Tucson Symphony to bring live music to classic Charlie Chaplin silent film

Talkies were starting to become the norm when Charlie Chaplin started filming his 1931 movie “City Lights,” largely regarded as not only his most significant film but one of the best American films ever made.

Much to the chagrin of the studio, Chaplin insisted on making “City Lights” a silent film, but he did do something with it that he had never done before: He composed the score synchronized to the action.

On Saturday, April 20, 40 Tucson Symphony Orchestra musicians, under the baton of Music Director José Luis Gomez, will perform Chaplin’s soundtrack on the Fox Tucson Theatre stage while the movie plays on a screen above them.

“It’s a great testament to Chaplin’s incredible talent not only as an actor and director but as a musician,” Gomez said of the score, which borrows from 1920s-30s blues and jazz, swing and waltzes. “It is very characteristic of those years, some of the dance music, from the very romantic to match the touching love story.”

Chaplin wrote, produced, directed and starred in “City Lights,” in which he resurrects his Tramp loveable vagrant character, who woos a blind flower girl who mistakes him for a millionaire.

Saturday’s screening is the first collaboration between the orchestra and the Fox, which has hosted several TSO concerts in the past but never as a partnership.

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It’s also the first time that Gomez will conduct a cineconcert, a film screening with the orchestra performing the soundtrack live. The TSO for the past several years has brought in one or two cineconcerts a season, but most are package deals that include a guest conductor specializing in performing live movie soundtracks.

Gomez said performing to a silent film “is a little bit like following a ballet. You’re following movements, you’re following actions.”

“It’s a very sweet movie,” he said of “City Lights.” “It’s very theatrical and that’s what I like.”

Saturday’s event begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $20-$62.50 through foxtucson.com.