For the weekend: “Star Wars” and Cosplay

Upon Star Wars: A New Hope’s 1977 release, New York film critic Stanley Kauffmann infamously condemned George Lucas’ soon-to-be blockbuster hit as a “corny, unexceptional film for men who miss adolescence.”

Fast-forward 40 years later and you’ll see that this “corny, unexceptional film” has evolved into a global phenomenon spanning across 9 canon films, 3 spin-offs, 3 animated TV series and even its own dedicated “land” at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Then, there are also the dedicated fans, donning their costumes for the world to see—and these fans are made up of much more than just “men who miss adolescence.”

Ranging from toddlers to adults, casual fans to life time devotees, enthusiasm for Star Wars cosplay (short for costume play) has spread to every corner of the franchise’s fandom. With access to merchandise like Lightsaber toys or even professionally-handcrafted Storm Trooper suits, cosplaying provides Star Wars fans the opportunity temporarily become their favorite fictional characters, using fashion or costume-creation as an outlet. Sometimes you’ll run into people who spend months—even years—on perfecting their homemade costumes! Just check out this fan’s terrifyingly accurate General Grievous costume!

These elaborate creations are put on full display at movie premieres, theme parks, and convention cosplay competitions to, most importantly, unite a large community of people through their common passion for Star Wars—or any pop culture icon you can really think of.

Here at Pacific Symphony, we’re used to seeing the usual fare of casual t-shirts, jeans and, on occasion, a suit and tie or dress. We’re changing that up with “Star Wars: A New Hope – In Concert!” Put on your finest Jedi robes and grab your Lightsaber before heading over to Costa Mesa’s Pacific Amphitheatre tonight to catch a live-to-screen showing of the movie that started it all: Star Wars: A New Hope.

To shake things up, tag #pacificsymphony on Instagram or Facebook with a snap of your own Star Wars get-up at at the concert for a chance to win 2 FREE tickets to our Tchaikovsky Spectacular! Please check our online event page for rules and conditions regarding acceptable items in the amphitheatre.