As Halloween festivities erupt all over Richmond, like the undead bursting forth from their graves, there is one Richmond tradition that is, perhaps, more unique than any other event in the week leading up to Hallow’s Eve.
As Halloween festivities erupt all over Richmond, like the undead bursting forth from their graves, there is one Richmond tradition that is, perhaps, more unique than any other event in the week leading up to Hallow’s Eve. Friday, October 24th, precisely one week from Halloween, the legendary Byrd Theatre will play the equally legendary 1925 silent film classic The Phantom of the Opera, featuring live organ accompaniment.
Richmonders will have the opportunity to see the perfect marriage of venue, film, and music, all in the spirit of horror and historic preservation.
The Byrd’s general manager, Todd Schall-Vess, makes a strong case for seeing the show, calling it “an amazing, magical experience.”
What makes this Halloween tradition so unique, Schall-Vess believes, is that it truly is a rare experience. “If you’ve never seen a silent classic like Phantom of the Opera accompanied live at the console of the organ, like it was originally intended to, you absolutely need to take out time to come and see this, because there just aren’t that many opportunities anymore,” Schall-Vess said. “You’re getting a high quality instrumental performance and a movie at the same time, and there just aren’t that many places where you can see it in the grandeur and opulent surroundings that the Byrd Theatre provides. It really is something that must be seen to be believed.”
It’s difficult to say who the star of this show is. Some would say the Phantom himself, played by Lon Chaney; others would say the grand settings of the Byrd. But the Byrd’s famous organ, the Mighty Wurlitzer, may very well be the true star of this special event.
“This is an opportunity to hear the Byrd’s Wurlitzer doing what it was designed to do,” Schall-Vess said. “It was put in for the express purpose of accompanying silent pictures, because the Wurlitzer organ acted as the one man orchestra for silent pictures, providing not just incidental music, but also sound effects. So I urge people, if they’ve never had an opportunity to see something like this and they’ve only heard a musical performance, they haven’t heard everything the instrument is capable of doing.”
It is strangely appropriate that the Bryd is showing a film about a phantom figure that haunts a decadent theater, considering the Byrd’s own paranormal activity. Patrons may very well have the opportunity to see more than one phantom on October 24th.
“People always want to know about our ghosts,” Schall-Vess said. “The one that is most prevalent is the ghost of the original general manager, Robert Coulter. He was a very imposing, extremely tall gentleman. People who still remember Mr. Coulter will tell you he was a very impressive man. They will tell you he was a fine man of business. No one ever says he was a warm and fuzzy man.”
For those who haven’t already been tempted by the opportunity to see classic cinema, listen to a unique musical experience, or simply bask in the magnificence of the historic Byrd Theatre, Friday’s show will give you the chance to directly help in preserving one of Richmond’s greatest treasures.
“All of the proceeds from this performance go specifically to the ongoing restoration of the organ,” Schall-Vess said. Not only will you be thoroughly thrilled and chilled, you’ll also be preserving a piece of Richmond history, to be enjoyed by generations to come.
The 1925 Phantom of the Opera happens Friday, October 24th at the Byrd starting at 7:30pm. Tickets will be sold at the Byrd Theatre’s box office starting at 7:00pm on Friday, and can also be purchased in advance at Chop Suey Books.
Tickets are $12, and all proceeds go to the preservation of the Byrd’s Mighty Wurlitzer organ.
