When Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert arrives at Cleveland’s Connor Palace on October 1, the city’s fans will be treated to a vibrant new take on the beloved Nickelodeon series—one that pulses with live orchestral magic and the experience of conductor Emily Marshall at the helm.
Marshall brings a singular blend of youthful energy, Broadway pedigree, and classical expertise to this milestone 20th Anniversary Tour. Raised in upstate New York, Marshall began playing classical piano as a child and eventually carved her own path—earning a unique degree focused on music direction for theater at Ithaca College. After years of musical direction and conducting Broadway hits like “Be More Chill” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” she transitioned to “stick conducting” large-scale tours, including a stint as associate conductor and keyboardist for The Who’s 2022 and 2023 arena shows. Her résumé includes directing music for concert spectacles such as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “Naruto: The Symphonic Experience,” but it’s the “Avatar” tour where she feels particularly at home,
Rather than presenting the entire three-season narrative, “Avatar in Concert” curates iconic scenes accompanied by Jeremy Zuckerman’s intricate, emotionally charged score, performed live. New for 2025, the show features added musical elements and new orchestral members alongside returning talent, meaning each performance is “a different orchestra” and a different experience.
“There’s a lot of similarities to the previous tour, but also we have new added elements. There’s a few cues that weren’t in the show before or extended sequences, and we have some of the returning musicians, but a lot of the musicians are new, so it’s a different orchestra,” Marshall explains in a recent interview with CleveRock. “That always plays a role in how you’re conducting and how you’re leading the orchestra in that way. But it’s a great group and I think the shows have been going really well so far and we’ve been having a great time, so it’s fun to revisit it, but with little differences.”
The excitement builds in the theater as each title card flashes, signaling what beloved character or epic moment will illuminate the screen next. “It’s kind of like a new experience for everybody altogether, which is really special,” Marshall says. “That’s a few reasons why this one is special and has been so successful.”
Marshall is acutely aware that shows like “Avatar in Concert” are reshaping the cultural landscape for orchestral performances. “We get a lot of younger generation into these concerts, which is kind of a new orchestra-going audience and just opening the door for people to come into a show and see a live orchestra who might not have in the past or who didn’t have any real interest in it, but they know and love Avatar,” she notes.
Indeed, the tour’s survey data found up to 80% of previous attendees wanted to come back—a testament to both the series’ narrative power and Marshall’s leadership. For some, these concerts are their very first experience of live orchestral music, transforming initial hesitance into fervent appreciation. “We have people reaching out that are saying that it’s their first orchestral concert they’ve ever been to or it’s their favorite concert experience in general that they’ve ever been to,” Marshall adds. “I think that is a very essential element of why we do this and why we love doing it so much.”
Jeremy Zuckerman’s original score is legendary for its complex fusion of Eastern and Western sounds and for its emotional depth. In this anniversary edition, new arrangements and exclusive footage heighten the experience, with the live orchestra delivering nearly three hours of continuous, non-stop music. “Jeremy Zuckerman’s music is beautiful, but it’s intricate, it’s complicated. It never really lets down. You’re not bored during this show at all. There’s a lot of exciting moments and sequences with a lot of energy and a lot of notes,” Marshall reflects.
Every musician on stage is challenged—not just by the technical demands of the score, but by the exposure, as each note is amplified in real time for the audience. “This is definitely one of the more complicated and intense shows that I’ve done in this way. And all of the musicians know too. Every little note can be heard,” Marshall observes. “Everybody has to turn their brain on a little more. When you get on stage, you have to be in it because if you aren’t for a moment, then the music has moved on without you. But this music is beautiful and it’s a joy to bring to life every night.”
As a younger woman conductor, Marshall brings fresh perspective and visibility to what has long been a male-dominated field, seamlessly blending the worlds of theater, rock, and orchestral music.
When the show lands in Cleveland on October 1, it’s much more than nostalgia—it’s a celebration of cultural fusion, musical virtuosity, and the joy of discovering orchestral music anew. Under Marshall’s direction, expect an evening of dazzling scenes, unforgettable music, and an audience transformed by the power of live performance.
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