Tag Archives: Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts classical melodies concert

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Andrew Rogers performs classical melodies on Nov. 22 and 23. (Supplied)

By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum


The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is hosting Classical Melodies Organ Concerts on November 22 and 23, as part of the 2019 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert Series. The November concerts will feature Andrew Rogers playing popular classical melodies including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more. 

The November concerts will be taking the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ back to its roots. The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ spent two decades entertaining customers at the Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, before it was moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Rogers is a professional organist who travels worldwide conducting theater organ concerts that accompany silent films. His musical studies began when he sought out the late Fr. James Miller while working at the Wurlitzer factory store in Dearborn, MI. He studied theater organ techniques with Miller and accompanied him on his tour of Australia and Norfolk Island, where Rogers appeared in joint concerts and solo engagements. He furthered his studies with Dr. Marilyn Mason through a Church Organ Studies program and traveled on two historic organ tours led by Dr. Mason covering France, Italy and Switzerland, where he played 58 instruments and participated in 10 public concerts. Currently, Rogers serves on the staff at the Michigan theater in Ann Arbor.

 

Concerts will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, 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 third and final concert of the 2019 series will feature Dave Wickerman performing holiday songs on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.

Grand Rapids Public Museum announces 2019 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert Series

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The Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, manufactured and shipped Opus #1836, a “3 manual special”, to the Stanley Theater of Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 9, 1928. The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ spent two decades entertaining customers at the Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, before it was moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Public Museum)
 

By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced the 2019 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert series, beginning Oct. 18 and 19 with a special Halloween-themed Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert by Dale Zieger to the 1920 silent film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

In the silent film, viewers will meet Dr. Henry Jekyll, his fiancé Millicent and her father. Upon the challenge of there being two types of self, good and evil, Dr. Jekyll experiments with scientific means to reveal the hidden, dark side of man, in turn releasing a murderer within himself.

Dale Zieger will be accompanying the silent film on the GRPM’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. Zieger was born in St. Louis, Missouri and has been playing music from a young age. He began piano lessons at five years old, and organ lessons at ten years old, and he played the Fox Organ for the first time age ten in 1955. At age sixteen he began playing the organ professionally, and became Stan’s Assistant organist at the St. Louis Fox Theater at age eighteen, a position that continued for six years. Zieger was a music major at Webster College and Washington University in St. Louis, and in 1970 he joined Conn Organ Corp. as Concert Artist, Product Specialist and Organ Designer. Zieger has traveled internationally for Conn in Europe, South America, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and Canada. He is currently co-owner of “Dale and Gail’s Music and Art Gallery” with his wife Gail in the 1927 Hart Theater in Hart, Michigan. There, they perform organ and piano programs along with silent movies with live theater organ accompaniment. He is now in his 55th year of professional organ performance.

Shows will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, in the GRPM’s Meijer Theater. 

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 Andrew Rogers playing Classic Melodies including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m.

The third and final artists in the 2019 series will be Dave Wickerham performing a collection of Christmas and seasonal favorites in his concerts Holiday Classics on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.

Grand Rapids Public Museum Announces 2017 Night at Your Museum event

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See your favorite characters come to life at the Night at Your Museum event hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) on Wednesday, Dec. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. Night at Your Museum is held annually at the GRPM, and is based on the popular 2006, 2009 and 2014 movies.

 

Using a souvenir flashlight and honorary security guard badge upon admittance to the dimly-lit museum, visitors become part of the drama that unfolds as characters from the Museum’s exhibits come to life. Guests can take a ride on the Spillman Carousel, hear the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ and see the holiday planetarium show in, Let it Snow, in the Chaffee Planetarium. The evening will culminate with Medieval knights dueling with swords.

 

Advance purchase of tickets is strongly suggested as the event sells out each year. Tickets are on now. The cost is $25 per person for the program. All proceeds from the event benefit the programs and exhibitions at the GRPM. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.grpm.org.

 

The Royal Dinner

Make your evening even more special by having dinner with the royals! The characters people love the most come to life in this exciting addition to the GRPM’s popular Night at Your Museum program. At this unique prequel to the night’s main event, you will learn about castle life and what it takes to be a Knight of the Realm. Tickets for this dinner are $45 and include admission to the Night at Your Museum program. Dinner begins at 4:45 p.m. Limited tickets available.

 

New this year, tickets to the GRPM’s traveling exhibit Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids will be available during Night at Your Museum! A special additional for the entire family to learn about the myths and legends from around the world. Greeted by a larger-than-life dragon, see and learn about mythical creatures from the sea, land and air! Tickets are an additional $4 per person, $2 per member.

 

Museum members will have the advantage of early admittance at 5:30 p.m. with fast and easy check-in. For additional information on becoming a member of the GRPM please visit www.grpm.org/membership.