The story of the birth of the United States will collide with Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra musicians in a unique performance that will include video cameras stationed around Greensburg’s Palace Theatre.
Saturday will be a night of firsts: the first time “The Unlikely Union: A Storytelling Symphony of America” will have live musicians on stage along with its host, and also likely the first time a performance at the theater is filmed for television.
“Music is evocative; music helps set a scene, a tone for us,” said professor Greg Jackson, who will use his expertise to lead the audience through 100 years of the birth and infancy of the country.
“The Unlikely Union: A Storytelling Symphony of America” is a stage adaptation of the podcast “History That Doesn’t Suck!” which Jackson created and hosts. He will be joined onstage at the Palace Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday by 24 musicians from the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra, led by Daniel Meyer, and a choir of community members.
The combination of live history and original symphonic sounds results in a unique telling of the nation’s founding as its citizens prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary this year.
“The Unlikely Union” producer Dossie McCraw said the performance will be filmed for public television. It will be distributed by American Public Television to all PBS stations, including Pittsburgh’s WQED, and available for streaming online. There will be nine cameras stationed around the 1,400-seat theater, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Crews were setting up Friday for the historic performance.
“We’re used to playing classics … and some pops,” said Michael Rozell, executive director of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. “Now, it’s a chance to take part in an original production, a historical production about history, which is so unique.”
McCraw expects the production to be powerful, especially with the addition of live music. Jackson’s narration will be accompanied by maps and pictures of historical figures and their words.
Audience members can expect to hear about happenings in their Southwestern Pennsylvania backyard that played a role in the country’s beginnings. Local history will be onstage, too: Ticket holders who get to the theater early will get a chance to learn about local museums, historical sites and cultural groups in the region through “Prelude to the Union: A Cultural Showcase of the Laurel Highlands.” That will start at 6:30 p.m. in Megan’s Suite, said Dawn Lamuth, director of cultural and community connections with Go Laurel Highlands.
Jackson is an associate professor at Utah Valley University, where he serves as a senior fellow in national security studies and a fellow in integrated studies. In addition to his podcast, he tours nationally with “The Unlikely Union” and is a regular commentator on History Channel documentaries.
