In an evening dubbed “A Championship Season,” the orchestra is celebrating the team’s Super Bowl win with an Eagles-themed concert.
Details are still falling into place, but Eagles announcer Merrill Reese will host the July 24 concert, and Anthony Parnther will conduct.
“Obviously we’re at a time where we need to be celebrating things in life, and there’s no better way to keep the excitement of the Eagles season going, especially as they head into the next season,” said Toby Blumenthal, the Mann’s vice president of programming. “It builds momentum for the fan experience, it builds momentum for players.”
In 2018, the orchestra, the Mann, and NFL Films presented a similar evening, featuring inspirational scores alongside film clips from that and previous football seasons. Jason Kelce made an appearance playing “Fly, Eagles Fly” on his baritone sax for a crowd of more than 7,000 guests.
Blumenthal said it was too early to say how Eagles talent might translate from the football field to the stage this summer, but “we are hopeful that many players and coaches and other fan favorites will be part of the experience. We know specifically from the Philly Special Christmas albums that we have players that can sing now, too.”
NFL Films is creating video content for the concert that covers the start of the season, playoffs, Super Bowl and the victory parade, Blumenthal said.
One sequence in 2018 was a “follies” reel setting video of misses and fumbles to music inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Dance of the Tumblers” from The Snow Maiden.
Some were surprised by the overlap between football fans and orchestra aficionados, but, in a quip to the audience, Kelce explained the cultural mashup like this:
“We have the Philadelphia Orchestra, the epitome of high culture, sophistication, art, celebrating a bunch of grown men beatin’ the crap out of each other.”
“A Championship Season” is performed July 24 at 8 p.m. at the Mann Center, 52d and Parkside Ave. Pre-sales have already begun, and tickets, ranging from $30 to $75, go on sale to the general public Friday. A portion of proceeds goes to the Eagles Autism Foundation. manncenter.org.