Revolution Orchestra blends Cohen, Simon, and Hitchcock into new season

The Revolution Orchestra is set to unveil a new season that fuses classical instrumentation with iconic works from North American culture. The upcoming program, titled Still Crazy, will feature a reinterpretation of Paul Simon's melodies. These familiar tunes will be deconstructed and reassembled into edgy orchestral arrangements that highlight the band's unique hybrid style.

Founded 22 years ago by composer Zohar Sharon and conductor Roy Oppenheim, the ensemble has long been known for blending classical music with elements of rock, film, dance, and theater. For this specific season, the group has chosen to focus its creative energy on North American artistic traditions, offering audiences a fresh perspective on well-known cultural touchstones.

In the Still Crazy production, the songs will be performed in English by the puppet ensemble Red Band. The group includes members named Red Orbach, Poncho, Lefty, and Philip. They will be accompanied by guest performer Anat Moshkovski and the full Revolution Orchestra, creating a multi-layered performance that combines visual art with complex musical arrangements.

The season also includes a production titled Hineni, which draws heavily on the legacy of Leonard Cohen. Singer Aya Korem and guitarist-singer-songwriter Adam Ben Amitai will perform alongside the orchestra and the Efroni Choir. The piece centers on Cohen's 2016 song You Want It Darker, a track released shortly before his death.

In that final song, Cohen incorporated the Hebrew word hineni, which translates to Here I am. The orchestra's arrangement seeks to explore the emotional weight of these lyrics, using the full breadth of its instrumental and vocal resources to bring the composition to life in a new theatrical context.

Another highlight of the season is a dedicated Psycho experience. This event will feature a screening of Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller. The film will be presented in English with Hebrew subtitles to accommodate local audiences who may not be fluent in the original language.

The visual screening will be accompanied by a live performance of Bernard Herrmann's suspenseful string orchestra score. This approach allows the music to interact directly with the on-screen action, providing a visceral and immersive viewing experience that differs from standard theatrical releases.

By popular demand, two previous productions by the orchestra will also return to the stage. The first is The Gospel According to Monty Python, a musical production that has previously drawn significant crowds. The second is Moods, a work for orchestra in motion.

Moods is based on conductor Roy Oppenheim's doctoral research. The project explores the experience of time and narrative through phenomenological methods, offering a more abstract and intellectual counterpoint to the pop-culture focused pieces in the season. Tickets and specific dates for all events are available through the Revolution Orchestra website.