Barbie at the Symphony is, sadly, not a prank. Instead, it
is the brainchild of the conductor Arnie Roth, a violinist, conductor – musical director of the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra – and the very essence of the populist. He has performed with the sort of classical names whose CDs can be found in motorway service stations (Il Divo, Charlotte Church), conducted concerts featuring music from video games, and brought orchestral flourishes to records by the Beach Boys, Johnny Mathis and Diana Ross. And he is entirely convinced of Barbie’s cultural worth as a spokeswoman for a new generation.
Suggestions for the next show: Wagner with GI Joe in Nazi unforms; Simon Boccanegra with the Halo 3 characters. Traviata with Jamie Lynn Spears.