La PanAmericana featured Ginastera’s Four Dances from Estancia; Juan Bautista Plaza’s Fuga criolla; “The Mestizo Waltz,” from Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances; and the U.S. premiere of “Circus,” from 1947: Suite for Piano and Orchestra, by Sir Anthony Hopkins (yes, that Anthony Hopkins), with Sergio Tiempo as soloist. The second half brought the New York premiere of Gabriela Ortiz’s Mujer Arena and Ellington’s Harlem. Then Broadway favorite Brian Stokes Mitchell joined Dudamel for a tribute to Sondheim’s Company. He began with a medley of “Another Hundred People” and Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the ‘A’ Train,” before singing every part in “Getting Married Today” himself.
Speaking of Sondheim, a buzz went through the hall when Dudamel saluted his West Side Story collaborator Steven Spielberg, who was seated on the left tier along with his wife, Kate Capshaw, and legendary composer John Williams. Dudamel thanked the two for inspiring his love of art through film. “One of the things I loved the most in my hometown was to go to the cinemas and listen to the music, to see the films and see how things work,” Dudamel said. “We were surrounded by the beautiful music of John Williams.”
At this point, my date for the evening had my thigh in a death grip, and Dudamel only heightened the suspense as he built up to announcing a special number…from Disclosure Day. I’ll happily take Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt whenever I can get them, but these are the men behind Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones, not to mention, in Williams’s case, Star Wars! Credit to Dudamel, though, ever the fine ear for beauty, for choosing “Listen” from the pair’s latest film, a piece that more than earned its place.
After dinner, Governor Kathy Hochul presented Dudamel with a plaque, offering in the process a curious comparison between the gala celebration and Taylor Swift’s July wedding as points of New York pride. Dudamel followed with another charming speech of his own. As the crowd thinned into the wee hours, Mariska Hargitay was treated to an impromptu rendition of the Law & Order: SVU theme in Geffen Hall’s lobby, one last reminder of Dudamel’s gift for uniting all parts of pop culture in perfect harmony.
