Independent Record - 07/20/08

The annual free Helena Symphony under the Stars at Carroll College will be out of this world this year.

The theme for Saturday’s evening concert is “Out of this World,” and will include music from the films “Superman,” “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars,” as well as a performance of Holtz’s “The Planets,” narrated by Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

This is Aldrin’s first visit to Helena, and it comes on the 39th anniversary of his 1969 trip to the moon. Aldrin and fellow astronaut Neil Armstrong were the first men to walk on the moon. He’s been awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, and was the namesake for the Buzz Lightyear toy in the 1995 movie “Toy Story.”

Aldrin will be at ExplorationWorks, an interactive museum of science and culture at the Great Northern Town Center in Helena, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. today, where he’ll sign copies of his autobiography for children, “Reaching for the Moon.” The book must be purchased at ExploreStore, the museum’s store.

Throughout the day on Saturday, families can enjoy the museum’s StarLab Planetarium, which will present its star show every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to these special exhibits and activities are free.

Aldrin also is the featured guest artist at the fifth annual Symphony, which begins at 8:30 p.m. on the lawn at Carroll College. The concert will be performed by the Helena Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and Aldrin will narrate Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” from a script written by Carroll College Associate Professor Kelly Cline.

The evening will conclude with a fireworks show.

Organizers expect about 15,000 people to attend the event.

In addition to the concert, the Helena Astronomical Society and Neuman Astronomical Society will be offering hands-on telescope viewing during the afternoon at ExplorationWorks and during the concert.

“We’ll be offering solar observing during the day, and at night we’ll pop off our solar filters and do moon observations,” said Ashley Oliverio. “Jupiter is up in the east, and Saturn is in the west, but it might be too low in the sky to see from Carroll, because of the trees.”

The astronomy buffs have also installed a to-scale planet walk between ExplorationWorks and the Carroll College concert site.

Admission to the concert is free but the reserved seating is sold out.

All events at the college are tobacco-free with the assistance of the Lewis and Clark County Tobacco Use Prevention Program.

More information on ExplorationWorks’ space science exhibits and Aldrin’s book signing is available at http://explorationworks.org/ or by calling the museum at 457-1800. Information on the Symphony under the Stars on the Web is at http://helenasymphony.org/ or by calling 442-1860, the Helena Symphony office.

No plastic tarps, stakes or pets are permitted at the concert, but people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, picnic meals and their friends and families.