PEI Symphony Orchestra Once Upon a Score: The Music of Hollywood

The PEI Symphony Orchestra (PEISO), in collaboration with Confederation Centre of the Arts, presents Once Upon a Score: The Music of Hollywood, a genre-blending concert-theatre experience on May 3 at the Sobey Family Theatre in Charlottetown.

Following the success of last season’s May the Fourth Be With You: The Music of Star Wars, this new co-production expands the orchestra’s exploration of film music in an imaginative and unexpected direction. Once Upon a Score is not a film screening or live-to-picture presentation. Instead, it places storytelling at the centre of the performance, bringing audiences inside the creative process itself.

Created by PEISO Music Director Jaelem Bhate, the production unfolds in a lively café setting, where two actors portray a struggling screenwriter and an old friend reconnecting over questions of story, purpose, and the cultural impact of film. As their conversation evolves, the full orchestra brings their ideas to life through music, transforming dialogue into a vivid symphonic journey.

Audiences will hear iconic themes from some of Hollywood’s most beloved scores, including Harry Potter, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Avengers. Each musical selection is woven directly into the narrative, underscoring emotion, heightening drama, and adding moments of humour and surprise.

Smart, funny, and unexpectedly moving, Once Upon a Score blurs the line between concert and theatre—offering a fresh perspective on the music and stories that have shaped popular culture.

The concert begins at 3 pm. A pre-concert chat will run from 2–2:30 pm. Tickets are available via confederationcentre.com or by calling 902-566-1267.