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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fud, Wile E. Coyote join Spokane Symphony on stage at Fox Theater

Yosemite Sam, left, and Bugs Bunny speak in a scene from “Looney Tunes Cartoons.”  (Warner Bros. Animation)
From staff reports

For many, the Looney Tunes cartoons are absolute staples of core childhood memories. On Saturday, those memories will come to life at the Fox Theater when the Spokane Symphony and award-winning conductor George Daugherty perform sixteen classic scores from the beloved cartoons during “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony.”

For generations Looney Tunes and their large cast of characters have entertained the masses, especially the shorts produced from the Warner Bros. years of 1944 to 1964. Whether it’s Bugs Bunny outsmarting Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck on one of his many misadventures, Pepé Le Pew searching for love, Wile E. Coyote unsuccessfully capturing Road Runner, or one of the many other characters on their escapades of slapstick and satire, the cartoons remain timeless and rib-tickling.

The music of Looney Tunes remains just as outstanding. Legendary composer Carl Stalling (who also initially worked for Disney) composed classic after classic for the short-form cartoons, so much so that he completed about one complete score per week for 22 years and is credited for scoring over 600 animated films. Stalling was a true musical entertainer, expressing a variety of styles and using the Warner Bros. orchestra to add to the comedic timing of the many physical gags per cartoon.

Obviously, Looney Tunes wouldn’t be possible without revolutionary animation, but without the original scores it wouldn’t be nearly as magical. Renowned conductor George Daughtery, who has conducted countless orchestras across the U.S. and internationally, has sought to bring this magic to fruition during his acclaimed production “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony,” and you can experience that magic when the symphony performs live while familiar favorites, such as “What’s Up Doc?” and “Long Haired Hare,” are projected to the big screen simultaneously.