If you’re at all familiar with the popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, then you know there’s essentially four fundamental natural elements that certain individuals can wield and manipulate, or “bend”. Those four are Water, Earth, Fire and Air. Some will consider Blood Bending to be the fifth, but after last month’s performance, there’s a strong case for an alternative: EMOTION.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender: In Concert Tour stopped by in Houston and it was nothing short of miraculous. It was an entire child’s and grown adult’s dream to be in attendance as fans of literally ALL ages were there to witness their favorite show on stage. Composed and arranged by Emmy Award-winning composer and musician Jeremy Zuckerman, this concert gives everyone a unique experience by immersing them in spectacle and wonder from start to finish.
As fans arrived to their seats, they were treated to the delight of the orchestra on stage at the ready, with a large screen directly overhead of them. Throughout the night, iconic scenes from the series were projected on the screen, with some featuring the original dialogue between characters. The night was broken up into two parts, navigating through all four books like the show, with a 15-20 minute intermission in between books two and three.
What truly makes this concert series so special is the attention to detail in each score that is composed for an individual scene, right down to the specific harmonies of the choir to the plucking of the folk instruments. The music that coincides with the scenes truly makes the audiences emotions ebb and flow like the motions of a water bender. Rest assured, all of the fan favorite iconic moments we all love we included, like Aang becoming the water spirit in the Avatar state at The Northern Water Tribe. They also showed Zuko’s transformation from the opposition, to anti-hero, to full fledged freedom fighter, and even included the intricate process that went into crafting Sokka’s sword and the training he underwent to properly wield it. However, one of the first intimate scenes that everyone got to truly witness the divine talent of the orchestra was when the Kyoshi Warriors were introduced and Sokka first meets Suki. This scene of both love, chaos and suspense were perfectly captured with the use of somber violins and taiko drums.
Cheers instantly ensued during “The Blue Spirit” scene, where Aang is held captive inside Admiral Zhao’s stronghold, forcing Prince Zuko, disguised as the Blue Spirit, to infiltrate the fortress and free Aang from Zhao’s fortress. Flutes, drums and a bellowing bass work in tandem to depict the suspense at their harrowing escape, sending the fans into a pandemonium! Those smiles would slowly dissipate when two somber scenes were performed later on in the night. The first was titled “Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall”, detailing the filler episode featuring General Iroh wandering a village. A child is heard crying and Iroh sings the “Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall” melody to the tune of his handy guitar in order to calm the child down. The second scene, titled “Iroh”, details a more in-depth look into the General’s past, particularly mourning the loss of his late son and only child on his birthday. Both of these scenes prominently featured a medley of soft violins and a very distinct guitar-like Chinese stringed instrument called a guzheng which eloquently captured the feel of General Iroh’s hurt, but perfectly displayed his compassion and kindness despite his affiliation to the Fire Nation. Tears could be seen flowing from many an eye around the theater and Iroh’s voice could be heard leaving one lasting quote, “In your darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is meaning of true strength.”
Another great moment where the orchestra perfectly demonstrated the use of their instruments was the scene from Book Two titled “Azula.” Azula’s character is undoubtedly filled with an intense amount of anger and relentless emotion, especially in this case where they showed the battle between her, Prince Zuko and Katara. The orchestra masterfully captured this with the use of instruments like the trombone whenever her blazing blue fire blasts would clash with Zuko’s. In Book Three similar sounds could be found in the scene titled “The Firebending Masters” where Aang and Zuko journey to unlock the true power and origin of firebending. Expertly timed pinging of xylophones and a choir with high-pitched sopranos are in sync as pandemonium ensues! Maracas, bongos and trombones evoke a fast, steady pace mixed with gut wrenching suspense as the two are ensnared in an ancient, choreographed fire bending dance while two fearsome dragons fly between them! You could look around and feel the goosebumps on everyone’s arms during that moment which made it one of the most memorable occasions of the night.
The last scene was the final, long awaited battle between Aang and Fire Lord Oza, titled “Ozai vs Aang” and it certainly did not disappoint! If there was an instrument that had not been used yet that night, it was definitely worn out here. Angelic, high echos of “Ahhhhhh” from the choir with spaced out dramatic thumps from the bass were the paint brush that surgically engineered what promised for the clash of the century. At its conclusion, the crowd erupted in applause, with the orchestra conductor shortly after sharing a few words. “We’re all nerd, cartoon lovers living the dream,” she said. “Nurture the young, nerdy cartoon lovers in your life and keep the dream going!”
Applause once again ensued, and the night all but seemed ready to come to an end…except one thing was still left to do. It wouldn’t truly be an Avatar: Live Orchestra without performing the series’s most famous tune: SECRET TUNNEL! As soon as the old banjo could be heard from the symphony, cheers erupted from all around, and the entire room joined in unison to sing the song. It was quite literally the perfect way to cap off the night in Avatar style.
In closing, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Live Orchestra encapsulates the most enriching experience for EVERYONE, whether you’re a legitimate aficionado, or someone who’s just now familiarizing themselves with the franchise. It’s for all ages and all walks and interests and life, and you definitely don’t want to miss out when it comes to your city! If you missed this time, they’ll be back for a second show in Houston on December 5th so don’t delay! It’s not just a privilege to be in attendance at this orchestra, it’s an honor.
In the words of a wise Prince Zuko, “I know no one can give you your honor. That’s something that you can only give yourself.” Well this time around, give yourself some honor, and a good time while you’re at it.
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