Youngstown Symphony Orchestra is featuring Thorgy Thor on Thursday, September 21, 2023, with a program that would satisfy any concert-band devotee. On the program are several band favorites, including Overture to Candide, Sabre Dance, an except from Carmen, Copland’s Hoedown, and one of Brahms’s Hungarian Dances. Lots of classical dancing in this one, plus some Lady Gaga.

PROGRAM

Bernstein — Overture to Candide
Gade — Jalousie Tango
Brahms — Hungarian Dance No. 1 in g minor
Khachaturian — Sabre Dance
Rogers & Hammerstein — I Enjoy Being a Girl
Berlin — Anything You Can Do
Strauss/Lady Gaga — Blue Danube/Born this Way

Intermission

Bizet — Torreadors from Carmen
Saint-Saëns — Danse Macabre
Copland — Hoedown from Rodeo
Gliere — Russian Sailors Dance
Mozart — Eine kleine Nachtmusik II. Romanze
Glinka — Russia and Ludmilla Overture
Bruno Mars (arr. Lopez) — Uptown Funk

Thorgy Thor is a drag queen who appeared on Ru Paul’s Drag Race series and who is a classically trained string musician — violin, viola, and cello. I’m not familiar with her work, so it’ll be fun to discover it live.

As a concert-band alum, this lineup is like candy. Overture to Candide in particular is one of my favorites to play. I’m a sucker for asymmetrical meter, and Bernstein wrote plenty, pulling truth out of the universe in the form of gorgeous melody and making limping rhythms singable. If I could live inside a piece of music, Candide would be at the top of my list.

Youngstown’s website notes that this program includes mature themes and advises attendee discretion. I’m wondering if there is some actual raunchiness scheduled as part of the performance or if they posted the warning in response to today’s panic over drag queens. These days I’m sure a fully-clothed drag queen playing the violin could cause an uproar in some circles, so I’m interested to see if there’s anything legitimately risque in this program.