Wurlitzer Theater Organ

[@patricksaxon3983]

My grandmother has told me that in her days, the theater pipe organ was also used for sing along before the movie started. I sure wished that the theater organ would make a come back again, especially in the pizza parlors.

[@steinbachalex]

If you ever are able to, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there is a Pizza Place called Pipe Organ Pizza that is built around a massive Wurlitzer. Definitely worth a visit.

[@Robbi496]

Love those ornate old theaters too!

[@kegginstructure]

There is no mistaking the sound of a "Mighty Wurlitzer" organ. They have such a wide range of sounds, but also an incredible number of "effects" - drums, percussion, and oddball addendums. (For instance, I heard one with a fire-engine rotary siren.) A Wurlitzer concert is an experience not to be missed. I've never actually played on a Wurlitzer pipe organ; however, I've been lucky enough to play a few church pipe organs, mostly Aeolean-Skinner. These days the new churches use electronic organs.

[@sofiablakey6454]

Bill Vlasak was the most talented organist I’ve ever heard play this theater organ. Really miss his playing.❤️❤️❤️

[@1969Wilus]

I'm in awe of the skills the players of these instruments possess.

[@josephadams2378]

Agreed, but if you can play other pipe organs, theatre organs aren't drastically different, and, if you can play piano or another keyboard instrument, you are well on your way to being able to play organ as well. The main things you'd have to learn would be the pedals and the registration (choosing the right combinations of stops to make exactly the kinds of sounds you want.)

[@2Greenhill]

Alex: Most theatre organ musical arrangements are improvised or created by the organist. They may use music when practicing to establish the melody and basic harmonies of a piece but the arrangements are their own. A good theatre organist is lauded for creative arrangements rather than meticulously following a score. The best professional theatre organists are quite skilled at using both feet but since popular music tends to be more dynamic in volume they usually are manipulating the swell pedal more than a classical organist would.

[@k0rc]

I recall taking my parents to the Fitzgerald many years ago. I think this organ was in its final stages of reconstruction. The guest artist was Hector Olivera from Argentina. I had heard that performance was recorded but I don't think it was ever released for public sale. Hector is an amazing artist. He was playing one song on the keyboard and a different one on the pedals, something my father pointed out to me!

[@Zylstra555]

I'm always disappointed that the Prarie Home Companion show doesn't feature this instrument at all. I'd love to visit this instrument some day and see the theater. Great video!

[@johnnyjames7139]

Mr Keiler is not a fan of theater organ. There was a show long ago where his musician was allowed to expaine the beast.

[@paulj0557tonehead]

I always said I wouldn't be a prude about music because classical music often times seems so jaded, but given the absolutely awesome music that came from the era when the Wurlitzer was introduced I will risk being called a prude. I'm 46 years old and have written and played original music for over 30 years, but when I discovered the theater organ a few years ago, give me the 20's/30's standards ANY day. Love Jesse Crawford. A GREAT organ is a Wurlitzer 4500 straight cabinet theater organ.c-list!

[@Charles-Reardon]

I would give anything to be in that program!!! I’m just in the wrong state. One of my neighbors has a Lowery and that’s the closest thing to a theater organ I can play. I am a organist a church too, but that’s a classical organ.

[@nylarayburn1979]

What a beautiful job, Mike. RIP

[@josipabasic7963]

He died? :(

[@nylarayburn1979]

Josipa Bašić He passed away last January.

[@gary1705]

yes and apparently no relatives a fan is raising money to bury him his body is still in the morgue awaiting burial.

[@2864jp]

Great job Mike! We have similar backgrounds, from Hammond to pipes. But am still playing the 1947 Hammond refurbished from Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha to the new AmeriTrade Ball park. Thanks for posting. Omaha College World Series Organist.

[@MrMartmatsil]

i am an avid fan of the pipe organ,especially allen,and Wurlitzer,they are beautiful.The organ is amazing,they are the best.

[@k-leb4671]

Imagine a modern indie band using this as one of their regular instruments.

[@Nacho-Mamma]

Well, to use it at its home site would be an interesting experience. But, there’s absolutely no possible way a monster such as this could be hauled about & sat up in different venues. As, installation can take months to complete, and every instrument is customized per location & requirements. Theatre organs are truly magnificent beasts. Yet impractical for roadshows.

[@happyirishman4683]

Alex : A lot of it is Style the Organist is used to . Most Organists use the two foot Method , but some would rather use one which I think is Theater Organ Style , one to play with , the other to change the swell , foot buds , etc. . Its Know the Rules before You break the Rules :)

[@Yaledmot]

Glad to hear this organ is going again. It had so much potential when it was installed 25 years ago. Good job. Keillor going to use it on APHC?

[@CrisGarcia6]

isn't that since Piano keyboards were Invented? and the DAW where you can film score

[@torganist]

On the large TPO consoles, the music rack is quite high. When I play from music I end up with a stiff neck.

[@dmmillerjr]

It really is "Toot Toot Tootsie", he's just not playing it particularly clearly.

[@djmpvae27091978]

What kind of songs can you play, like I've been working on the railroad?

[@Organist2224]

Because most all theatre manuscripts are gone so the organist improvises. Or its memorized. Plus most theatre organist play impromptu so they dont need music. All in their head. Thats why their a different breed of organist

[@praestant8]

Not quite.

[@Tmanaz480]

huh? Corbin's comment was perfect.

[@bryangl1]

@@Tmanaz480 By no means, and praestant 8 was not just commenting on the mangled English. A few original organ scores are still extant, and (certainly rarely) new ones do get properly composed. Whatever the case, a good theater organist needs much the same technical skills as a "classical" organist plus a feel for lighter musical idioms. Although some original scores for silent movies were quite "classical" in style.

[@torganist]

Toot Toot Tootsie

[@jasonjennings8125]

where is the pipes

[@lisamckenzie2216]

I'm not sure about this organ but usually there are rooms of pipes called chambers located behind the stage area. These types of organs can be massive. The console is just where you operate the organ from.

[@masterkey2554]

above the four boxes, you can see the lights shining through the swell shades

[@djmpvae27091978]

Disneyland should have this 2.

[@praestant8]

The disney owned El Capitan theater in LA has a very large one!

[@richardforce5620]

Ahh HUH AHH HUH AHH HUH AHH HUH

[@djmpvae27091978]

Very complicated 2 build 1 in a theater.

[@TheMysticalOrgan]

Allen have never made pipe organs, only digital toasters.

[@patmeaden]

TheMysticalOrgan my church has an Allen and pipe organ combo, path organs about the same age, and the Allen is more reliable than the Allan

[@bryangl1]

Certainly excellent technical skill is heard here, but an absence of musical taste, unless Mike is deliberately having the tuned percussions applied very thickly throughout to let the viewer hear them. Both now and in the past, no arranger of the same music for a real band or orchestra would make such excessive use of tuned percussions - they are badly cluttering the arrangement to the point of making everything sound much the same and obscuring the melody. Listen to old recordings and you will find some of the greatest theater organists of the past used percussion stops very sparingly. None used them to the excess heard here. (And similar observations will be found apply to contemporary theater organists.) Unfortunately this bad habit appears to be getting passed on to the student (although one piece of music isn't enough to reliably judge).