(NEWARK, NJ) -- Experience India's biggest box-office smash-hit, Baahubali: The Beginning on a vast HD screen while the New Jersey Symphony performs M.M. Keeravani's epic score, live in-sync with the motion picture. The film tells the story of a young orphan, Shivudu (Prabhas), as he embarks on a journey of a lifetime.  Performances take place Saturday, July 27, 2024 at NJPAC in Newark and Sunday, July 28, 2024 at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.

Falling in love with the vision of a fearless warrior, Avantika (Tamannaah), he follows her on a mission to rescue her Queen from captivity in a neighboring kingdom. On this mission in Mahishmati, he encounters Kattappa (Satyaraj), a slave warrior and a confidante of the Mahishmati Royal Family. Through him Shivudu learns the truth of his family and the injustice imparted to them. He takes on the tyrannical ruler in a battle of mythical magnitude to restore to the kingdom their true King.

Tickets are available now at njsymphony.org/baahubali. Performances take place Saturday, July 27, 2024 @ 7:30pm, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (1 Center Street) in Newark and Sunday, July 28, 2024 @3:00pm, State Theatre New Jersey (15 Livingston Avenue) in New Brunswick. Please note: This film will be shown in Hindi with English subtitles.

“Wide-eyed and wondrous, his film could be a blockbuster reboot, or the first blockbuster ever made. A reinvigoration of archetypes that is always entertaining, and often thrilling, to behold.” – The Guardian

“It’s possible to enjoy the film as pure entertainment even without being privy to the superlatives surrounding it.” – The Hollywood Reporter

Baahubali: The Beginning film is licensed by Arka Media Works. Producers: Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni.

Presentation/Baahubali: The Beginning is a production of Avex Classics International.

Baahubali The Beginning Live in Concert

North American Premiere! | New Jersey Symphony at the Movies

Constantine Kitsopoulos conductor

New Jersey Symphony

Constantine Kitsopoulos, photo by Robert Stolpe

Constantine Kitsopoulos has established himself as a dynamic conductor known for his ability to work in many different genres and settings. He is equally at home with opera, symphonic repertoire, film with live orchestra, music theatre and composition. His work has taken him all over the world where he has conducted the major orchestras of North America, the Hong Kong Philharmonic and the Tokyo Philharmonic.

In addition to Kitsopoulos’ engagements as guest conductor, he is music director of the Festival of the Arts Boca and general director of Chatham Opera. He is general director of the New York Grand Opera and is working with the company to bring opera, free and open to the public, back to New York’s Central Park.

During the 2023–2024 season Kitsopoulos will conduct return engagements with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Pacific, New Jersey, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Santa Barbara and San Francisco symphonies.

Highlights of previous seasons include return engagements with the Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony and New York Philharmonic. Kitsopoulos also conducted Leonard Bernstein’s Candide at Indiana University Opera Theatre.

Kitsopoulos’ has developed semi-staged productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, for which he has written a new translation, Don Giovanni and La Bohème. He has conducted IU Opera Theatre’s productions of Mass, Falstaff, Die Fledermaus, A View from the Bridge, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Most Happy Fella, South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Music Man and The Last Savage. He was Assistant Chorus Master at New York City Opera from 1984–1989.

On Broadway Kitsopoulos has been Music Director of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (cast album on PS Classics), A Catered Affair (cast album on PS Classics), Coram Boy, Baz Luhrmann’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème (cast album on DreamWorks Records), Swan Lake and Les Misérables. He was Music Director of ACT’s production of Weill/Brecht’s Happy End and made the only English language recording of the piece for Sh-K-Boom Records.

Kitsopoulos studied piano with Marienka Michna, Chandler Gregg, Edward Edson and Sophia Rosoff. He studied conducting with Semyon Bychkov, Sergiu Commissiona, Gustav Meier and his principal teacher Vincent La Selva.

The Emmy and GRAMMY Award-winning New Jersey Symphony is redefining what it means to be a nationally leading, relevant orchestra in the 21st century. The Symphony is renewing its deeply rooted commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by championing new, and often local, artists; engaging audiences for whom the inspiring depth and breadth of classical music will be a new experience; and incorporating the broadest possible representation in all aspects of our organization-all to better reflect and serve our vibrant communities. Since 2021, Music Director Xian Zhang has worked together with composer, violinist, educator and social-justice advocate Daniel Bernard Roumain, the orchestra's Resident Artistic Catalyst, to offer programming that connects with diverse communities in Newark and throughout New Jersey.

Internationally renowned Chinese American conductor Xian Zhang began her tenure as the New Jersey Symphony's current music director in 2016. Since her arrival at the New Jersey Symphony, Zhang has revitalized programming with an industry­ leading commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in mainstage concerts.