Warner Bros. Discovery presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony in collaboration with New Jersey Symphony
NEWARK, NJ—The New Jersey Symphony with Warner Bros. Discovery presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony with George Daugherty conducting.
The three performances will take place Friday, February 14, 2025, at 8 pm, at Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank; Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 8 pm, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) in Newark; and Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 3 pm, at State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick.
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony pairs 16 iconic Looney Tunes shorts projected on the big screen, including What’s Opera, Doc?; The Rabbit of Seville; Baton Bunny; Zoom and Bored; and Corny Concerto—plus five brand new animated shorts—while their Carl Stalling scores are played live.
Known as a multi-generationally loved concert, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony reminisces on memories with beloved characters Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Michigan J. Frog and the rest of the Looney Tunes cast, seen in some of their most cherished animated shorts. Looney Tunes, whose iconic classical music-inspired scores by Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn are as celebrated as the animation itself, have provided introductions to the great classical composers for millions of people worldwide for over 80 decades.
Conducted by Emmy Award winner George Daugherty, and created by Daugherty & Emmy Award winner David Ka Lik Wong, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony has delighted audiences worldwide—from The New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra to the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House—since 1990, when the production first sold-out Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre as Bugs Bunny On Broadway.
Warner Bros. Discovery presents Bugs Bunny at the Symphony
Friday, February 14, 8 pm | Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank
Saturday, February 15, 8 pm | New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark
Sunday, February 16, 3 pm | State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick
George Daugherty conductor
George Daugherty & David Ka Lik Wong creators
New Jersey Symphony
More information on concerts and tickets: njsymphony.org/events
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s24)
February 16 performance presented in collaboration with State Theatre New Jersey.
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Themed Entertainment (WBDGTE), part of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Brands, Franchises and Experiences, is a worldwide leader in the creation, development and licensing of location-based entertainment, live events, exhibits and theme park experiences based on the biggest franchises, stories and characters from Warner Bros.’ film, television, animation and game studios, HBO, Discovery, DC, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGTE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by the Wizarding World, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. With best-in-class partners, WBDGTE allows fans around the world to physically immerse themselves inside their favorite brands and franchises.
IF/X Productions
Emmy Award-winning Industrial F/X Productions, also known in the entertainment world as IF/X, was born in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and has now relocated to Las Vegas. Founded by George Daugherty and David Ka Lik Wong, and now with the addition of partner and producer Amy Minter, IF/X has created award-winning and critically acclaimed live symphony orchestra concerts, Broadway musical productions, television specials and series and feature films for three decades, collaborating with iconic studios, networks and labels including Warner Bros., ABC, CBS, PBS, PBS Kids, National Public Radio, Sesame Workshop, the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Canada, RCA, Water Tower Music, Warner Bros. Records, BMG, Sony Entertainment and others, as well as for the world’s leading symphony orchestras and concert venues. IF/X has produced and toured Bugs Bunny at the Symphony since its creation in 1990.
George Daugherty
Conductor George Daugherty is one of the classical music world’s most diverse artists. In addition to his 40-year conducting career which has included appearances with the world’s leading orchestras, ballet companies, opera houses and concert artists, Daugherty is also an Emmy Award-winning / five-time Emmy nominated creator whose professional profile includes major credits as a director, writer and producer for television, film, innovative and unique concerts and the live theater.
A frequent guest conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, he made his debut there in 2000 and has since conducted the orchestra numerous times at both Verizon Hall at Kimmel Center, and at Mann Music Center, most recently in January 2022, in programs of both film music and classical repertoire. In the summer of 2022, he also conducted The Orchestra at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall (then Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center in May 2015 in four sold-out performances and returned there in May 2019 for three more sold-out performances. Since 1993, he has conducted over 20 performances at The Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and an equal number with The National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap. He has guest conducted The Pittsburgh Symphony in numerous engagements at Heinz Hall, most recently in March 2022. He also debuted with The Boston Pops in December 2017 in three sold-out performances and returned to The Pops in December 2019. He debuted with Detroit Symphony in December 2018 and returned there in 2021. In 2023, he will made his debut with the iconic l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande in Geneva, Switzerland. Daugherty is a prolific guest conductor nationally and worldwide and has performed with many orchestras, world class guest artists and landmark venues.
Daugherty also received an Emmy nomination for Rhythm & Jam, his ABC television network specials which taught the basics of music to a teenage audience, which he created and produced with Wong.
David Ka Lik Wong
Bugs Bunny at The Symphony executive producer David Ka Lik Wong was awarded an Emmy Award for his work as producer on Peter and the Wolf in 1996 and was also nominated for an Emmy in 1994 for his work as producer of Rhythm & Jam, the ABC series of Saturday morning music education specials for children.
He teamed with George Daugherty as principal producer for the Peter and the Wolf project, the animation and live-action production starring Kirstie Alley, Lloyd Bridges, Sleepless in Seattle’s Ross Malinger and the new animated characters of legendary animation director Chuck Jones. He also produced the interactive CD-ROM version of the production for Time Warner Interactive.
He was also the senior producer for the Warner Bros. documentary film The Magical World of Chuck Jones, directed by George Daugherty and starring interviews by Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, George Lucas and Ron Howard, among many others.
He has been producer for the Warner Bros. touring concert production Bugs Bunny On Broadway since 1991, and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony since 2010, as they have toured the world, and he co-produced the original audio CD album for Warner Bros. Records.
Wong is also the producer of the new WaterTower Music CD release of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, recorded at the Sydney Opera House with The Sydney Symphony. In addition to his Emmy Awards and nominations, he has won numerous other awards during his career, including the Grand Award of both the Houston and Chicago International Film Festivals, a Silver Award of the Chicago Film Festival, two Parents’ Choice Awards and the Kids First Award.
New Jersey Symphony
The New Jersey Symphony is a GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning orchestra. Under the direction of the Music Director Xian Zhang, the Symphony performs more than 60 concerts at mainstage venues across the state, including Newark, Princeton, New Brunswick, Red Bank and Morristown as well as schools and public spaces statewide. Programming at the Symphony reflects an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion while providing students across the state unparalleled opportunities to achieve musical excellence through its Youth Orchestra and other outreach programs. In 2024, the Symphony announced it would continue to deliver its statewide activities from a new, permanent office, rehearsal and concert space in Jersey City, set to open in 2026.
For more information about the New Jersey Symphony, visit njsymphony.org or email information@njsymphony.org. Tickets are available for purchase by phone 1.800.ALLEGRO (255.3476) or on the Orchestra's website.
Press contacts
Local press contacts
Ali Harrison, New Jersey Symphony, Communications Manager
973.735.0969 | aharrison@njsymphony.org
Geoffrey Anderson, New Jersey Symphony, Vice President of Marketing & External Affairs
973.735.1713 | ganderson@njsymphony.org
National & international press contacts
Beverly Greenfield, Kirshbaum Associates, Director of Public Relations
bgreenfield@kirshbaumassociates.com
Shirley Kirshbaum, Kirshbaum Associates, President
917.331.1888 | skirshbaum@kirshbaumassociates.com
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The New Jersey Symphony's programs are made possible in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, along with many other foundations, corporations and individual donors.
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