Spokane Symphony Brings ‘The Goonies’ to the Fox

The Spokane Symphony will perform Dave Grusin’s music for “The Goonies” at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. During the Friday evening event, the movie will run on a large screen as guest conductor Morihiko Nakahara guides the orchestra to match the action.

The score combines orchestral writing with synthesizer sounds associated with the ‘80s. Its musical range moves from energetic adventure and suspense to gentler string passages, including “The Goondocks.” Nakahara sees that blend as a distinctive sound world: the music can feel expansive and dramatic while still reflecting that the story follows kids.

A live performance changes how familiar scenes register. In a finished movie, dialogue and effects can push the score into the background, but the concert setting gives its quieter layers more presence and lets the audience physically feel the orchestra’s sound. The musicians still have to follow the film closely, while Nakahara decides when to preserve their natural musical flow and when to adjust precisely for the screen. He has used film-score concerts to bring new listeners to symphonic performances, and sees this production as a way to show what the Spokane Symphony can do.