Despite weather, Movie Magic takes the stage
Come rain or shine, the Gulf Coast Symphony performed at the Second Annual Cape Movie Magic.
Even though it was overcast, cold and wet on Saturday afternoon, the symphony performance began promptly at 4 p.m. and dozens of Cape Coral residents set up foldable chairs to hear music from their favorite films – like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman and Harry Potter.
Those who attended the performance said they considered staying home because the weather was frigid and they expected it to be cancelled. The cold remained most of the afternoon, even as the musicians began rehearsing at 3 p.m., but only minutes before the show opened the weather changed.
Cape Coral resident Mary Sclafani – bundled head-to-toe and holding a warm mug -said she considered staying home but had no choice.
“There was no choice, my daughter plays bass,” she said, pointing to the blue sky poking through clouds. “It is supposed to clear up anyway. It’ll be great.”
And finally, minutes before the Cape Movie Magic began, the sun came over the crowd and musicians in their white blazers took the stage.
Amy Padilla, marketing manager for the Gulf Coast Symphony, said the show would go on no matter what happened with the weather. It ran from 4-6 p.m. and featured 90-minutes of music.
“This concert was going to happen,” she said. “We were all water, I’m relieved it came early.”
Luckily, show organizers expected the rain and took precautions Saturday morning.
“Thank god for radar,” said Padilla. “Our sound guy came with tarps.”
A major change for this year’s show was the absence of a big screen matching clips of films with live performances from their soundtracks. Padilla said the screen was not put up this year because the strong winds and rain would have ruined visibility for the audience.
Furthermore, she added that most people recognize what film the music comes from without needing a visual reminder.