Minnesota Orchestra presents 'Black Panther' live in concert this weekend

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Black Panther fans in the Twin Cities are getting a chance to watch the 2018 movie with a live orchestra performance this weekend.

The Minnesota Orchestra is presenting Marvel Studios' Black Panther in Concert, a screening of the complete movie with Ludwig Göransson's award-winning score performed live.

The orchestra's first Movies and Music performances since before the pandemic will be led by Live at Orchestra Hall principal conductor Sarah Hicks. The orchestra has worked with film companies to perform soundtracks as the movie plays on the big screen above.

"To the average lay person if you were to see the amount of technology that is sitting in front of Sarah Hicks, it would stress you out," Live at Orchestra Hall director Grand Meachum said. "Sarah refers it to a demented video game, which I think is an even better explanation."

Attendees will see a special guest from the original Black Panther soundtrack perform. Talking drum soloist Massamba Diop will be joining the Minnesota Orchestra for the two performances. He is a renowned master of the tama, a talking drum from Senegal, West Africa, known for its abilities to replicate the sounds of human speech.

Diop says the instrument can be challenging to play alongside the orchestra artists, since traditionally his band plays with a lot of freestyle freedom.

"In Africa, 95% of musicians, they don't read the music. They hear the music. They feel the music," Diop told FOX 9. But when I come here I have to read. If I don't read, I get lost!"

In 2019, Black Panther's score by Göransson earned a Golden Globe nomination, a Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack, and an Academy Award for Best Original Score.

The concerts will be at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 and. Saturday, Nov. 6. Available tickets range from $49 to $104. For more information, check minnesotaorchestra.org or call 612-371-5656.