What's Up at the Symphony? (Bugs Bunny's Greatest Hits): Cello

This medley captures everything that made those Warner Bros. cartoons irresistible: precise comic timing, wildly contrasting moods, and orchestral color that lands every gag. Brubaker's arrangement respects both the source material and the realities of school orchestra, giving you genuine musical substance without sacrificing the fun that drew students to orchestra in the first place.

Pure Saturday morning nostalgia wrapped in orchestral brilliance. You're stepping into a world where classical masterworks collide with cartoon hijinks, where a single pizzicato note or a sudden fortissimo cymbal crash becomes the punchline. The music tumbles from high energy to witty understatement and back again, keeping everyone (stage and audience) on their toes.

This works for middle and high school orchestras seeking a full-length concert closer that genuinely engages players and audiences alike. It's ideal when you want sophisticated orchestral writing without the heavy technical demands, and when the ensemble needs a project that generates real enthusiasm.

• Shape each section's entrance with clarity so the audience immediately recognizes the shift from one famous theme to the next; the transitions are part of the comedy.
• Balance the theatrical character work across sections rather than letting any one group dominate; these cartoons succeeded because every instrument had a moment to shine.
• Lean into the quirky percussion moments and sound effects cues as chances to build ensemble cohesion around shared musical storytelling.
• Use tempo flexibility judiciously within each theme to honor the original cartoon's pacing, but lock the ensemble together before moving to the next section.

Reserve this for the final third of a concert where it can land as a showstopper and send the audience out smiling. It pairs well with a more serious first half, offering a complete tonal and energy shift. At 4:31, it's substantial enough to earn its own program weight without overwhelming the rest of your set.

• Coordinating rapid section transitions and cue recognition across a full orchestra
• Balancing rhythmic clarity with theatrical expression in medley arrangements
• Playing character and mood shifts within a single extended work
• Responding to guest conductor cues and tempo flexibility while maintaining ensemble integrity