by Daniel Hathaway
This article was originally published on Cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The weather gods weren’t kindly disposed to Cleveland Orchestra guest conductor Anthony Parnther last August for his Blossom debut with John Legend. As he reminded his social media followers earlier this month, “We were yanked off the stage a third of the way through the concert because of a storm! This time, we’re in the storm-proof majesty of Severance Hall.”
“This time” came on Friday, when Parnther presided over Black Panther (2018), the first-ever screening of a Marvel Studios film at Severance Music Center. He led a masterful performance of Ludwig’s Göransson’s Grammy and Oscar-winning score, enhanced by Senegalese talking drum guru Massamba Diop.
Among its many credits, Black Panther was the first Marvel Studios film to feature a Black director and a predominantly Black cast. It was nominated for seven awards at the 91st Academy Awards, winning three. It was also the first superhero film to receive a Best Picture nomination, and the first Marvel film to win an Academy Award.