Stranahan Theater to host 'Avatar' concert with live orchestra

Coming in Tuesday for a one-day stop at the Stranahan Theater, Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert will see the animated series join Star Wars and Harry Potter in the ranks of movie and television show scores performed locally by a live orchestra.

A smash success since its 2005 release on Nickelodeon, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a cult classic for the strength of its writing, humor, and animation. Taking place in a world where four nations inspired by real-world Asian cultures have the ability to manipulate each of the classical elements, only the Avatar, reincarnated as a young air nomad named Aang, can control all four - water, earth, fire, and wind - and restore peace to a fractured world.

Often cited as one of the best animated television shows ever made, its fanbase is ever-growing as newcomers discover a show beloved for its integration of Chinese martial arts and deft handling of complex emotional themes in an all-ages package.

With an ill-fated 2010 live-action film directed by M. Night Shyamalan behind it and the first season of the divisive live-action Netflix series just releasing this year, fans of the show can turn to Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert for an alternative way to engage with the franchise.

The two-hour and twenty-minute performance presents an abridged narrative of the show on a cinema screen. Dialogue and sound effects are accompanied by live orchestral...