The movie that brought us baby Toby Froud, the Bog of Eternal Stench, and David Bowie’s bulging pants returns to the screen this fall in Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert. The show, which is touring 32 cities starting September 24, pairs the visuals and original vocals with live music.
In a time when you can stream anything on your couch, this is a film experience that encourages people to gather, dance, dress in costume, and yell out favorite lines.
“When we get together in a theater and are all sharing an experience, there is no replacement for that,” said creator John Kinsner, 42, CEO and founder of Black Ink Presents, which produces music performances and experiential entertainment. “You may not know the other Labyrinth fans around you, but you feel like you want to know them.”
To break down how this works, the audio is basically deconstructed. The vocals, sound effects, singing, and foley are put on their own audio channel. The live band then plays the original score along to the film, making it more along the lines of a movie merged with a concert. For John, who always wanted to see David Bowie play the Labyrinth music live, the movie is a clear match for this type of format.
The music is largely synthesized, but the original score and cue sheet from composer Trevor Jones have every single note handwritten for every instrument in the score. The musicians, all New York-based, were chosen for their specific skills to match the music to the performance.
But even more than what is happening on stage and screen is what is happening in the seats. Akin to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, these showings want audience participation. And the organizers have no doubt they will get it.
Labyrinth was initially a box office disappointment when it was released in 1986, despite the star power collaboration of Jim Henson, George Lucas, and David Bowie. But the film has become a beloved cult classic, gaining traction when released on video and passed down to younger siblings and then the next generation.
John said he knew there was a “rabid fan base that is under-serviced.” When he did an analytical scrape of the internet to find all social media mentions of Labyrinth and key words like Jareth and the Goblin King, he came up with multimillions of posts and messages of fan appreciation. Theaters were quick to sign up for the opportunity to host Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert. The show has already sold out initial dates in some theaters, including in Minneapolis and Milwaukee where matinee times have now been added to keep up with demand.
John said he has heard from many women excited for the show, including those who have planned girls’ nights out to see the performance. And certainly Jennifer Connelly as Sarah the heroine is empowering. But also, just, it’s David Bowie.
John has been involved with several other successful productions of the live movie format, including performances of The Goonies, Rocketman, Batman, and Ghostbusters shown with live orchestras playing the score. He describes it as going back to the roots of film. Before there were “talkies,” there was an organist or some type of music to play along with the visuals.
As compared to 60-piece orchestras, this film is all rock in its ‘80’s extravagance from the banger “Dance, Magic, Dance” to the haunting and dreamy “As the World Falls Down.”
The seven-year quest to bring this film to the big screen in this type of experience was personal for John. He remembers his mom, a David Bowie fan, bringing the VHS tape home to add to their collection of movies found in bargain bins. He and his brothers would watch the movie enough to wear out two or three copies of the film. John said even now, after years of planning this show and hearing this music over and over, he doesn’t think he will ever get tired of it. Each time is a chance to relive childhood and share that with fans.
“I’m transported back to that moment when I was sitting too close to the TV and losing myself in that world,” he said.
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by Drake Lucas
