By Christie Bender
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced the 2018 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert series, beginning October 19 and 20 with a special Halloween-themed performance by Dennis Scott to the silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a 1920 German thriller silent film. The plot twists when a group of friends visit the carnival and watch showman Dr. Caligari who uses hypnotism to control to his victims. When Dr. Caligari brings hypnotized Cesare out of a sarcophagus, Cesare predicts Alan will be dead by morning. When this predication comes true, Francis and Jane are left to find out answers. Considered one of the first chilling silent films, it has been praised by modern film critics and historians alike.
Dennis Scott is an internationally known silent film organist. He first began accompanying silent films in the 1970s, when he started playing theatre pipe organs installed in pizza parlors in the Midwest and on the West Coast where he would accompany a couple of “two-reel” comedies every evening. His style has been compared to that of his legendary mentor, the late John Muri, who recorded numerous silent film scores for Blackhawk Films. Suzanne Lloyd, granddaughter of the comic genius Harold Lloyd, dubbed Dennis the “Master of Magic Notes.” Scott is the house organist at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre, playing weekend intermissions, the annual Sing-Along Sound of Music, the annual Music Box Christmas Sing-Along, as well as several themed film festivals and special events.
Shows will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 19, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20, in the Meijer Theater at the GRPM.
Tickets for individual concerts are $8 for Museum member adults, $4 for Museum member children, $10 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tickets are available by visiting www.grpm.org/Organ or by calling 616-929-1700.
The second concert of the series will feature Brett Valliant playing classic “pizza parlor” organ music including Maple Leaf Rag, In the Mood, Phantom of the Opera and Rock Around the Clock on Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m.
The third and final concert of the series will feature Lance Luce performing holiday songs, which includes favorites such as White Christmas, Silver Bells, and Let it Snow, on Friday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m.
