The New Mexico Philharmonic brought Breaking Boo to Popejoy on Saturday night, when concertgoers and musicians alike were given the opportunity to dress up in their Halloween costumes.
Jan Zimmerman, who has been a volunteer for Popejoy for 18 years, said she has seen the struggle to maintain interest in classical music. The costumes helped add some excitement to the show and cater to a broader audience, she said.
“The philharmonic has tried a number of new things to try and hold on to its existing audience and to solve the problem all symphonies have, which is attracting a younger audience,” Zimmerman said.
The New Mexico Philharmonic used to be the New Mexico Orchestra, but it went bankrupt about three years ago, she said. The philharmonic has been working to reclaim interest among the younger generations.
The Breaking Boo concert was part of that effort, she said. Also, the New Mexico Philharmonic holds a “pops” concert once every month, which entails music from popular movies or top artists.
The pops attempt to bring popular music into a classical music environment, she said.
There were more children and younger people at the Breaking Boo event than there typically are at other pops events, Zimmerman said.
Chris Rancier, New Mexico Philharmonic executive assistant, was one of the viola players for Breaking Boo, and she said it was exciting and difficult to play in her costume.
“You had to be careful how you planned your costumes so you could still play,” Rancier said. “We musicians can be really quite creative.”
Being Halloween-music themed, it seemed natural to encourage attendees to dress up for the occasion, she said. The orchestra decided to followed suit.
The event also held a costume contest at intersession. The contest was an effort to make the concert more exciting for families, she said.
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Before the concert, Jeremiah Bitsui, who played a minor role in the television series “Breaking Bad,” narrated “The Nightmare before Christmas,” giving the concert the name Breaking Boo, Rancier said. The narration by Bitsui was another effort to attract a larger audience.
“We are happy to work hard to get our audience back,” she said.
Zimmerman said it was enjoyable to see all of the children dressed in costumes as well as the musicians.
“What keeps me coming back is seeing the patrons and see them coming back,” she said.
Augustus Bervig, a sophomore earth and planetary sciences major, said the Breaking Boo concert was different than most.
“I’ve been to many concerts, but this one is more lively,” Bervig said. “With all the costumes, it’s a better place to interact with people and have fun outside of just listening to music.”
Bervig dressed up as a carnival person, a costume he pieced together for the event, he said.
He said he enjoyed the concert because it allowed the musicians to dress up as well. The music was well-chosen too, he said.
Moriah Carty is the assistant culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at cultureassistant@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @MoriahCarty
