‘Thriller’ meets ‘Rite of Spring’ in new Pacific Symphony video

Nobody can accuse the Pacific Symphony of taking itself too seriously.

The Orange County-based orchestra is celebrating this year’s 100th anniversary of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” not just with centennial performances of the 20th century classic, but with a social media-driven audience participation project dubbed the “ReRite of Spring.”

One outgrowth of the ReRite project is a light-hearted video and aural mashup created by members of the orchestra and music director Carl St.Clair, titled “The Frite of Spring” and weaving together Stravinsky’s music with images inspired by Michael Jackson’s landmark “Thriller” video.

The 9½-minute piece, now on YouTube, follows a young woman who is invited by friends to hear “Rite of Spring” for the first time, as performed by the Pacific Symphony in the Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

Stravinksy’s edgy, angular, atmospheric music soon gives way to the pulsating rhythms of “Thriller,” as St.Clair and members of the orchestra are transformed into dancing zombies -- using steps created by choreographer Jacquelyn Happholdt of the Newport Platinum Dance Academy.

Midway through, in place of the spoken-word section voiced in Jackson’s video by Vincent Price, a revised script is read in haunting tones by KUSC-FM (91.5) announcer Alan Chapman.

The classical-pop mashup was the brainchild of Bridget Doulkas and Alice Wrate, both of whom are violinists with the orchestra. It was shot late following rehearsals for the Pacific’s recent American Composers Festival, an orchestra spokeswoman tells Pop & Hiss. Check out the video here:

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Follow Randy Lewis on Twitter: @RandyLewis2