The premiere date for the "PLAY! A Video Game Symphony" world tour has been announced! The first concert will take place in Rosemont Theatre in Chicago on Saturday, May 27.

Special guests for the concert: Jeremy Soule (The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind), Yuzo Koshiro (Shenmue), Marty O'Donnell (Halo) and Jason Hayes (World of Warcraft). A VIP ticket will be required for the meet and greet.

Tickets are already available here: http://www.ticketmaster.com/artist/1009980
Read the full news at http://www.play-symphony.com

The other confirmed concert date so far is Stockholm, June 14. Lucky me who lives in Sweden. It will be a day to remember

So at this point Chicago is the only US stop? Dang it.

Hopefully they'll have a concert close enough for me to attend.  Unfortunately I missed the Dear Friends concert in Fort Worth last summer, but I'd probably give PLAY! a try if it makes it that far.  Of course Chicago is too far away to drive reasonably, and while I'd love to visit Sweden one day, one concert doesn't seem like a good enough excuse.

I was really excited when Video Games Live announced a concert in my actual city, but then of course they cancelled all their dates.  One of these days I'll get to see a live orchestra perform game music and I'll be very, very happy.

I do want to go, but now that I'm not local, it's a LOT harder to say yes to:

$250 in tickets
$25 in "convenience charges" to get the tickets
$400 in airfare
$100 in lodging
$50 for rental car

Then I think of all the stuff I could get for $825, and I can't justify it.  That sucks, because Yuzo Koshiro and Jeremy Soule happen to be two of the composers I would most want to meet.

I'll probably be buying my tickets tomorrow...

normally on saturday i volunteer for rte 727 at work, but i can always sign up for 715  (rosemont & des plaines) that weekend, i can pick everyone up and we can go cruisin in the fedex truck.

I'll be ordering my 2 tickets, yay

Today, the second US date has been announced: The concert will be presented in Philadelphia at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, July 27, 2006.

Source: http://www.play-symphony.com/news.php?full=9

Today, two tunes got confirmed: Liberi Fatali (Final Fantasy VIII) and One-Winged Angel (Final Fantasy VII). There will be as many as four tracks from Final Fantasy.

Another day, another concert date: Toronto September 30. Congratulations to Canada!

As mentioned in another thread, Akira Yamaoka will perform "Theme of Laura" live at the world premiere of PLAY! in Chicago, May 27!

A new concert date and location: Vienna, Virginia at the Wolf Trap Filene Center on Friday, August 4, 2006. It will be an outdoor event and as the producer Jason Michael Paul says, "This concert is one summer picnic not to be missed!".

Any news on a possible UK venue?

Man (no pun intended), the concert's coming to my town.  But I'm not too interested.  No Nintendo music is pretty sucky if you ask me.  Might just go and support, but I'm not too sure.

I agree. No Nintendo would be a disappoinment. However, look who's behind PLAY!. The guys who did the concerts in Germany are involved, and they performed music from Nintendo in EVERY concert they had:

http://www.vgmconcerts.com/main.php?sec … ng=english

It would come as a big surprise if there is no Nintendo support for PLAY! this time.
The website talks about 20 titles for the program in total, and here is hope that there is more to be announced soon, including titles from Nintendo.

Edit: Quote tag inserted.

Would be nice if you used the quote tag for stuff you copy/paste if you don't want to look like a PR whore...

Thanks for the advice! Done.

Nobuo Uematsu has composed the opening fanfare for PLAY! You can listen to it at www.play-symphony.com.

Shana and I got a pair in section 106.. its amazing how ticketmaster turns a pair of $45 tickets into $112 with their charges. At least its only going to cost me $2 in gas to drive there and back 

How many of you have ever been to Mitsuwa market in Arlington heights? you basically hop 90 west in rosemont and get off at arlington heights rd north. then turn right at the first stoplight.  they have awesome sushi there.

Yeah I've been in there twice a few years back.  (Mitsuwa Market in Arlington Heights)

Nice little 1-stop Japanese mall with the grocery, bookstore, housewares goods, toy shop, and food court all under 1 roof.

Yuzo Koshiro is joining PLAY! to arrange music from Sonic the Hedgehog!

"His special suite will be heard live for the first time at the world-premiere of PLAY! in Chicago."

http://www.play-symphony.com/news.php?full=14

the toyshop that used to have the DDR machine (and 50,000 bootleg toys) is gone,, they needed more seating for us sushi consumers...

Two concerts for Indianapolis are listed now, too.
Aug 10, 2006 and Aug 11, 2006 at the Hilbert Circle Theater.

http://www.play-symphony.com/tickets.php

I am wondering if they are planning with composers attending every concert, or only in Chicago.

I find it hard to imagine that all of them get the time off necessary to join such a world tour.

You are right.
I guess that the Swedish fans are very happy today. Nobuo Uematsu will come to the concert in Stockholm:

http://www.play-symphony.com/news.php?full=17

Yes, we are very happy today

June 14 will be a big day. I had my hopes for Uematsu, but I didn't think he would come all the way to Sweden. This is almost too good to be true. Stockholm is also the European debut of PLAY!

Detroit is now set for Play on July 12. The concert will be performed at the Max Fisher Hall by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and chorus.

Confirmed titles for the concert so far:

Final Fantasy
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Metal Gear Solid
The Legend of Zelda
Halo
Mario Bros.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
World of Warcraft
Shenmue
Silent Hill
Battlefield 1942
Sonic the Hedgehog

Uematsu in Stockholm is fantastic news.

He is coming to Chicago as well. It has been announced today:

http://www.play-symphony.com/news.php?full=22

Sorry for not having anything more intelligent to say (it's very late), but

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

On a different note, does anyone know whether the "PLAY! fanfare, composed by Nobuo Uematsu" is the "official opening fanfare" that he is to have composed?

If so, I'm a little less than impressed, though it does sound like synth in this case rather than an actual orchestra.

Great news indeed. Now all of my favorite composers will be gathered in Chicago. Don't miss this concert!

Yes, it is.

http://www.play-symphony.com/news.php?full=13

The news says:

The VIP price was worth it just for Mitsuda, but now this is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those that have been to something like this before, is the meet and greet usualy before or after the performance?