On December 4th, the Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses tour traveled over to Abravanel Hall in downtown SLC from the lands of Hyrule to show off the amazing music from the best game ever!
For anyone who does not know what the hell I am talking about – The Legend of Zelda is a popular Japanese based video game, created by Nintendo, that tells the story of a hero who travels around different lands to save the princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, from an evil Lord, Ganondorf. There are many different expansions to the whole series – but that is pretty much the main storyline.
Now, my short synopsis was probably very confusing and I bet y’all are thinking, Who is this girl? What in God’s name is Hyrule? Zelda? Ganondorf? This is video game talk. If you do not get the lingo, you will not understand… unless you start playing the game. Shoutout to the people who are reading this article and feel me. Zelda fans for life.
I personally grew up playing this fantastic game. I beat one of the expansions of the series when I was only three-years-old and then beat the same game maybe three or four times when I was six. I am currently eighteen-years-old and I still play this game every chance I get. Besides the adventure of the Legend of Zelda and the thrill of killing evil creatures and talking to weirdly looking characters who ask for money, the music is the number one thing that gave me the feels for the series. When I was thirteen, I went back home to my hometown (LA Baby!) and saw the 25th Anniversary Symphony of when the game first came out in the 80s. Coming back to hear the music brought tears to my eyes and I hope you understand my love for this incredible game.
I had an amazing chance to sit down with the producer of the tour, Jason Michael Paul, and talk about his perspective on the whole tour and how it brings this amazing game to life.
HC: What is your role as the producer of the tour?
Jason Michael Paul: My job is just making sure things happen, making sure Nintendo and the fans are happy; that’s just a little bit about what I do on a daily basis. Too much to describe! I have been responsible since day one with The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses; it is a huge responsibility because we have been pacing around two-hundred shows worldwide.
HC: How did you land the gig of producing the tour?
JMP: I started my producing career at a young age – I was working with Playstation, helping out with a lot of their promotional events, sales meetings, trade shows, etc. I also threw big parties for them! Back in 2004, I started working with creators of Final Fantasy, where I produced shows that showcased music from that game specifically. I had also created a series of other shows involving video game music (ex. Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid). That was when my relationship with Nintendo started to develop and when the 25th Anniversary Legend of Zelda Symphony came about; they wanted to do some very big things with music, and that’s when they asked me to come on board. I started the whole 25th Anniversary show!
HC: How does producing the Symphony of the Goddesses Tour feel to you?
JMP: Imagine the Hollywood treatment of the music, along with perfectly timed visuals that tells the history of The Legend of Zelda throughout its thirty-year history. Having that same feeling feels amazing!
HC: What is your favorite Legend of Zelda game?
JMP: My ten-year-old daughter and I are currently playing the Majora’s Mask 3D game on Nintendo DS!
HC: Any upcoming shows around the U.S. for the readers who want to travel and see the show?
JMP: We have a lot of dates planned for 2017 here in the states! Chances are, we’ll be coming to a city near you: check out our dates at zelda-symphony.com
If you are interested in experiencing a four-movement symphony, accompanied by a giant screen, featuring live music from the games Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, A Link to the Past, and many more, come hear this beautiful music! Check out the dates on the website listed above!