‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert’ soars with live orchestra and more at State Theater | Review

How do you improve upon an Oscar-nominated animated superhero sequel? You screen it with a live orchestra playing the film’s fantastic score.
That’s what took place at the State Theater in New Brunswick last Thursday. As 2023’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” played on a large HD screen, an orchestra performed Daniel Pemberton’s eclectic score to create a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.
It had been a long time since I had seen “Across The Spider-Verse,” and I was curious how the soundtrack would translate in this setting. Would having the live orchestra invoke the same emotions I felt when I first saw the film at a packed 4DX theater in Manhattan?
This format was just as impactful. The performance, part of an international tour through more than 50 cities, featured a full orchestra, a DJ scratching on turntables along with percussion and electronic instruments. Pemberton’s score is dynamic and innovative, a blend of rock, hip-hop, electronic music and more. That vastness makes the group’s live performance all the more impressive and enjoyable.
“Across The Spider-Verse” soars as a film — not just because of its groundbreaking animation, but also on the strength of its eclectic score. Miles Morales’ theme music reflects his Afro-Latino background. He is a teenager of color growing up in Brooklyn, and Pemberton’s score considers his culture and city as anchors. Miles’ “Across The Spider-Verse” musical intro includes DJ scratching and bongos plus sounds from the city like railway crossings and spray cans that personify Miles’ personality and create a New York flavor. The same is true of the Indian instrumentation of Pavitr “Pav” Prabhakar, a Spider-Man character from India.
The concert was immersive, and the audience was clearly engaged. Whether the orchestra was finishing a particular section of the film or a specific character (like Hobie Brown’s Spider-Punk, a fan favorite), the crowd wasn’t afraid to cheer and applaud boisterously. The film dialogue was played at a good volume but never overpowered the orchestra’s live performance — the integration was seamless.
The orchestra did not play the sections of the soundtrack produced by illustrious hip-hop producer Metro Boomin. The film’s audio played through those parts as the ensemble stuck to Pemberton’s compositions. There were some pauses between orchestra sections, especially early on, but never enough to deter from the experience.
This concert was a reminder of how integral the music is to the film’s success. It also highlighted the paramount message of forging your own destiny in “Across The Spider-Verse.” When Miles talks to his mother, Rio (voiced by Lauren Vélez), and she advises him to be himself in the face of opposition, the orchestra’s poignant strings help bring that emotion through. At the end of the film, as Gwen Stacey (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) assembles her crew of friends to save Miles, the drum-driven rocking “Start A Band” composition sounded just as triumphant as when I first heard it in theaters.
Not only was I pleasantly surprised that the emotion was still resonant in this format, but I was also happy to see people from all different backgrounds in an abundantly diverse community like New Brunswick come out to see this film again. One of the central messages of the Spider-Verse films is that anyone can be a hero, no matter where you come from.
It’s no secret that superhero films have been in a creative slump lately. But “Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse” bucked that trend, and seeing it with its exemplary score performed live was a cinematic and symphonic treat.
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Murjani Rawls may be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @MurjaniRawls.