The Philadelphia Orchestra

Beautiful night to sit under the stars and watch Star Wars and listen to the amazing Philadelphia Orchestra!!

Absolutely great! The venue was outstanding. The force was strong with this one.

The Harry Potter expierience was amazing. My daughter is 7 and has seen most of the movies but just finished the first book. She loves the Harry Potter world and was completely in awe of a new way to see a movie.Having fans cheer and applaud at critical times of the movie was a great new way to see this movie. It looks like they do a new one every year and we will be attending every year going forward

The whole family was engaged. From my 8 year old to me - the 46 year old. Not only because the music was so recognizable, but the sheer gracefulness of the orchestra and the personal commentary by Mr. Richman just made it an unexpected delight.

Musical selection was great. Great summer evening, especially with the break in the heat wave. Staff was couteous and helpful.

Great seats!!! Great performance!! So glad we went!

John Williams was celebrated at The Mann for his 80th birthday in a spectacular performance of his most beloved movie themes. Lucas Richman guest conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra and his famous actor father, Peter Mark Richman, was the host. John Williams gave a video-taped greeting to the audience. Richman deserves high marks for his delivery and organization for the concert. I have seen the Philadelphia Orchestra many times and rate this as a stellar performance that exceeded expectations. I was glad to see many younger patrons in attendance to hear this remarkable orchestra.

Orchestra was incredible and John Williams is a genius!!

Great music. We especially liked the opening "The Cowboys" number and, of course, "Schindler's List" and "Star Wars" trilogy. I appreciated the video from Mr. Williams. However, all five in my group felt that with such an amazing portfolio of music, including his new "War Horse" score, the Strings segment was wasted. It was not familiar and not all that exciting in comparison to many others moments. Traffic control was much improved since my last visit...it took only minutes to exit the parking lot. He is a brilliant musician and composer and it was a great evening.

Amazing venue, gorgeous night with a light mist and a cool breeze. The music was iconic, the playing flawless, the video screen with John Williams saying thank you for the tribute a touch of class. A very memorable evening, indeed!

Had a great time! First violinist was incredible and delivered each note with such emotion and energy! Enjoyed watching and listening to the whole orchestra. Didn't think John Williams "essay for orchestra" was necessary considering all of his other major motion film work, but I am completely in awe how he was able to create such classic, inspiring, moving and emotional pieces!

My husband and I enjoyed each selection. As each piece began, visions of the unforgettable movies came to mind. I was very moved by "Shindler's List" with the amazing violin soloist who brought tears to my eyes.I think they could program a "Part 2" with selctions from other Williams movie music! ("Jurassic Park", "Indiana Jones".....)

Loved hearing the Philadelphia orchestra play John Williams music. One of the BEST concerts ever.

Amazing show. Great performance. Loved both the Star Wars and Superman theme songs.

Great performance, loved the fireworks! Will attend other perfornances!

Despite the excessive heat, the Philadelphia Orcehstra couldn't have sounded better. Pianist won our heats- only wish we would have sung him happy birthday. Highlight of course was the 1812 - nothing rings in the 4th of July like those canons. Only wish the music that Mann center piped in during the fireworks was better suited for the post celebration.

As usual, the Philadelphia Orchestra outdid themselves!! Fabulous concert, complete with fireworks! A good time was had by all!!

The Symphony and guest pianist were perfect. The accomodations at the Mann were excellent including the staff both at the restuarant and theatre.

Great performance of great composition by one of great American Orchestras. Lots of other very appreciative listeners...and, the Mann wasn't filled. Used to be five or six weeks of three performances a week by the Orchestra in this setting...now, closer to only three for the whole summer; what a shame [in both meanings: I'm sorry more weren't there, and its a shame on Philadelphia].

What a great evening. The conductor brought a welcoming and comfortable air. The sound is always perfect at the Mann. I recommend sitting further back when seeing the orchestra. although close up gave us the aspect of seeing the finger movements of the artists. all in all the concert was beatuiful. I just wish the crowd weren't dressed so casual, it saddens me to see flip flops and cargo shorts at such an elegant concert.

The concert was highly enjoyable in spite of the oppressive heat`. I had heard so much about CB that I wanted to hear it live - and was not disappointed, although the singers seemed to be unevenly matched in ability. The boundless energy and expressive hands of the conductor were mesmerizing to watch. One suggestion: some signs indicating rows or sections for the parking lot in the field would be welcome.

