DETAILS

CPO's Bugs Bunny on Broadway
Jack Singer Concert Hall
Jack Singer Concert Hall
Friday, October 9 - Friday, October 9 Saturday, October 10 - Saturday, October 10

More in: Classical

It’s practically a universal truth: Everybody likes Bugs Bunny. “Chuck Jones, one of his most prominent directors, used to say that, ‘We all go to bed at night looking in the mirror hoping to be Bugs Bunny, and wake up in the morning to discover that we’re actually Daffy Duck,’” quotes Bugs Bunny on Broadway creator and conductor George Daugherty. “I think, truly, that Bugs Bunny, represents what a lot of us wish we were.”

In the two decades, that Daugherty has been presenting these concerts all over the planet, he has yet to meet a single human being who doesn’t like Bugs, though initially, his idea met some resistance in symphonic circles. “People didn’t understand it,” Daugherty recalls. “What is this? Do we have to put an ice rink on the stage? Are people going to come out in these fuzzy suits?”

The fact is, for millions of people, Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies were their earliest introduction to classical music as Bugs and co. (not forgetting mad, musical genius,Carl Stalling) had their way with some of the great composers’ most famous work. Daugherty navigated the legal, logistical and technical challenges to mount the show and now his hare-brained scheme has spun into 24 carrot gold — it is quite possibly the most popular symphonic production in history. The October 9 and 10 shows with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra at the Jack Singer are Bugs Bunny on Broadway’s long overdue first visit to Calgary.

In spite of the timeless appeal of the cartoons, Daugherty was unprepared for the show’s unprecedented success. “I thought Bugs Bunny would be a little detour, but it ended up being the thoroughfare for me,” he admits. “We all should have expected it, given the enduring appeal of the material. It’s just brilliant.”

PhD theses have been written on the psychological, sociological and geopolitical ramifications of the Warner Bros. source material, which is now widely regarded as high art. Analyze it all you want but, hey, it’s Bugs and all his Looney Tunes pals, on the big screen, with a live orchestra! How much more awesome can it get?