Filtering by: Organ

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Tony O'Brien
May
19
3:00 PM15:00

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Tony O'Brien

Doors - 2:00 PM 
Concert - 3:00 PM 
Tickets - $17 

 

The Detroit Theater Organ Society’s long running Organ Pops Concert series continues its 2024 season with yet another afternoon of songs and splendor at the Senate. This time around we’re combining the power of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ, (the eighth largest ever constructed) with the talents of veteran organist, Tony O’Brien! 

Don’t miss your chance to experience the majesty, nuance and diversity of sounds that only a theater pipe organ can provide. 

Whether you are a lifelong theater organ enthusiast or just a curious music lover, we hope to see you there! 

 

About the Artist: 

Hailing from the Detroit area, Mr. O’Brien is a trained theater organist with a degree in classical organ and many years of concert experience both domestically and internationally. It is this pedigree that provides him with the ability to create a diverse and technically impressive set of musical sounds at the organ console. His versatility allows him to both put on an exciting organ concert and accompany a silent film with the requisite timing and emotional resonance.  

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

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Organ Pops Concert Featuring Donnie Rankin
Apr
14
3:00 PM15:00

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Donnie Rankin

Sunday, April 14 

Doors - 2:00 PM 

Concert - 3:00 PM 

Tickets - $17 

 

The Detroit Theater Organ Society’s long running Organ Pops Concert series kicks off the 2024 season with yet another marvelous musical afternoon at the Senate. This time around we’re combining the power of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ, (the eighth largest ever constructed) with the talents of yet another rising star in the theater organ world, Donnie Rankin!

 

Don’t miss your chance to experience the majesty, nuance and diversity of sounds that only a theater pipe organ can provide. 

Whether you are a lifelong theater organ enthusiast or just a curious music lover, we hope to see you there! 

About the Artist: 

Donnie Rankin was born in Ravenna Ohio and was immediately immersed in music. After hearing his great-grandfather Don Sr. play the electronic organ at home, Donnie first took an interest in the theatre organ at the age of three when he heard the sounds of the Wurlitzer at the Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio.

After building a musical foundation in the school band, at age 12 Donnie’s family acquired their own organ and he began taking formal lessons. Classical piano training followed at age 16, and his budding talent quickly blossomed into first rate musicianship.

Since then, Donnie has won several competitions and awards, including being named the Overall Winner of the American Theatre Organ Society's Young Theatre Organist Competition when he was 18. After his win in 2007, Donnie began a 5 year journey studying with noted organist Jelani Eddington.

In the course of his career, Donnie has performed for several ATOS annual conventions, and has played for theatre organ audiences around the world, including appearances in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition to performances, Donnie has presented playing clinics as part of the ATOS Summer Youth Adventure and at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His work as an organist and percussionist have been broadcast on countless stations including NPR, and BBC 2. In 2023 Donnie was named the American Theatre Organ Society's Organist of the Year. 

Donnie resides in Ravenna, Ohio where he runs a piano studio outside of his normal working hours. He remains on call as an organist at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square, and the Akron Civic Theatre.

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.

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Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale (2022) - Encore Presentation
Mar
16
7:00 PM19:00

Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale (2022) - Encore Presentation

Theater Organist Mark herman

Thursday, Mar. 16

Doors – 6:00 PM

Organ Overture—6:30 PM

Film – 7:00 PM

Tickets - $10

1hr 19min | NR | Documentary | USA

The Senate Theater is proud to present this encore screening of the locally and lovingly produced documentary, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale, the winner of the Hometown Talent Award and Opening Night Film at the Freep Film Festival. Narrated by local music legend Martha Reeves, the film tells a story of local history and contemporary preservation efforts surrounding the long shuttered Boblo Island amusement park and its ferry boats. With whimsicality and magical realism Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale creates a fantastical atmosphere in keeping with the collective memory of that bygone bit of Shangri-La in the Detroit River. 

 

Synopsis

When Ste. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships – the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. SS Columbia has been whisked away to New York while Claire's fate rests in the hands of an unlikely band of heroes: a doctor, a psychic, and an amusement park fanatic. Martha Reeves, the Motown legend with a lilting voice, narrates this revelatory fable-doc that’s full of heart and hard truths about a challenging restoration, the iconic amusement park’s exciting yet whitewashed history, and the intoxicating ways that nostalgia can inspire and blur memories. 

 

Go to Bobloboatdetroit.com for more information on the Ste. Claire restoration efforts. 

  
Check out bobloboatsfilm.com to learn more about this remarkable Detroit-centric film. 

 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

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Silents at the Senate - It (1927)
Feb
11
8:00 PM20:00

Silents at the Senate - It (1927)

Theater Organist Mark herman

Silents at the Senate – It (1927) with live accompaniment by John Lauter

 

Sat. Feb. 11 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 12min | NR | Romantic Comedy | USA 
 

 

Clara Bow? She’s got “it.”  

