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 tradition by closing out the 2024 Organ Pops Concert series at the Senate with a Christmas concert! This year we are featuring the supremely talented, Lance Luce!

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. Mr. Luce will also be asking you, the audience, to help promote the Christmas spirit by joining him in a carol sing-along. Additionally you can expect a short Laurel & Hardy film with live organ accompaniment, a perfect way to show off the power of our unique theater organ.

About the Artist:

Lance Luce is an internationally acclaimed theatre 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. In 2017 he

became 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 theatre 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 made

many recordings, including being part of the famous "Theatre Organ Greats - A Salute to Radio City Music Hall"

Lance was the house organist at several family style restaurants, two of them in

Michigan. While at the Organ Grinder in Toronto, Ontario, he played for well over a

million patrons in 8 years.

Lance has been a church organ consultant in Michigan since 1991. He is the owner of

Allen Organs Southeast Michigan. 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.

Lance is on the staff at the Fox Theatre and Redford Theatre in Detroit, and the

Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. He has been a church organist for 49 years and is

organist at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization, is supported in part 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.

Sat. Nov. 23 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

2hr 31min | NR | War/Drama | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by John Lauter 

Silents at the Senate is proud to present The Big Parade, an epic romance set against the backdrop of global conflagration, with live organ accompaniment by theater organist John Lauter! 

This massive international hit tells the story of a wealthy young playboy (John Gilbert, perhaps the biggest marquee idol of the 1920s) who enlists in the U.S. Army to fight in the first World War. Expecting glory and adventure, he instead must confront the horrors of war, the likes of which only friendship and love can overcome. The Big Parade was MGM’s biggest success of the silent era, owing its success to its unflinching look at the realities of war and a stirring romance made real through the talents of its lead actors.  

And, as at every Silents at the Senate screening, the visual magic of cinema will be enhanced by the unmatched auditory majesty of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ. This one-of-a-kind instrument was literally made to accompany silent films. There is no better way to see The Big Parade!  

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.

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 an up and coming young organist, Ian Fraser! 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! 

Artist Bio:

Ian Fraser’s fascination with organs started at the age of two when he heard a band organ on a local carousel in his hometown of Staten Island, NY. His interests soon expanded into the world of mechanicalmusic with player pianos, orchestrions, etc. When he was 16, after seeing a silent film accompanied by Bernie Anderson at Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY in 2017, he had the opportunity to sit at the console and play the theatre organ for the first time. From there, he has followed his passion to become a theatre organist.

Leveraging his ability to play by ear, Ian taught himself in just a few short years to play the theatre organ. This has been influenced by studying his favorite genres and organists. He has performed at John Dickinson High School (DE), Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall (NJ), the Loew’s Jersey Theatre (NJ), the Trenton War Memorial (NJ), the Union County Performing Arts Center (NJ), Babson College (MA), Cleveland Grays Armory Museum (OH), the Capitol Theatre (PA) and The Grand Theater (PA) among others.

Ian is the first-place winner of the American Theatre Organ Society’s Young Theatre Organist Competition which was held at the 2023 Chicago Convention.

Now residing in Plainfield, NJ, Ian is the house organist at the Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, NJ performing pre-shows before film screenings and accompanying silent films. He is also the house organist at the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, NY performing pre-shows for their “Better on the Big Screen” classic movie series and “Arts-In-Education” series where he regularly plays for audiences of over 1,500 students in grades K-12 exposing the theatre organ to the next generation.

In addition to being a concert artist and a silent film accompanist, he has developed a new themed live show format blending silent shorts, historical presentation and a mini-concert.

Ian’s other interests are in the restoration of pipe organs and mechanical musical instruments.

He is the Vice President of AMICA’s Lady Liberty Chapter (Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association) and a Director of COAA (Carousel Organ Association of America). He is also a member of the NCA (National Carousel Association), GSTOS (Garden State Theatre Organ Society), NYTOS (New York Theatre Organ Society), Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society (EMCATOS), Susquehanna Valley Theatre Organ Society (SVTOS), Rochester Theatre Organ Society(RTOS), Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley (TOSDV), and ATOS (American Theatre Organ Society).

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.

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 not one, but two leading organists: Scot Smill and Stephen Warner! 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! 

Artists Biographies:

Scott Smith is a life-long resident of Lansing, Michigan. He is the owner of Scott Smith Pipe Organs, LLC, a full-service pipe organ business that services and restores both theatre and church/classical pipe organs. He has worked extensively in the field of pipe organ maintenance and restoration since high school, when he joined the volunteer crew that restored and maintained the Barton organ in Lansing’s Michigan Theatre.

Scott has performed concerts and accompanied silent films across the country, but first performed regularly at the Michigan Theatre in Lansing as its last staff organist, from 1972 to 1980. When the organ’s new home was secured as the Grand Ledge Opera House in Grand Ledge, Michigan, he was responsible for the organ’s redesign and oversaw its installation and tonal refinement, where he has been House Organist since 1995.

