True to form, Tom Cruise unexpectedly jetted to London to surprise nearly 3,000 fans at a Top Gun: Maverick orchestral event held at the famed Royal Albert Hall Sept. 27.
“I’m very excited to be here with you all tonight to share in this unique cinematic orchestral experience with Top Gun: Maverick,” the action star said as he appeared on stage to uproarious applause and shocked screams.
As part of the Hall’s Films in Concert series, the experience screened the Academy Award-winning blockbuster with a synchronized, live performance from the Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Lorne Balfe, who worked as a score producer on the project.
“The power of music and its use in cinema to deepen our experience of the story and our connection to the characters is absolutely magical,” Cruise continued in his remarks. “And for the music you’re about to hear live tonight, I want to personally thank the extraordinary talents of Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer, Lady Gaga, OneRepublic, and the gentleman who’s here this evening who also produced the score, Lorne Balfe. I also want to thank tonight’s orchestra and all of your exceptional talents.”
After the event, Cruise was seen messing around with the grand pipe organ, shown in pictures shared by the concert’s conductor Ben Palmer and organist Anna Lapwood. “Goodness gracious, great balls of fire…” captioned the former, in reference to the film’s usage of the eponymous Jerry Lee Lewis track. Meanwhile, Lapwood simply wrote, “AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH,” alongside a photo of her posing next to the Mission: Impossible star.
“I’ve always wanted to experience a film like this with a live full symphony orchestra, synchronized picture, in front of a packed audience in the grandeur of a classic movie palace,” Cruise concluded. “Thank you all for being here, and thank you for making this dream come true.”