To start 2017 on the right note, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra will perform “Mozart by Candlelight” at the Haven Theatre Jan. 13.

Brookhaven Little Theatre board member Troy Douglas said it is an honor to host the orchestra that performs for more than 75,000 Mississippians every year. By convincing the orchestra to come to Brookhaven, Douglas said more locals will have a chance to hear classical music.

“Honestly, the main reason that we’re doing it is to provide a quality entertainment that is close to home,” he said. “You don’t have to leave Brookhaven.”

Douglas is one of the board members who coordinated the orchestra’s trip to Southwest Mississippi.

“We were able to get them to come because they already were doing a show at Belhaven in Jackson,” he said. “They had started practicing for songs and preparing for the show, so we asked them to come down and do an additional one. They agreed to the idea and decided to take the show on the road.”

The symphony will travel to Brookhaven on Jan. 13, Jackson on Jan. 14 and Vicksburg on Jan. 15 to perform. 

Douglas said the program appealed to him.

“I have a musical background,” he said. “I played in stage concerts all my life. Listening and learning the style of music that the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra plays is what helped me develop my love for music in general, and I want to share that with Brookhaven.”

“I think it’s more important for Brookhaven to be exposed to orchestra,” he said. “We want to find things that families can do together that also educates them in culture and art.”

One of the more important goals of BLT is to provide the community with activities that they would otherwise not be able to go to, due to cost and travel, he said.

“We want to keep the money at home,” Douglas said. “By bringing the orchestra here, we are doing that.”

The symphony will play an inviting evening of Mozart, featuring principal flautist Amulet Strange, an award-winning musician originally from Texas.

“The inexplicable beauty of Mozart’s music is made all the more magical in the warm glow of hundreds of candles,” the MSO website said of the show.

The BLT performance of “Mozart by Candlelight” begins at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30.

Refreshments and alcoholic beverages will be served before the start of the show and during intermission, Douglas said. Attendees are encouraged to dress in semi-formal attire, he said.

“We would like for everybody to dress appropriately,” he said. “This show can be treated as a night out for all ages.”

To purchase tickets, visit brookhavenlittletheatre.com, call the BLT box office at 601-990-2243 or Douglas at 601-757-7471. For more information about the show, visit www.msorchestra.com.