Secrets of the Whales

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra brings Secrets of the Whales to Powell Hall on Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24, 2027. It's a live concert built around the Disney+ original series of the same name, which was produced by Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Cameron and National Geographic photographer Brian Skerry. The show pairs highlights from the episodes with the score performed live by the full orchestra.

If you haven't seen the series, it's a four-part look at five different whale families across 24 locations around the globe, filmed over the course of three years. The live performance pulls together the best moments from those episodes and lets the orchestra play the score right along with them. It's the kind of thing that works better in a hall than on a couch—the visuals on screen and the full sound of the symphony hitting at the same time.

Conducting the orchestra is Jacob Joyce. The whole thing runs about two hours, including intermission, so you'll have a break in the middle. It's a good length for a Friday night or a Saturday afternoon, and since it's a full orchestra, it's a big sound to hear in person.

There are three performances to choose from: Friday, April 23, at 10:30 AM and 7 PM, and Saturday, April 24, at 2 PM. If you're looking for something to do on a weekend morning or a Friday evening, you've got options. All three are at Powell Hall in St. Louis.