‘Bridgerton’ Candlelight Experience Leaves Fans Basking in the Series’ Glory
While we’ll have to wait a little longer before we see Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) light up the screen in season four of Bridgerton, diehard fans of the series — and symphonic music lovers — now have a way to experience Bridgerton in the meantime: the Candlelight concert.
Of course, Bridgerton viewers know that a key component of the series is its beloved soundtrack, which features modern pop songs performed in orchestral style; throughout the seasons, we’ve been treated to bold arrangements of hits like Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next,” Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy,” Madonna’s “Material Girl,” and Rihanna’s “Diamonds” — many performed by the Vitamin String Quartet.
Much like how The Queen’s Ball allowed the little Lady Whistledowns and wannabe Polins to enter the Bridgerverse, “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings” offers a sonic thrill ride as guests join a string quartet playing songs from the series live, surrounded by thousands of flickering electric candles. The show, which is touring nationally and internationally, stopped in Los Angeles, where Shondaland was on hand to watch the performance.
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“I cried when I heard the first song,” performer Amina Geneva told Shondaland after a performance at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and it’s easy to see why. 5,000 candles were placed throughout the nearly 100-year-old French Gothic cathedral, and with hundreds of them near the pulpit where the Orchid Quartet sat, the scene was touching and hauntingly beautiful to witness. Geneva came with her friend Nicholas Jones, who was also drawn to the romance and grandeur of the Candlelight experience. “I loved the way they contextualized [the pop songs] and to hear them in such a beautiful setting was really surreal,” Jones said.
Catherine Yan Lustro, director of consumer products and experiences at Shondaland, said “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings” was conceived to give Bridgerton fans another immersive experience between seasons; her team is partnering with events company Fever to bring the event to 200 cities globally. “We hope that when you come to the Candlelight event, you’ll be transported into the world of Bridgerton for an evening where you can relive some of the most iconic scenes from the series,” she said. “The music in Bridgerton has always been one of our fans’ favorite elements of the show, so it’s really special to be able to give them an experience where they can come and listen to a live orchestra playing the soundtrack in a really beautiful environment.” The Orchid Quartet performed for an hour, moving through their set list in chronological order to match the seasons. The venue was packed for two separate performances over two nights; people came with their partners, friends, parents, and other Bridgerton superfans—many of whom were dressed in their finest Regency period costumes. “The flickering candles under the dim lights created the most beautiful haunting feeling,” said Mora Carew. “The Orchid Quartet’s music was breathtaking—I couldn’t help but smile as I pictured the relevant scenes from Bridgerton. Their rendition of ‘Wrecking Ball’ was amazing.” Concertgoer Bria Peters was also overcome with emotion. “It was magical,” she told Shondaland. “I felt like we were transported. I was the main character in my head as every song played.”
If you want to experience “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings,” you can; the event, produced by events company Fever in partnership with Shondaland and Netflix, is coming to a city near you. Click here for more information.
