1927 Wurlitzer organ, Opus 1571, at Place de la Musique, Sanfilippo Residence, Barrington, Illinois

Everything Old is New Again

We journey back in time on our next Pipedreams program, to the days when movies were real events and movie palaces were the most opulent buildings in the land. The sound of the theatre organ is filled with nostalgia, but these remarkable, resilient instruments are even more vital today, as we discover in conversation with American Theatre Organ Society president Stephen Adams while listening to seventeen different artists and installations.

We’ll travel from the Granada Theatre in Kansas City to the Vancouver Orpheum, from Wichita’s Century II Convention Center to the Sanfillipo Music Salon near Chicago. Whether in tunes by Gershwin or Jerome Kern, Chopin or Richard Rodgers, every generation finds its true love in the world of the Mighty Wurlitzer where Everything Old is New Again, this week on Pipedreams.

Listen to the program

Program Broadcast dates:

•February 5, 1996 as Show #9606

•August 6, 2001 as Show #0132

Music played in the program

GEORGE GERSHWIN: They all laughed –Lyn Larsen (1927 Wurlitzer/Place de la Musique, Sanfilippo Residence, Barrington, IL) Musical Contrasts CD-207

BILLY ROSE &CON CONRAD: Barney Google –Leonard Leigh (1928 Wurlitzer/KSTP Studios, Saint Paul, MN) RCA LSP-1665

MABEL WAYNE: It happened in Monterey –Walt Strony (1927 Wurlitzer/Berkeley Community Theatre, CA) TV Records CD-101

RICHARD RODGERS: My funny valentine –Jim Riggs (1929 Wurlitzer/Oakland Paramount, CA) RTR CD-103

CARROLL GIBBONS: Garden in the Rain –Jim Riggs (1929 Barton/Granada Theatre, Kansas City, KS) RTR CD-105

PETER ALLEN & CAROLE BAYER-SEGER: Everything old is new again –David Peckham (1925 Marr & Colton/Clemens Center, Elmira, NY) Veteran Hill Productions 1961

JERRY HERMAN: Mame –Tom Hazleton (Wurlitzer hybrid/Nethercutt Collection, San Sylmar, CA) Pro Arte CD-435

LIONEL BART: Where is love –Billy Nalle (1926 Wurlitzer/Century II Convention Center, Wichita, KS) WTO LP-1458

FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN: Fantasie-Impromptu –Ashley Miller (Wurlitzer/Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY) Columbia CL-945

ALBERT KETÈLBY: In a Persian Market –Patrick Wedd (1927 Wurlitzer/Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada) CBC CD-1019

DUKE ELLINGTON: Swamp Fire –Barbara Sellers (Allen/Music Box Theatre, Chicago, IL) private issue cassette

RAYMOND SCOTT: Powerhouse. HUGH MARTIN & RALPH BLANE: The boy next door –John Seng (Wurlitzer/Mundelein Auditorium, University of St. Mary, Mundelein, IL) P&P Productions 051193

PETER ALLEN: I go to Rio –Rob Richards (1927 Wurlitzer plus Yamaha FX-20/Senate Theatre, Detroit, MI) Rainbeaux RR CD-1001

JEROME KERN: The way you look tonight –Dan Bellomy (hybrid/Trousdale Studio, Santa Ana, CA) Beldale 101

RICHARD RODGERS: This nearly was mine –Chris Elliott (1926 Wurlitzer/Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY) CPE Productions 104

Filler –PETER ALLEN & CAROLE BAYER-SEGER (see above)

Find more information from the American Theatre Organ Society. Many of these theatre organ recordings are available through the Organ Historical Society.