How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert

How to Train Your Dragon 2 in Concert comes to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on February 27 and 28, with both shows starting at 2 PM. It's part of the Oregon Symphony's Film Concerts series, and the setup is exactly what the title suggests: the DreamWorks Animation sequel plays in HD on the big screen while the Oregon Symphony performs John Powell's score live to picture.

If you've seen the movie, you know the music does a lot of the heavy lifting. Powell's score is a big, sweeping thing—lots of brass and strings that build with the action—and hearing it played by a full symphony orchestra in the room instead of through speakers changes the whole experience. The orchestra follows the film in real time, so the music hits exactly when it's supposed to on screen. It's the kind of show that works as well for families as it does for anyone who just likes a big orchestral sound.

The venue is the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at 1037 SW Broadway, which was once a grand movie palace and is now one of Portland's most elegant stages. It's a fitting spot for a film concert, given its history as a cinema. The performance is also eligible for the Choose Your Own Series in Portland, so if you're already building a package of shows for the season, this one fits right in.

Both dates are matinees, so you'll be out by the late afternoon. Seating is reserved, and the doors open an hour before the concert starts, so you've got plenty of time to find your seat and settle in before the movie begins. The shows run February 27 and 28 at 2 PM.