Stephen Warner is the organist at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church in Detroit and a staff organist at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. He grew up in Traverse City, Michigan, where he studied piano from age seven and participated in almost every facet of the Traverse City Public Schools music program.

In 2003, Mr. Warner completed dual bachelor’s degree in organ performance and in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan. There, he had the opportunity to play the organ with many of the bands, orchestras and choirs, including the U of M Men’s Glee Club, which he was a member for 6 years. He studied organ primarily with Dr. James Kibbie and piano with Dr. Louis Nagel.

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

Silents at the Senate Presents: The Phantom of the Opera (1925) 
Sat. Oct. 12 
Doors – 7:00 PM 
Film – 8:00 PM 
Tickets - $12 
1hr 18min | NR | Horror/Drama | United States 
Live Organ Accompaniment by Tony O’Brien
Tarot readings before the show!

This spooky season Silents at the Senate is proud to present the 1925 adaptation of the world’s most famous gothic romance, The Phantom of the Opera, with live organ accompaniment by theater organist Tony O’Brien! 

Silent screen legend Lon “The Man of a Thousand Faces” Chaney stars as the title character. A seemingly supernatural figure, the “Phantom” terrorizes patrons and employees at the Paris Opera House, all in the hopes of furthering the career of Christine, a singer and object of his deranged affections. But the real star just might be Chaney’s self-devised make-up work. Nearly a century on this grotesque tour deforce still represents the pinnacle of cinema—how imagery can creep into our minds, lurk in the shadows, and strike with vengeance when we least expect it. 

And to that visual power the Senate will add the unmatched auditory majesty of a Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, an instrument literally made to accompany a silent film. There is no better way to see The Phantom of the Opera!  

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 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

2hr 34min | NR | Adventure/Fantasy | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Andrew Rogers 

Presented with the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives 

Flying carpets! Monsters of land and sea! Crystal balls! Derring do! Immortal love! 

A GRAND ADVENTURE MADE ALL THE MORE MAGNIFICENT BY A LIVE ORGAN SCORE! 

Silents at the Senate, along with our partners at the Arab American National Museum and the Center for Arab Narratives, is proud to present the silent film classic, The Thief of Bagdad!

Organist Andrew Rogers will provide the magnificent musical accompaniment, playing our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ along with the film. enhancing the action and emotions on screen in real time. 

Few films are as extravagant, as romantic, as fantastic, or epic. With enormous sets, innovative special effects, and a cast of thousands, this loose adaptation of several stories from One Thousand and One Nights tells the tale of a thief named Ahmed—scoundrel turned hero, transformed by the power of love. In order to win the hand of his beloved princess, he must embark on a dangerous quest across vast distances, beset by gigantic beasts, mythical creatures, and sinister rivals. 

AN ENDURING, SWASHBUCKLING MASTERPIECE! 

Released at the height of Douglas Fairbanks’ career, the film cemented the star as a matinee idol of lavishly staged adventure films, a dazzling screen presence known for acrobatic stunts, physical prowess, and boyish charm. It was an enormous hit. Today, The Thief of Bagdad stands as a premier example of the art of silent filmmaking and has deeply influenced subsequent works inspired by or adapted from the folktales of One Thousand and One Nights.  

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.

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

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

Shorts Program: The Goat (1921) and One Week (1920)  

48min | NR | Comedy | United States  

Feature: Sherlock Jr. (1924) 100th Anniversary Screening! 

45min | NR | Comedy/Fantasy | United States 

Live organ accompaniment by Dennis Scott

A season of Silents at the Senate would not be complete without the timeless pairing of cinema and physical comedy—SLAPSTICK!

With two classic shorts and one short feature directed and starring the most deadpan titan of silent comedy, An Evening with Buster Keaton is sure to delight.  

Irate cops stepping into open elevator shafts, a crudely assembled house with teetering walls, a movie screen turned into a doorway toward which a dreamer falls, searching for a way back to his beloved. Even after a century or more, his films—overflowing with physicality, absurdity, mischief, and even wonder—remain as captivating and hilarious as ever. They are . . .

PURE MOVIE MAGIC!

And their magic will be made all the more powerful by the internationally known silent film accompanist out of Chicago, Dennis Scott. At the console of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, Mr. Scott is sure to show off our instrument’s kaleidoscopic tonal color without ever showing up the images on the screen as he creates a live film score in real time, right before your very ears! 

A LIVE FILM SCORE IN REAL TIME, RIGHT BEFORE YOUR VERY EARS!

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 

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

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.

