Philly Pops is playing ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ live at the Met Philadelphia. Our critic loved the opening-night crowd | Entertainment - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Peter Dobrin, classical music critic and culture writer inform, The concert was a big love-in for fans of Danny Eflman's score to the Tim Burton classic. 

The Philly Pops performing Danny Elfman's score to "The Nightmare Before Christmas"
Photo: Bachrach

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know,” says Dr. Finkelstein to Jack Skellington, who has come to borrow some lab equipment to help isolate the magic ingredient in Christmas.

“I know,” says Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas, the surprisingly enduring cool kid of holiday films. 

It’s been more than two decades now that orchestras have been experimenting with the live-to-screen experience as a bridge between their usual world of pure art and the pop culture realm they endlessly covet. But bridges are easy, and gateways into a long-term Pops habit are another thing altogether. 

There’s no question that the Philly Pops cut the average age of its audience by more than half Thursday night with its live-to-screen foray at the Met Philadelphia. I don’t know who was cuter, the date-night Skellingtons and Sallys who came costumed to kill, or the 4-year-old sitting in front of us in Nightmare Before Christmas PJs bouncing and air-conducting to the closing-credits music...

The Pops was led by conductor Stuart Chafetz, and while the more informal atmosphere of the Met lends itself to listeners popping up for snacks and drinks, it was clear the audience appreciated the presence of a live 69-piece ensemble (contrabassoon, accordion, and all). Most of the audience stayed through the end of the closing-credits music, and they applauded at the appearance of Elfman’s name on the screen.
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Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer