A POP ICON AND AN AWARDWINNING COMPOSER WILL BE CAN’T-MISS UPCOMING PERFORMANCES, ALONG WITH NEW JERSEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S FULL HARRY POTTER SCORE AT NJPAC

by Jessica Jones-Gorman

EXPECTO PATRONUM!
A spell intended to conjure a strong positive force, “Expecto Patronum” is not only Harry Potter’s favorite incantation (arguably), but will fuel the good vibes at NJPAC’s Prudential Hall. That’s when the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will play the full score of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, while the film plays in HD.

You know the story: It’s Harry’s final year at school and without the guidance and protection of his professors, he, along with Ron and Hermione, begin a mission to destroy the Horcruxes the sources of Voldemort’s immortality. Composed by Academy Award-winning Alexandre Desplat (The Imitation Game, Unbroken, Isle of Dogs), the film’s music incorporates some unforgettable motifs from John Williams’s original score for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and will be played in its entirety. Tickets are priced from $39 to $89. 1 Center Street, Newark, njsymphony.org, njpac.org

FAREWELL YELLOW BRICK ROAD
Elton John will return to the Prudential Center on Wednesday, as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. One of the top solo artists of all time, with over 50 Top 40 hits, John has sold more than 300 million records and is responsible for some of the world’s most recognized pop tunes. He launched the tour in Allentown, PA in 2018, with plans of performing more than 300 shows before concluding his musical career in New Zealand in 2021. Its first leg, ending in March of last year, grossed more than $125 million and won a Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Tour. 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, prucenter.com

FOSTERING FAME
As a musician, songwriter, composer, and recording artist, David Foster has left an indelible fingerprint on popular music. Creating hit tracks for a diverse array of artists (including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Madonna), he’s also well known in the industry for composing songs for Ghostbusters and The Bodyguard soundtracks, among others. He has won 16 Grammy Awards, an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and has been nominated for three Oscars.

Foster will bring his talent to the Count Basie Center for the Arts. Celebrating the release of his album, Eleven Words, the show will bring the performer back to his roots seated at a grand piano playing emotional and meaningful melodies.

“What I truly wanted to do with this album is strip away the lyrics and all the production that I’m known for, leaving just the melodies,” he noted of the disc’s release. Tickets for the show range from $39 to $99. 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, 732.842.9000, thebasie.org