CSO's Tribute to Ebert: What are the Odds?

By Steven Pate in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 17, 2011 8:20PM

We're looking forward to Chicago Symphony Orchestra's Tribute to Roger Ebert taking place next weekend, but sure wish they would release a full program for the evening. Billed as an evening of Ebert's favorite movie music and also from his favorite composers, the event should be quite a crowdpleaser. Given that the only things listed so far are Casablanca, The Third Man, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Gone with the Wind, the audience may be in for a night of solid but predictable chestnuts, although "special surprises" are promised.

What would we most like to see? That would be an orchestral rendition of Look On Up At The Bottom from the Ebert-penned Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. We're certain the CSO can do the Carrie Nations' rendition justice. We'd settle for the theme from Laura, because we have a soft spot for that one. And while we aren't personally taking any action on this, here are the odds on particular works:

Nino Rota - Theme from 8 1/2 : -175

Nino Rota - Theme from The Godfather -120

Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo -EVEN

Ennio Morricone - theme from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly -EVEN

John Williams - theme from Jaws +140

Henry Mancini - Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany's +250

Harry Nilsson - "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy +300

Lalo Schifrin - theme from Mission: Impossible +650

Bill Conti - "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky +2100

Aerosmith - "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from Armageddon +14000

The Spice Girls - "Saturday Night Divas" from Spice World +380000

A Tribute to Roger Ebert takes place at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. at 8 p.m. on Friday February 25, 2011 Tickets are available online.