Romance and revenge: NM Philharmonic Rock & Pops season launches with 'The Princess Bride'

Sep. 16—"As you wish ..."

Fencing, fighting, torture, giants, monsters and true love will launch the New Mexico Philharmonic's 2024-2025 Rock & Pops season with "The Princess Bride."

The musicians will show the 1987 classic in Popejoy Hall, 203 Cornell Drive NE, University of New Mexico. A full symphony orchestra will perform the original musical score live-to-picture at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Directed by Rob Reiner, the film features an all-star cast, including Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage and André the Giant.

Peter Falk narrates this romantic tale of the beautiful maiden, Buttercup, and her one true love, a young farm hand named Westley. After he's captured by a ruthless pirate and presumed dead, Buttercup's unhappy marriage to the horrible Prince Humperdinck seems inevitable. But before the wedding can take place, she's kidnapped by three outlaws and it's up to a mysterious Man in Black to come to her rescue.

Composer Mark Knopfler's unforgettable score has been specially arranged for symphony orchestra.

For the holiday season, the orchestra will perform "Home for the Holidays" at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, featuring a blizzard of favorites such as "Sleigh Ride," "Carol of the Bells," "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from "The Nutcracker," and much more, also at Popejoy.

The musicians include the Manzano Day School Chorus, the Bosque School Choir, the V. Sue Cleveland High School Choir and the Moriarty High School Choir.

The Rock & Pops season will end with "Love, Love, Love" and a selection of romantic music on Valentine's Day weekend at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Tickets are $35-$105, plus fees, at unmtickets.com/theatres/nm-phil or by calling 505-277-4569.