Show was very good and the seats offered a good view as well. It was amazing from beginning to end and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I have seen the orchestra play a few times before but this by far was my best experience.

How can it be that the quality of the whole was less than the quality of its parts? Each facet of Down the Abbey Road, from the peerless original material, to the world class orchestra, to Grammy winners like Lucas Richmond, Rodney Crowell, Joan Osborne, and the musical/educational pedigree of John Nash and NashVillains, was top notch. Yet the composite was lacking in so many ways. The voices didn't blend, the orchestra was superfluous rather than enriching the material, and the rockers' timing was frequently off (they didn't seem to have rehearsed sufficiently). Not being a musician myself, I don't know which component to hold accountable. The arrangement overemphasized the rock features and underutilized the orchestra. It came across like a "cover band" with some strings, albeit lovely strings and a fabulous fiddler. I was so excited for this concert, bringing together friends from my late adolescence when Abbey Road was released as well as my teen-aged son who reveres the classic rock genre. We all left scratching our heads--what was that and how did it miss the mark so completely?? Despite the disappointment, who could complain about a beautiful summer night in a spectacular setting with music in the trees.

outstanding; keep the cannon effects in the coming yrs.

perfect weather perfect music for a perfect performance by the Phila Orch..awesome and inspiring music and the choir piece hit the target! this should be performed every year to get people more aware of great music pieces!

I went to watch Star Wars, A New Hope with the Philadelphia Orchestra playing the soundtrack and it was a fun new way to enjoy a classic movie. The Orchestra playing the soundtrack was seamless, I didn't notice a false note or misplay during the movie-and the crowd was completely engrossed in the movie, people of all ages were there to enjoy themselves under the sky!

I total enjoyed watching Star Wars while the Philadelphia Ochestra played the music to the movie. It was an excellent night!

Saw the Philly orchestra play the Star Wars Soundtrack . It was amazing! Absolutely no complaints!

The show was amazing. We had lawn seats and glad we got their early but had a blast! The orchestra was amazing

Perfect weather, beautiful city views, and an amazing show. If you closed your eyes, you would think you were listening to the movie soundtrack itself. The orchestra was spot on, and simply amazing.

The music was great as well as the venue. Not a bad seat in the house.

I forgot that they were playing the New Hooe score live sometimes until the brass section would pop, then I would tear up because it was so beautiful.

Only issue was it was too crowded. There were too many lawn tickets sold

The orchestra .. the fans..... the Mann music center. It was fantastic.

I did not know what to expect when I bought the tickets to this show but was pleasantly surprised. It was fantastic! The Philadelphia Orchestra is amazing and there were many screens to see the movie.Plus a major bonus was the beautiful weather that night. It is really great that we can bring our own food -which is what you actually want to do because the lines to the food for purchase are really long. I was so happy to hear that they are doing another Star Wars movie next year.

Would definitely go again! Get there early as the GA lawn area does fill up pretty quickly.

Incredible venue!! Loved being able to sit outside, drink wine and watch the movie.

This show was incredible! My partner and i had an absolute blast!

The Philadelphia Orchestra provided an amazing live score with A New Hope. Having performed parts of the score in the past myself, it is not an easy score to perform and they were flawless. Add to that that the Mann Center made the movie accessible to Deaf and Hard of Hearing patrons , I was incredibly pleased with the show and plan to return for next summer's performance of Empire.

Another wonderful trip to The Mann to hear the Philafelphia Orchestra, this time while it played the score to Star Wars. Facility is wonderful and planned upgrades/renovations will only enhance the experience. Orchestra performance is hard to rate without adding so many more superlatives to the English language. An absolute area treasure. Only suggestion to offer is that facility allow one designated entrance be opened earlier than 6:00PM for those with confirmed reservations to Crescendo, the excellent dining facility at the top of the venue. Until one climbs the steps or walks the winding path up the hill, a 6:00 dinner reservation is really not a 6:00 dinner.

The orchestra accompanied the movie, Star Wars, last evening to the thunderous applause of the crowd. Absolutely, incredible!

Perfect weather and a fantastic concert! We loved the Bernstein pieces and Dershwin's Rhapsody in Blue performance was one of the best we have ever experienced.

I always look forward to this concert. Tchaikovsky is, of course, one of the best that ever lived! I truly enjoyed the Sleeping Beauty suite and the 1812 Overture. (Who wouldn't?). I even took pleasure in the waltz from Eugene Onegin (beautiful!). What irked me was the selection of another scene from Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky's most-popular opera), if only to highlight an operatic soprano (who was actually very good). The piece was lengthy and not of the same caliber as the above. The Rococo variations (cello solo) was better, but it fit more with the above mentioned scene than with the blockbusters at the top and bottom of the program. If I had to offer alternatives, I would've suggested Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings or a movement from one of his symphonies (maybe the 4th?). Then the word "spectacular" would've been more fitting. Please consider raising your game a little in the future!

Philadelphia Orchestra and firework display were spectacular. I m going again next year!

I would like to know who I would write to to give a constructive criticism of this performance .

The Philadelphia Orchestra never disappoints, they bring their best each and every time. The programming is equally amazing, there are a variety of themes and ways to experience orchestral music - do yourself a big ole' favor and go to a concert. Further, I appreciate the diversity of musicians in the group.

The Phila Symphony Orchestra sounded absolutely perfect!

Thrilled that seeing Harry Potter was my first introduction to the Philadelphia Orchestra! It was an amazing combination. And I look forward to attending more events featuring the Philadelphia Orchestra.

The Orchestra was fabulous and the movie was, of course, great. Although it was rainy the Mann Center did a good job in handing out ponchos. Had a fabulous time!

it was awesome, only wished the fireworks would have gone off at the same time as the 1812 overture towards the end of the piece.

Having the live orchestra added to the drama of the movie and made the whole evening unforgettable. The orchestra sounded amazing! Highly recommended.

When I first got to the venue, I felt like I was in a totally different city! A gigantic outdoor amphitheater in the middle of nowhere. Overall, it was a really cool venue. My husband and I had balcony seats for a late July show. I'm still glad we got the indoor seats since it rained that night. It was pretty warm on the balcony with little air circulation. If I had to do it again, I'd get floor level seats closer to the orchestra. I think a bit of the magic is lost if you can't see the orchestra closely. They're so good, you forget they're there. It just sounds like the movie score. The thing that ruined the show for me, though, was the fact that the seats were situated so that rows weren't staggered in height enough so that the row in front of you was low enough for you to see. The row in front of me were craned forward because they couldn't see, which meant that my husband and and I couldn't see because of that. Plus, I had a particularly tall person in front of me. She basically blocked most of my view for the entire show. The other downside was that so many people were talking and fiddling on their phones. I'm guessing because they think an outdoor performance is more laid back. For a nighttime show, the lit screens were incredibly distracting.

Had a great time listening to the Philadelphia Orchestra perform the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. They were so right on, never missed a beat.

This is our second Harry Potter performance and both were amazing. We sat closer to the stage this time. Rain was predicted but held off, but it was so muggy that sitting down close to the stage became quite hot with very little breeze. People sitting further back said the breeze was great. The Orchestra was inspiring, as always.

This is my favorite event of the summer. Beautiful and magical evening.

This performance was awesome! All participants were phenomenal!

A combination of the orchestra, choral and soloist vocals coupled with a newly written score that was wonderful made for a great night.

This mixed three things I love. The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Mann Center and fireworks! Even sitting in the lawn area, the sound was perfect. Plus the large viewscreen actually gave you a better view of the conductor and some of the performers. A wonderful evening with great friends.

This was an absolutely fantastic experience. Amazing movie, phenomenal performance by the orchestra, choirs, and soloists. Half the time I forgot I was even hearing the score live. It blew my mind and I would see it 100 more times. Hope they do the 3rd movie next year.

This was so awesome and the music was fantastic. Would highly recommend for next year ROTK!

A great movie with a world class Philadelphia Orchestra proved to be an unparalleled event. I highly recommended this to my family and friends. I cannot wait to see the last installment next year (fingers crossed)! Hopefully they continue with The Hobbit series. My wife and I would be very interested in seeing/hearing Star Wars or James Bond movies as well!

We saw The Philadelphia Orchestra perform the Gladiator soundtrack last year, and they didn't disappoint with their performance of the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack. It truly adds another dimension to have a live orchestra, choir and soloists performing the music. The Mann is a great venue and all in all it was a really fun evening. Can't wait for whatever movie they do next!

