Preview: ‘Vertigo’ in Concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Few films have achieved the enduring reputation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. On Saturday, March 21st, the Los Angeles Philharmonic presents Vertigo in Concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall, pairing a full screening of the 1958 psychological thriller with Bernard Herrmann’s celebrated score performed live by the orchestra. The event transforms one of cinema’s most admired works into an immersive musical experience inside one of L.A.’s most iconic concert venues.

Conducted by Sarah Hicks, the performance places Herrmann’s haunting music at the center of the evening. The composer’s collaboration with Hitchcock produced some of the most distinctive scores in film history, and Vertigo remains among his most psychologically expressive works. Sweeping string passages and unsettling harmonic shifts mirror the film’s themes of obsession, illusion, and emotional instability. Heard live alongside the film, the score reveals structural and dramatic details that often recede beneath the soundtrack in traditional screenings.

The evening begins at 7 p.m. with Upbeat Live, a pre-concert talk in BP Hall offered free to ticket holders. Celebrated author and four-time Emmy-nominated producer Steven C. Smith leads the discussion, exploring Herrmann’s score and his long creative partnership with Alfred Hitchcock, which amounted to a whopping seven films. The program provides context for the music’s dramatic architecture before audiences enjoy the score live during the screening.

Released in 1958, Vertigo stars James Stewart as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a San Francisco detective forced to retire after a traumatic rooftop chase leaves him with an intense fear of heights. When an old acquaintance, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), asks him to follow his wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak), Scottie becomes increasingly captivated by the woman’s enigmatic behavior and apparent mental distress. His closest confidant is Midge Wood (Barbara Bel Geddes), a practical and loyal friend who watches his growing fixation with concern. What begins as a surveillance assignment gradually evolves into a story of obsession and identity, set against some of San Francisco’s most recognizable locations.

The film’s cultural stature has grown steadily over the decades. Initially met with mixed responses, Vertigo has since been reappraised as one of Hitchcock’s defining achievements. It now appears regularly on lists of the greatest films ever made, and the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. On IMDb, the film holds an impressive 8.2 rating, reflecting its long-standing popularity with audiences.

Its influence extends beyond the suspense genre. Directors and scholars often cite Vertigo for its daring visual techniques, psychological depth, and the famous “dolly zoom” effect that conveys Scottie’s acrophobia. The film also helped establish Herrmann’s score as a model for how music can shape narrative tension and perspective.

Experiencing the film with a live orchestra restores that musical dimension to the foreground. As the Los Angeles Philharmonic renders Herrmann’s score in all its eerily vibrant glory, the music’s swirling motifs and ominous crescendos will doubtlessly take on a physical presence in the hall, amplifying Hitchcock’s carefully constructed atmosphere.

For Los Angeles audiences, Vertigo in Concert offers more than a nostalgic screening of a classic film. Walt Disney Concert Hall, which has previously hosted several similar presentations such as Superman in Concert, Psycho in Concert, and Home Alone in Concert, offers an aurally audacious experience in tandem with familiar visuals. Like before, audience members are invited to reconsider a landmark of American cinema through the immediacy of live performance — an approach that underscores the artistry behind both the film and the music that gives it such lasting resonance.

Cover image caption: James Stewart and Kim Novak in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Film still is courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Vertigo in Concert takes place on Saturday, March 21st at 8:00 p.m. For tickets and further information about the event, visit laphil.com.