Though we have to wait a bit longer before we get to see Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha) light up the screen in season four of Bridgerton, die-hard devotees of the series — and lovers of orchestral music — now have a way to experience Bridgerton in the meantime: the Candlelight concert.
Of course, Bridgerton viewers know well that a key component of the series is its beloved soundtrack, which includes modern-day pop songs rendered in orchestral style; over the seasons, we’ve been treated to cheeky treatments 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 lets little Lady Whistledowns and would-be Polins step inside the Bridgerverse, “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings” delivers a sonic thrill ride as guests take in a string quartet, who play the series’ songs live, surrounded by thousands of flickering electric candles. The show, which is touring nationally and worldwide, made a stop in Los Angeles, where Shondaland was on hand to take in the performance.
“I cried at the first song,” reveler Amina Geneva told Shondaland after a performance at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, and it was easy to understand why. A staggering 5,000 candles had been placed throughout the nearly 100-year-old French Gothic-style church, and with hundreds of lights near the pulpit where the Orchid Quartet sat, witnessing the spectacle was moving and hauntingly beautiful. Geneva came with her friend Nicholas Jones, who was also taken with the romance and grandeur of the Candlelight experience. “I love the way they contextualize [pop songs], and to hear it in such a beautiful setting, it was really surreal,” says Jones.
Catherine Yan Lustro, director of consumer products and experiences at Shondaland, says “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings” was conceived to offer Bridgerton fans another immersive experience between seasons; her team is working with the event company Fever to bring it to 200 cities globally. “We hope that coming to a Candlelight event transports you into the world of Bridgerton for an evening where you can relive some of the most notable scenes from the series,” she says. “The music in Bridgerton has always been one of the elements that our fans have loved the most about the show, so it feels very special to be able to offer them an experience where they can come and listen to the soundtrack played by a live orchestra in a really beautiful environment.”
Orchid Quartet performed for an hour, moving through their roster of songs in chronological order corresponding to the seasons. Crowds packed the venue for two separate performances on two nights; people came with their partners, friends, parents, and other Bridgerton superfans — plenty of whom were wearing their finest Regency-era fashions. “The candles flickering under dim lighting made for the most beautifully haunting sensation,” Mora Carew says. “The music by Orchid Quartet was spectacular — I couldn’t help but smile as I envisioned the associated scenes from Bridgerton. Their rendition of ‘Wrecking Ball’ was amazing.” Concertgoer Bria Peters was overcome with emotion too. “It was magical,” she tells Shondaland. “I felt like we were transported. I was the main character in my head as every song played.”
If you’d like to experience “Candlelight: The Best of Bridgerton on Strings,” you can; the event, powered by the event company Fever in conjunction with Shondaland and Netflix, is traveling to a city near you. Click here for more info.
