Shelbie Rassler conducts “Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse Live in Concert” on Wednesday 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. Credit: Courtesy of MA2LA
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Live in Concert” will swing into Columbus Wednesday.
Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” will be screened at the Palace Theatre — located at 34 W. Broad St. — starting at 7:30 p.m., according to the Columbus Association for Performing Arts’ website. The film’s soundtrack will be performed live by a full orchestra, a scratch DJ and electric instrumentalists, the website states.
“Across the Spider-Verse” follows Miles Morales, a variant of the popular superhero Spider-Man, as he explores a multiverse of Spider-People and tries to save the ones he loves most from unprecedented threats.
The Columbus showing, which is part of an ongoing tour across the United States, is being presented by CAPA. Jim Fischer, CAPA’s director of communications, said in an email the organization frequently collaborates with local venues like the Palace Theatre.
“We are also a presenter and producer of live arts events,” Fischer said. “CAPA’s goal is to enrich lives by cultivating and nurturing the arts.”
When it comes to Wednesday’s event, Fischer said he believes the show has all the ingredients to be a hit among attendees.
“Live, in-theater shows with a film score are always great experiences,” Fischer said. “For ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Live in Concert,’ we have the combination of a fresh movie, a signature brand in Marvel and a unique musical presentation. It should be a great show.”
Shelbie Rassler, the live show’s conductor, said she was impressed when she first heard the film’s soundtrack, composed by Daniel Pemberton.
“When I first listened to [Pemberton’s] soundtrack, I was blown away by how effective it was at enhancing the emotion and action throughout the film,” Rassler said. “[Pemberton] is able to mix together various genres and styles of music to create a sonic collage of excitement and beauty.”
Rassler also said collaborating with a scratch DJ — Palm Springs, California, native Damien Beebe, also known as DJ Day — has proved to be a distinct experience in addition to conducting the orchestra itself.
According to a June 2021 article from the London Sound Academy, a scratch DJ “goes beyond traditional DJ techniques of transitioning between track A and track B and instead seeks to create sound using the tracks or samples being played.”
“Working with [Beebe] has been such a unique and exciting experience,” Rassler said. “[Beebe] brings so much energy to the show and adds a layer of on-stage interaction with the audience, which, in turn, makes the concert experience even more immersive. Having a DJ is a unique learning experience for our orchestra; the opportunity to collaborate in this way is rare and valuable.”
Rassler said one of the challenges of conducting a traveling show is operating on such a vigorous schedule.
“Maintaining my stamina can be challenging. I stand on the conductor podium for the full duration of the movie, and the show itself is very energetic, so it requires a high stamina level,” Rassler said. “We are fortunate enough to perform this show every single night, so our days off are also crucial to help refill the tank every week.”
Rassler said her favorite part of the show is the movie’s climax, mostly due to the excitement it brings when performed live in front of a crowd.
“The iconic Miles Morales line, ‘Nah, I’mma do my own thing,’ is always my favorite moment,” Rassler said. “The crowd fills the room with immense excitement every night, and it creates an epic moment that [Pemberton] absolutely nailed.”
Rassler said she and the show’s musicians have experienced enthusiastic audience reactions throughout the tour, and thus have high hopes for Columbus’ stop.
“I am so thrilled to see how much audiences are enjoying this show throughout the country and overseas on the world tour,” Rassler said. “It is such a wonderful opportunity to introduce orchestras and live music to families in an accessible way. I’m honored to help bring this concert to communities all over the U.S.”
Tickets for the event start at $49.40. More information about the screening, including online ticket prices, can be found on CAPA’s website.
