I've been a fan of the Legend of Zelda series for many years. I know it's a fairly big seller as games go, but to enter an arena where every one of the thousands of patrons was a Zelda enthusiast was a truly a breathtaking experience. The demographic of the crowd was unexpectedly diverse, and I spotted only one youngster among the throng.
The local orchestra (St. Luke's) was phenomenal. I have attend more than a couple of classical concerts in my life, and I thought this orchestra was impressively sublime. I don't believe I heard more than one misstep the entire evening. The music was rousing, bold, passionate, and of course, nostalgic. I was surprised by how moved I became, with the highlights of various Zelda games playing across three large screens above the stage, and the dulcet waves of the music washing over me.
The crowd in attendance was great fun. A small few wore items or semi-costumes from the series, but we all laughed and cheered when reminded of our favorite moments from the series, telling a small part of our childhoods and perhaps our current adult lives, as well. The audience, appropriately, never became too raucous, but was always quick to let the musicians know our approval of the selections and interpretations of the music. There were 3 encores in all, each a welcomed surprise as the evening had to come to an eventually end.
We all left the theater abuzz with the event. Our 3DS's catching Street Pass hits by the dozens. We strolled into the quiet NY night to get a bite to eat, each of us offering what tracks we wished they had performed from the vast library of material from the Zelda series.
My daughter and I had a great night. I'll remember it always. It was a perfect night, actually.