by Kennedy Ushiroda, Staff Writer
Students were in for a treat on the night of October 25th as they went to see the convocation, Coco in Concert. Entering the reception hall, children, teens, adults, and the elderly sprawled into a tightly-packed reception. The receiving line were donned in skeleton face paint from Centre’s very own Art Society. A colorful, frilly, festive arch received guests, while lines quickly gathered for refreshments and complimentary skeletal face paints. There was even a dedicated place for family and friends to pose with Halloween and Coco-esque gear – complete with skull masks and guitar cutouts.
But the main attraction was nestled in the acoustic walls of Newlin Hall. The esteemed 20-member Latin ensemble, Orquesta Folclórica Nacional de México, paraded the stage with decorative Latin uniforms. After a quick warm up, the lights dimmed, the projector started up, and the band performed an enchanted introduction of the iconic Disney castle.
In addition to the main musical soundtrack to Coco, the orchestra played the suspenseful music in between shots and dialogue. Through smiles, laughter, and tears, the in-concert performance of the music and soundtrack truly captured concertgoers’ attention until the very end. What resulted was an experience that not even a movie theater could fulfill. Indeed, the night combined the elements of entertainment from the movie and the musical wonder of the orchestra into one unforgettable night.