Sunday Dec 16, 2007 (7pm)
Typically, we don't care much for cover bands, especially Zeppelin cover bands. But here we'll make an exception, because "Stairway to Heaven" in the hands of a 50-piece orchestra is a far cry from the twaddlings of a couple middle-aged Robert Plant wannabes. The two-hour production, which comes complete with arena-caliber lighting design, augments 18 faithfully reproduced Zeppelin classics with an orchestral wash of color and sound. While this kind of thing could easily become cheesy, conductor/arranger Brent Havens, who originally conceived the piece for the Virginia Symphony, keeps the focus on the music.
– Brett O'Bourke