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 22min | NR | Historical Drama | France 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Scott Smith 

Presented in partnership with Cinema Lamont

Silents at the Senate and Cinema Lamont invite you to behold this singular film. An exaltation. An ode. A rousing picture of conspiracy, belief, and sacrifice. 

The Passion of Joan of Arc is a timeless artistic achievement, relentless in style and achingly evocative. It rightly stands as one of the finest films of all time.

Watch as an icon of women’s history transcends her era, the psychological drama of her final hours on screen. Listen as her struggle unfolds in bold imagery, invigorated by a live score from organist Scott Smith on the Senate Theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ. 

Based on the actual medieval records of the trial and execution of Joan of Arc, Carl Th. Dreyer’s masterwork is nothing less than a cinematic reincarnation.

In the soulful visage of Renée Maria Falconetti the patron saint of France comes to life, shot in startling close-ups that aim to “interpret a hymn to the triumph of the soul over life." 

Experience it the way it was meant to be seen: in the communal atmosphere of a theater, the majestic sounds of a theater organ filling the room. It will be a true feast for the ears, eyes, and spirit. We hope to see you there! 

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.

Sat. Feb. 17 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 11min | NR | Drama/Romance | United States 

Live Organ Accompaniment by Lance Luce 
 

Depravity seizes upon poverty as extravagance collides with innocence in Queen Kelly,

a silent drama of doomed romance, presented with live musical accompaniment by Lance Luce on the Senate’s Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ! This incomplete but still captivating exercise in cinematic excess from director/screenwriter Erich von Stroheim proves that even an unfinished work from a master is still a masterwork. 

Co-produced by and starring Gloria Swanson, one of the silent era's biggest stars, what survives of the film tells the story of a playboy aristocrat who balks at his betrothal to his mad queen. On the eve of the marriage, he falls for an enchanting and fiery convent girl (Swanson) and then schemes to possess her, no matter the cost.  

In its existing form, the film presents a meticulously realized world in beautiful detail, a simple but sumptuous tale of worlds colliding—an ill-fated meeting that ends, (spoiler) in tragedy.  

But the epic and transgressive melodrama that could have been was never completed, itself a victim of incompatibility. But rather than a clash of class and circumstance, what doomed Queen Kelly from reaching its potential was the battle between art and business, the vision of an auteur versus censorship. 

Silents at the Senate is proud to present the 1932 release of this almost lost piece of silent film history!

Released only in Europe well into the “talkie” period, this is the most concise and cinematically pure version of the film. It features the so-called “Swanson” ending, filmed after the dismissal of Stroheim and shot two years after the abrupt end to the production due to massive cost overruns and the directors’ efforts to skirt the demands of censors. 

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. 

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 tradition by closing out the 2023 Organ Pops Concert series at the Senate with a Christmas concert! This year we are featuring the supremely talented, Stephen Warner, an indefatigable champion of the art of the pipe organ!

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 Rose Warner, who will be adding to that yuletide cheer with the incomparable beauty of the human voice.

About the Artist:

Stephen Warner is the organist at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church in Detroit and a staff organist at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. He grew up in Traverse City, Michigan, where he studied piano from age seven and participated in almost every facet of the Traverse City Public Schools music program.

In 2003, Mr. Warner completed dual bachelor’s degree in organ performance and in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan. There, he had the opportunity to play the organ with many of the bands, orchestras and choirs, including the U of M Men’s Glee Club, which he was a member for 6 years. He studied organ primarily with Dr. James Kibbie and piano with Dr. Louis Nagel.

Mr. Warner studied engineering primarily due to his interest in organ building. He has had the privilege of working as an intern for John Brombaugh and Associates in Eugene, Oregon and now is an assistant for the Holden Pipe Organ Company in Ferndale, Michigan. Recently, Mr. Warner was awarded the David L. Junchen Technical Scholarship from the American Theater Organ Society. The summer of 2001 provided him with a unique study of the organ through a program called “Summer In French Organ Studies,” sponsored by the University of North Texas and the Bedient Pipe Organ Company. This program provided opportunities to perform on and learn the technical details of historic French instruments. This program has inspired Mr. Warner to consider a similar dual approach to studying the history of American instruments, particularly those of the 1920’s. The current application of this interest is in the creation of a fully illustrated book descibing the function and design of Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian's Skinner Organ. For this project, Mr. Warner has recieved the support of the Organ Historical Society through the awarding of the Mader Memorial Research Scholarship.

Mr. Warner has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with his wife, Rose, singing with him in performances on both the classical and theater organ. He has also collaborated with long-time friend and saxophonist, Adam Olson, in recording and performing the works of vaudeville virtuoso, Rudy Wiedoeft. Lately, his performance focus has also turned to accompanying silent films, performing often at both the Senate and Redford theaters. Additionally, he has recently collaborated with banjo player Aaron Jonah Lewis on an upcoming album of traditional ragtime music entitled Ragtime Banjo Revival.

