Restored Wurlitzer pipe organ to be part of silent movie and live music event at the Granada Theater
BLUEFIELD, WV (WVNS) — The Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation will host a celebration event for the restoration of the Granada Theater’s 1927 original Wurlitzer pipe organ.
The event will be held at 7:00 p.m. on April 20, 2024 at the Granada Theater to celebrate the restoration of the theater’s Wurlitzer pipe organ, and the public is welcome to attend. Tickets for adults are $10 and the event is free for students 17 and under.
Southern West Virginia Regional Honor Choir ready for first ever performance
Our community is seeing the efforts of a talented and dedicated restoration team and the financial support of several key individuals in restoring this beautiful instrument to its original grandeur. BARC extends its appreciation to Paul “Mac” Abernethy, Dr. Barry Simmons, Sr., Jim Jenks, and Harry Moore for their years-long work in reconstructing and reviving our organ, and Darrell Bailey, Ovid Bailey, and David Dunkle for their generous financial contributions. And I especially want to thank Julie Hurley for her leadership in bringing everyone together on this effort. Thank you!
Rob Linkous, President of the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation
Tedde Gibson, who is a nationally recognized theater organist from Baltimore, Maryland, will play on the Wurlitzer pipe organ along with a viewing of The General. The General is a silent film that stars Buston Keaton.
Less than 300 theater organs remain in the nation out of the thousands that were built in the 1900s, according to the American Theatre Organ Society, and few of them are still in their original locations. The organ at the Granada Theater is one of the organs that remains in the original location.
The sound of the Wurlitzer pipe organ will once again resonate throughout the Granada Theater after years of restoration. The celebration event will allow attendees to see a piece of the past, as the organ and special effects will bring the silent film to life.
Ticket reservations and information about the event can be found on the Granada Theater’s website.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WVNS.