What’s “it?” Well, if you have to ask, you probably wouldn’t even know a tomato if she flew right at your face. Ya follow? 

But thankfully we have a remedy for your ignorance. Just watch the 1927 romantic comedy, It, starring the charismatic flapper screen idol, Clara Bow. You’ll get the picture. She’s the cat’s pajamas!  

Bow plays Betty Lou Spence, a salesgirl with pluck to spare, who falls for her boss, Cyrus Waltham Jr.  He’s a real spiffy guy. The bee’s knees. But he’s also a high pillow from high society with more scratch than he knows what to do with, placing him well out of her league. Will Betty Lou find a way to overcome class differences and make love conquer all? 

You betcha! And you’ll be sure to laugh all the way. Meanwhile, you’ll be swaying to the rhythm of this jazz-age gem, accompanied by organist John Lauter on the Senate’s Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, which was first played just one year after the release of the film. Be sure to stick around after the show for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine!  

 

 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

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Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale (2022) - Film Screening and Fundraiser
Jan
14
7:30 PM19:30

Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale (2022) - Film Screening and Fundraiser

Theater Organist Mark herman

Saturday, Jan. 14

VIP Entry – 7:00

Doors – 7:30 PM

Organ Overture—7:30 PM

Film – 8:00 PM

Tickets - $12

VIP Tickets - $25 (See below for details)

1hr 19min | NR | Documentary | USA

The Senate Theater is proud to present this screening of the locally and lovingly produced documentary, Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale, the winner of the Hometown Talent Award and Opening Night Film at the Freep Film Festival. Narrated by local music legend Martha Reeves, the film tells a story of local history and contemporary preservation efforts surrounding the long shuttered Boblo Island amusement park and its ferry boats. With whimsicality and magical realism Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale creates a fantastical atmosphere in keeping with the collective memory of that bygone bit of Shangri-La in the Detroit River. 

This may be your only chance to see this film in a theater, and it is sure to be a memorable night, filled with a sense of community, nostalgia and hope for renewal. A portion of each ticket will go towards historical preservation: one portion to the upkeep and restoration of the Senate and its priceless theater organ, and the another towards the ongoing efforts to restore the “Boblo Boat” Ste. Claire steamboat which was severely damaged by fire in 2018. Attendees can also expect an organ overture featuring Boblo Island music, plus a question-and-answer session with the filmmaker and the Ste. Claire Restoration Project. Additionally, there will be a 50/50 raffle with prizes for attendees with all proceeds going to the Ste. Claire restoration. 

 

Synopsis

When Ste. Claire and SS Columbia sounded their whistles, every Detroit kid knew it heralded the coming of summer and the magic of ferrying over to nearby Boblo Island Amusement Park. After 85 years of operation, these two sister steamships – the oldest in America - awaken from a deep slumber to find a devoted team of enthusiasts have set out to rescue them from their deteriorating state. SS Columbia has been whisked away to New York while Claire's fate rests in the hands of an unlikely band of heroes: a doctor, a psychic, and an amusement park fanatic. Martha Reeves, the Motown legend with a lilting voice, narrates this revelatory fable-doc that’s full of heart and hard truths about a challenging restoration, the iconic amusement park’s exciting yet whitewashed history, and the intoxicating ways that nostalgia can inspire and blur memories. 

 

Go to Bobloboatdetroit.com for more information on the Ste. Claire restoration efforts. 

  
Check out bobloboatsfilm.com to learn more about this remarkable Detroit-centric film. 

 
 

VIP ADMISSION INCLUDES: 

  • Early entry (7:00) to theater for behind the scenes tour 

  • Free small popcorn 

  • $5 discount on movie and St. Clare Restoration project merch 

  • Vintage design souvenir ticket 

  

 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

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Holiday Organ Concert Featuring Nathan Avakian with Vocalist Claire Avakian
Dec
11
3:00 PM15:00

Holiday Organ Concert Featuring Nathan Avakian with Vocalist Claire Avakian

Theater Organist Mark herman

Holiday Organ Concert Featuring Nathan Avakian with Vocalist Claire Avakian

Doors - 2:00 PM
Concert - 3:00 PM
Tickets - $17

'Tis the season to listen to holiday music, and there's no better instrument to provide that festive soundtrack than a Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. (Okay, we're biased, but we think you'll agree!) That's right, we're carrying on our tradition of closing out the 2022 Organ Pops Concert series at the Senate with a Christmas concert! This year we are featuring the mega-talented Nathan Avakian.