How often do all of the stars align in perfect harmony? They did on July 23, 2015 at the Mann. I attended the concert (my first at the Mann) with my husband. We arrived early and found what we considered the perfect area on the grass to set up camp for the evening. As the orchestra tuned up everyone quickly settled in for the performance. The opening score caught everyone's attention and the crowd gave in to silence as the movie began on the large screens that were strategically placed under the shelter and on top of the building. In other words, not a bad seat in the house could be found. There were those that chose to view the landscape of center city Philadelphia from their seats as opposed to watching the movie. There were times throughout the performance that you could get caught up in the movie and forget that you were listening to a live performance. All of a sudden those moments would quickly evaporate, whether it be from the volume of the symphony reminding us that they were indeed live or the Philadelphia Boys Choir tugging at our hearts with their beautiful voices. One mustn't forget the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia. My hat goes off in reverence of their lovely voices! The music resonated with me and my husband. We both sat in awe and at times, in tears. Bravo for providing all of the attendees to one of the most inspiring concerts of a lifetime!

My friend and I loved the LOTR with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was amazing. Completely blew me away - really powerful. I wish I could see all of my favorite movies this way: Jaws, Star Wars, Jurassic Park...it was better than I even expected. Great venue, too. It was our first time at The Mann and we definitely want to go again!

It was a great introduction to the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Mann for my 16 year old granddaughter!

Had a great time watching a classic movie with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

AMAZING! This was a once in a lifetime experience. I would definitely go again to similar movies with fantastic scores. They should definitely come out with more movies with epic scores. Any John Williams or other Hans Zimmerman would do.

This was by far one of the best performances I have ever attended. Philadelphia Orchestra played seamlessly and perfectly for 3 HOURS !! - the whole duration of the movie Gladiator. It was so perfect that at times I forgot there was an entire orchestra there.

Beethoveen's 9th symphony came to life at The Mann! I was absolutely enraptured by the venue, the atmosphere, and the music! What a wonderful time!

Although it was a rainy, cold day in the middle of July, we still had a great time. The Philly Orchestra is very talented and we enjoyed listening to a range of John Williams music from Jaws to Star Wars to the Olympic Fanfare. My only comment would be to make the sound a bit louder.

Listening to the soundtrack to Star Wars as played by the Philadelphia Orchestra was amazing. What an unforgettable way to see this classic movie! We had lawn seats which were super fun but it was really crowded when we got there 1 hour before showtime.

The show was amazing! Your fees, however, are the WORST

Absolutely loved the Mann! Philadelphia Orchestra and Star Wars. Perfect combination!

If you re a fan of the movie, seeing it performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra is a must! Although we were seated around people who were adding their own soundtrack, the staff at the Mann was phenomenal in dealing with the issue and moved our seats to an upgraded area.

Amazing-fabulous-spectacular Think I described the evening pretty well

The Philadelphia Orchestra played the music to Star Wars while the audience watched the movie. Stupendous evening!!!

This was a very cool experience, though next time I may pay more to sit closer to the orchestra. A TON of people in attendance. That timpani player was living his best life with this epic score. Looking forward to the Empire Strikes Back next summer!

This was a fun event for our family to see Star Wars with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Getting to the event was a nightmare! The traffic to park was backed up to 76. We stopped before the exit at 6:45. We did not get into the venue until 7:40 and the show began at 7:30. Once in and settled it was very enjoyable. Could not see the orchestra at all, but the weather was great and we loved being able to picnic with food and drinks while we enjoyed the movie.

Concert was supposed to be about Bernstein and Broadway, but there wasn't enough of either. Closing piece was wonderful -- but it was from Gershwin! That said, the orchestra was fabulous -- as always.

The Mann Center is a wonderful venue and enjoyable experience. The Philadelphia Orchestra performed superbly. Our seating was great with a perfect view of the stage from the balcony seating. Our grandson loved the performance of Star Wars portrayal with the above combination screen showing of the movie viewing at rear of the orchestra setting. We recommend setting a rule for latecomers to be seated no later than 15 minutes into a performance. The reason being, a constant interference and disruption of our viewing and attention to a show performance.

It was supposed to be a concert over a movie, but the movie was so loud and the orchestra so low that you would forget at times you were at a concert. The only really good part was the credits at the end when we got to hear the orchestra without the deafening blip blip of the droids.