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization, is supported in part 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

Doors – 2:00 PM

Concert – 3:00 PM

Tickets – $17

The Detroit Theater Organ Society is proud to present another afternoon of mighty sounds from the mightiest of instruments the (aptly named) Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ!

That's right, it's another installment in our long-running Organ Pops Concert series at our home, the Senate Theater!

This time around we are pleased to host the 2020 American Theatre Organ Society Organist of Year, Justin LaVoie.

A native of Michigan, Mr. LaVoie has performed across the United States, dazzling audiences with his mastery of the instrument. Additionally, he has been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program Pipe Dreams and Steve Ashley’s Hot Pipes podcast.

There's no better way to experience and appreciate the full power and majesty of a theater organ than a live concert, and we can't wait to hear what Justin can do at the console.

We'll see you at the theater!

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.

Sat. Nov. 4 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

1hr 8min | NR | Comedy/Drama | USA

Live Organ Accompaniment by Lance Luce
 

Brace yourselves for the magical and magnificent sounds of our Mighty Wurlitzer!  

It’s another installment of our ongoing silent film series, Silents at the Senate. This time we’re screening one of the most significant, well regarded, and beloved silent films, The Kid. Watch as Charlie Chaplin’s iconic face and physicality grace our screen. Listen as organist Lance Luce enhances the action with the Senate’s powerful theater organ. 

A poignant and charming mixture of pathos and playful comedy, The Kid is a masterwork in visual storytelling and one of the most financially and artistically successful films of the silent era.  

It should not be missed. 

Released in 1921, The Kid marks a turning point for Charlie Chaplin, who wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the film. Previously Chaplin had almost exclusively appeared in or directed short films, almost all of which were comedies. With The Kid, however, he set out to not only lengthen the runtime, but also break free from the constraints of pure comedy and create a perfect blend of what he termed, “raw slapstick and sentiment.” There was perhaps no better vessel to achieve that aim than through his beloved character, the Tramp. With his trademark ill-fitting clothes, silly mustache and clownish walk, Chaplin’s iconic vagrant had already delighted audiences for years. But never had he pulled so deliberately upon their heartstrings as he does in The Kid, which proclaims at the start to be, “a picture with a smile—and perhaps, a tear.” 

Which is exactly what our organ is built for. From comedy to melodrama, from epic and grandiose to idyllic and domestic, the theater organ is an instrument built to evoke the full spectrum of human emotion. But first and foremost, these instruments were built so that they might enhance the feelings a filmmaker endeavored to provoke within the viewer. Indeed, there is no better way to enjoy a silent film than with a theater organ, blasting air through its pipes and notes into your ears, blending its aural artistry seamlessly with the visual artistry on screen.  

We’ll see you at the theater! 

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. 

Organ Pops Concert Featuring Dr. William Coale 

Sun. Sep. 10 

Doors – 2:00 PM 

Concert – 3:00 PM 

Tickets - $17

Our Organ Pops Concert series returns after a summer break for yet another concert in this decades long Senate Theater tradition. Our first of three concerts for the Fall/Winter 2023 season will feature Dr. William Coale on our Mighty Wurlitzer, making beautiful music befitting the majesty of our priceless instrument.

Dr. Coale is an experienced concert theater organist who has performed in concert in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden. Additionally, he is a scholar of the art of the instrument, having literally written volumes on legendary theater organist George Wright, a task that imbued him with a deep knowledge of the history of the instrument and its place in cinema history.

We hope to see you at the theater for yet another afternoon of amazing theater organ music!

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.

Doors - 2:00 PM

Concert - 3:00 PM

Tickets - $17

Our Organ Pops Concert series continues with organist David Marsh.

Mr. Marsh, hailing from southern California, has been playing the organ since the age of 14. He is an experienced performer, a passionate music educator, and a dedicated theater organ enthusiast. When he isn’t playing the organ in front of audiences or in his home, he gives private piano and organ lessons, serves as the president of the Orange County Theater Organ Society, and works as the executive assistant at the Los Angeles Organ Company.

The Detroit Theater Organ Society is proud to bring him to the Senate Theater to continue our tradition of presenting top-notch pops concerts on our Mighty Wurlitzer!

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

Doors - 2:00 PM

Concert - 3:00 PM

Tickets - $17

The 2023 Organ Pops Concert series kicks off with a concert by the Detroit Theater Organ Society’s own, John Lauter!

Mr. Lauter, a professional organist with thirty-plus years of experience, has presented organ concerts in major cities across the United States and Canada. Additionally, he is a long-time church organist, an accomplished silent film accompanist, and can often be heard performing organ overtures before film screenings both at the Senate and Redford theaters in Detroit.

Come join us as we continue this six decades long tradition of organ pops concerts at the Senate!