But you won't simply be able to listen to unique theater organ arrangements of seasonal tunes on one of the largest theater organs ever built. Those timeless melodies will also be accompanied by the vocal stylings of Nathan's sister, Claire Avakian who will be adding to that yuletide cheer with the incomparable beauty of the human voice.

We hope to see all you organ enthusiasts and organ curious folks there!

About the Artist:

Nathan is a songwriter, film composer, and organist based in New York City. Known for his unique blending of virtual instrument technology with organ music, Nathan’s live performances satisfy contemporary musical tastes and pay tribute to the historical legacy of the pipe organ.

Nathan’s fascination with the pipe organ began at age four with a visit to the Portland Organ Grinder, a restaurant featuring live pop music played on a massive theatre organ with all of its mechanics exposed. At age eleven he began nine years of private organ
studies.

Since winning the American Theatre Organ Society Young Organist Competition in 2009, Nathan has provided pipe organ entertainment across the United States and internationally. He has released several albums featuring theatre and classical pipe organs as well as virtual orchestrations.

As resident organist and composer for the International Youth Silent Film Festival, Nathan creates music that inspires young filmmakers around the world as they reinvent the art of
silent film.

Nathan scores historic silent films for Thanhouser Company Film Preservation as well as contemporary films by various filmmakers. His music has recently been featured in web series including Makers Who Inspire (Henry Thong) and The Creative Quarantine Sessions (Alex Whittenberg).

Nathan also has a growing collection of piano and organ compositions to his credit including “At The Square,” commissioned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Jersey Journal publication in 2017.

In 2020 Nathan and his sister Claire started a songwriting business called Passing Notes, writing and producing personalized songs for customers and their loved ones.

For more information about Nathan’s music, visit www.avakianmusic.com

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts

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Organ Pops Concert Featuring Alex Jones
Nov
13
3:00 PM15:00

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Alex Jones

Theater Organist Mark herman

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Alex Jones

Doors - 2:00 PM
Concert - 3:00 PM
Tickets - $17

This Fall the Detroit Theater Organ Society is proud to continue our long running Organ Pops Concert series. For decades we have presented the best theater organists around for your listening pleasure, performing live in the Senate Theater on our one-of-a-kind Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. On November 13, the talented-beyond-his-years, Alex Jones will be gracing our stage and your ears.

Originally from London, Alex is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music where he studies with Prof. Daryl Robinson and holds a Graduate Teaching Fellowship in the Musicology department. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY holding a Masters Degree in Organ Performance & Literature from the studio of Edoardo Bellotti. He earned his Bachelors’ Degree in Organ Performance with Honours at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire studying under Henry Fairs & Daniel Moult.

He began his career by gaining a scholarship to study at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, UK where he also held the Junior Organ Scholarship at Manchester Cathedral. Whilst in Manchester, he appeared in concert with the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra at The Bridgewater Hall, The Royal Northern College of Music & Selby Abbey. As an undergraduate, he was awarded the Anne & Don Smith Memorial Organ Scholarship to Town Hall & Symphony Hall, Birmingham and was awarded the William Taylor Recital Prize. He was also awarded a grant from the Birmingham Organists’ Association Leonard Gibbons Fund.

Upon relocating to the United States, he has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes including the Third Prize at the 2022 Elizabeth B. Stephens International Organ Competition in Atlanta GA, the Second Prize at the 2017 West Chester University International Organ Competition in West Chester PA, the First Prize in the 2017 American Theatre Organ Society’s National Competition and the Third Prize in the 2018 Royal College of Organists National Competition in the UK. He has given performances of Francis Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ, Strings and Timpani as a soloist and has appeared with internationally renowned Early Music ensemble Ars Lyrica Houston at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston TX. He has also performed with Publick Musick at the University of Rochester’s Memorial Art Gallery. He appeared as a guest soloist for the 2018 Lynchburg International Organ Festival in Lynchburg, VA and was awarded the Robert Carwithen Scholarship in recognition for excellence in the field of church music.

Alex is also a professional theatre organist and has appeared as a featured artist at the 2018 & 2019 American Theatre Organ Society National Conventions in Los Angeles, CA and Rochester, NY respectively. He has toured extensively throughout New York state having given concerts at the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, the Empire Theatre in Syracuse, the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda and the Forum Theatre in Binghamton. He has also appeared at the John Dickinson High School in Wilmington, DE for the Dickinson Theatre Organ Society’s 49th Anniversary Season, Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA and the Tampa Theatre in Florida.