This venue does not have a parking garage. There are not enough entries or attendant to collect the parking fee. It takes 45 mins to get into the field to park. It is poorly lit. Very unsafe when walking in the dark. The field is poorly maintained. Sticks from trees and divots in the ground make it difficult to safely walk to and from the venue.

3rd movie I have seen at the Mann with the orchestra and each one has been amazing, sometimes it's hard to tell if they are playing but they are. So seamless

This was my first time hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Mann. It was the perfect night for an outdoor concert. The movie was as great as always, and hearing the music live made it even better. We loved being able to take in our own dinner and finding a spot on the lawn to view the skyline while eating. We opted to pay the extra $10 and get terrace seating, which for us was the right choice. Lines for the bathrooms are long, but move quickly. Parking was no problem, and you just need to have some patience when it comes time to leave, as the exit lines from the parking areas were slow. Overall a great night .

A beautiful evening, a great movie, an amazing performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Can t wait to buy tickets for The Empire Strikes Back. Phenomenal evening!

Spectacular, looking forward to the next event. The audio was superb.

I'm not a fan of classical music but this event is absolutely beautiful. The professionalism is so evident in every respect. The family atmosphere is refreshing. The fireworks afterward were excellent but not the highlight of the evening. I will most definitely return to the Mann Center.

Great show. I highly recommended this event. I will be going next year. The fireworks extravaganza was very nice

This was one of the best shows I've ever seen! It was so worth the money and effort getting there!

I've seen 3 of these show now and will continue to try and go every time. I really enjoy the music just as much as the movie. Definitely recommended to anyone who is a fan of LOTR.

My wife and I had an incredible time watching the Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers with the score performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Looking forward to the Return of the King

I went last year to the Fellowship of the Ring with my sister and a friend and we were so blown away we agreed that if the Philadelphia Orchestra was to perform another LOTR movie we wouldn't miss it. True to our word, we had a group of 9 this year and walked away just as amazed as the last time. One of the greatest aspects of this event is that you don't have to be a fan of the movies to sit in awe at the spectacle in front of you. When the orchestra is in full force with two choirs it makes your hair stand on end. Every soloist was on point and incredible. Amazing show and I can't wait for next year. I'm sure our group will continue to grow.

I could not have imagined how much fun it was to see a movie with live orchestration and accompanied with live vocals. This was a father's day gift for my husband who just loved it, as did the rest of the audience!

The music was amazing and they did a great job of "punching it up" to be the star of the show. We recently saw the Harry Potter performance at the Mann and that was disappointing because it sounded like just background music. This LOTR show was much better because the music and choirs were much louder in relation to the movie. The performers were the real stars of the show and they were allowed to shine! We will be back for ROTK!

Last summer I saw the Fellowship of the Ring at the Mann. I found out about the event late and only was able to get lawn seats, which, while still amazing, I wished I could have been able to see the orchestra and choirs. This year, I wasted no time in securing a ticket down in the seats. It was worth every penny!! Being able to watch the musicians perform while watching the movie (I admit, I sometimes got distracted and forgot to watch the movie itself) was absolutely mind blowing. As someone who is a HUGE LoTR fan and who has seen the movies upwards of about 80 times, I would have noticed errors in performance or timing, and there were NONE. The performance was impeccable and the choirs and singers were outstanding. It was so moving and I got chills several times! I highly recommend going to see the Return of the King (which I'm sure will be performed summer 2017) or keeping an eye out for the performance next time it comes around. I would love to see some other performances of theirs like this in the future!

A very unique experience and lively performance. My only recommendation would have been for the venue to stream video of the orchestra alongside the film. The orchestra was not visible from the lawn except for certain spots, but even then it was hard to see from such a great distance. Such a great piece of art this show was and so very immersive. Often we found ourselves forgetting that the orchestra was playing live due to how perfect their performance was.

The Mann is such a wonderful venue to listen to the Philadelphia Orchestra and what could be better than the orchestra playing the score from my favorite movie series. The orchestra was flawless.

An incredible performance, precisely timed to the movie. Fabulous music.

Awesome show! Great to see so many people out to enjoy the night.

Absolutely fantastic. went to see fellowship last year and i hope you show return of the king next year. Great stuff!