For those of us who are feeling a little prickly about Valentine’s Day, the good news is that we don’t have to sit at home for yet another year, crying to the movie Titanic and eating the Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough Ice Cream.
Baton Rougeans can celebrate their singleness with Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s Bad Romance: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Concert, Feb. 12 and 13, at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum’s Irene W. Pennington Planetarium.
The performances are part of BRSO’s new Concerts in the Cosmos series, which kicked off last month with Life on Mars: The Music of David Bowie. The shows feature talent from BRSO and visuals from the planetarium dome to create a one-of-a-kind, multi-sensory experience themed around an anti-Valentine’s Day attitude.
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“Our former iteration of (Valentine’s) concerts was our candlelight series,” says Rebecca Smith, BRSO’s director of marketing and patron engagement. “In years past, we’ve done a couple of those concerts with a sort of Valentine’s ‘date night’ theme, but we didn’t notice that they were overly popular.”
When it came time to brainstorm ideas for the February Concerts in the Cosmos events, Smith says the BRSO staff had the idea to “flip the whole lovey-dovey thing on its head.”
“We loved the idea of this concert being a Galentine’s celebration or a fun friends’ night out,” Smith says. “But, whether you’re taken or single, we’d love to have you for some great music.”
In the true spirit of anti-Valentine’s Day, the Bad Romance concerts will feature a setlist of iconic breakup, heartbreak and self-empowerment songs—all performed by Nick Ciraldo on guitar, Rachel Ciraldo on flute and Latisha Hamilton Earnest on guitar and vocals.
“These musicians are extremely talented and we’re so excited for them to show off their immense talents,” Smith says.
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Expect to hear hits like Adele’s “Someone Like You” (ouch), Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” (iconic) and Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (of course). The concerts will last about an hour each, and drinks and a few light bites will be available.
And if you’re not crazy in love with this month’s Bad Romance theme, BRSO has more Concerts in the Cosmos themes in the works. On April 23 and 24, BRSO will present Country Hits: A Tribute to Country Music Legends. On May 14 and 15, it will run A Night at the Tony Awards: A Celebration of Broadway.
Bad Romance: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Concert starts at 7:30 on Wednesday, Feb. 12, and Thursday, Feb. 13. Tickets range from $40 to $60, depending on the seating zone. LASM is at 100 S. River Road. Find tickets and more information here.