As a classical recitalist, he has performed around Europe making appearances in France, Germany and The Netherlands. He has also given solo recitals in major venues in London including St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Central Hall, St. John Smith Square and St. Stephen Walbrook, as well as having performed at Lichfield Cathedral, St. Philip’s Cathedral in Birmingham, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge & Peterborough Cathedral. In 2014, he was invited as a guest speaker to appear at London’s Southbank Centre for the “Pulling Out The Stops” festival celebrating the re-inauguration of the famous Royal Festival Hall organ and has appeared in masterclasses with Olivier Latry, David Briggs, Wayne Marshall, Dame Gillian Weir, Bine Bryndorf & Pieter van Dijk. He is a published author, having contributed an article to the 2018 American Organ Historical Society Convention Journal.

Alex has previously held positions as Organist and Director of Music at St. Louis Catholic Church in Memphis, TN and as an assistant organist at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Germantown, TN and All Saints Episcopal Church in Tupelo, MS. He is currently the Organist & Choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Church in Houston, TX.

We hope to see all you organ enthusiasts and organ curious folks there!

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts

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Silents at the Senate – Flesh and the Devil (1926)
Nov
5
8:00 PM20:00

Silents at the Senate – Flesh and the Devil (1926)

Silents at the Senate closes out the Fall season with Flesh and the Devil, a film so intense with emotion – swinging from youthful cheer and love, to uninhibited lust, jealousy, and wrath – that we may need to keep the lights off in the theater for a minute after the movie.  

You'll need some time to collect yourself.   

Sat. Nov. 5
Doors – 7:00 PM
Film – 8:00 PM
Tickets - $12
1hr 52min | NR | Melodrama/Romance | USA

This enduring silent classic deftly blends light comedy, steamy romance, and tragic melodrama, making our Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ, unparalleled in its versatility, the perfect instrument for providing musical accompaniment. As the film takes you on this journey of agony and passion, organist John Lauter will be there to compliment and intensify the feelings with his live organ score.  

Starring romantic screen idols Greta Garbo and John Gilbert, Flesh and the Devil was and still remains a shocking and trailblazing film with visual style and stirring performances. Calling to mind the erotic thrillers of the 1980s like Fatal Attraction, this movie sizzles. The chemistry between its stars, who began a real love affair during shooting, cannot be denied. Meanwhile the camera titillates with then unheard-of close-ups of open mouth kisses and horizontal love scenes, while evocative flourishes of light and shadow heighten the dazzling eroticism of the drama.   

You will hardly believe what they were allowed to put on screen in the old days.  

And seeing it the way it was intended to be seen, on the big screen with live organ accompaniment, is a cinematic and musical time-traveling experience you won’t soon forget. Plus, as an added bonus, you can stick around after the show for a chamber tour, a rare chance to get an up-close look at the inner workings of a theater pipe organ. 

See you at the theater! 

 

Silents at the Senate is supported by the Knight Arts Challenge 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts.

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Organ Pops Concert Featuring Lance Luce
Sep
11
3:00 PM15:00

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Lance Luce

Theater Organist Mark herman

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Lance Luce

Doors - 2:00 PM

Concert - 3:00 PM

Tickets - $17

Lance Luce is an internationally acclaimed theater organist. He has played hundreds of concerts all over the United States, Canada, England, and Australia. In 2014 he was awarded Organist of the year by the American Theatre Organ Society. Most Recently he became the head organist for the Detroit Red Wings at the new Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit.

He has played concerts for numerous chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society and other affiliated theater organ groups and clubs. He has played for National and regional conventions of the ATOS in the United States and TOSA in Australia.

At age 18 Lance won first place honors in the Yamaha National Electone organ competition in California.

The next year he was appointed the Head Staff Organist at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on the largest Wurlitzer ever built.

Lance has been a church organ consultant in Michigan since 1991. He is currently the church organ consultant for Allen organs. He is also on the Allen Artist roster. Lance has designed and installed over 350 organs in churches, homes, and institutions. His background includes pipe organ maintenance, as well as electronic organ design, installation, voicing, pipe interfacing and MIDI implementation.

Today he is on the staff at the Fox Theatre and Redford Theater in Detroit, and the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. He has been a church organist for 45 years and is currently at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bloomfield Hills.

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and The National Endowment for the Arts

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Silents at the Senate – The General (1926)
Mar
19
8:00 PM20:00

Silents at the Senate – The General (1926)

After a disastrous summer which saw the basement of the Senate flooded with several feet of water, damaging the blower to our beloved organ and putting it out of commission for months, our silent film series, Silents at the Senate is finally back! To celebrate we’re restarting the series off with Buster Keaton’s The General, featuring live accompaniment on our Mighty Wurlitzer by the talented Andrew Rogers.

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Silents at the Senate - Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)
Apr
10
8:00 PM20:00

Silents at the Senate - Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)

After months of silence, we're bringing back the silents in a big way with one of the most influential and exciting examples of epic film-making. The chariot race alone is worth the price of admission, but don't sleep on your chance to behold this classic the way it was meant to be seen, with live organ accompaniment featuring the talented Andrew Rogers.

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