Mini Moller Monster Movie coming to Rylander Theatre
‘Mini Mo’ will accompany silent ‘The Phantom of the Opera’
By Jim Hendricks
AMERICUS — The Rylander Theatre’s 1928 Moller Theatre Pipe Organ will come back to life at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 when it is used to provide accompaniment for a horror movie that predates it by three years, the Lon Chaney silent classic “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Following a lightning strike in September 2015 that left the organ inoperable, Rylander Managing Director Heather Stanley said it has been been repaired and is “ready to entertain.” Stanley said Ron Carter, a renowned organist, will be at the keys for the presentation.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to showcase the ‘Mini Mo’ and see a classic film as it was intended to be experienced in theaters in the 1920s,” Stanley said. “This isn’t something you get to enjoy every day, and it’s made even more exciting by happening so close to Halloween.”
Stanley said Carter is a sought-after theater organ concert and silent film accompanist who plays in venues throughout the Southeast. He is the house organist for both Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta and the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta.
The Rylander’s pipe organ is referred to as the “Mini Mo,” with the “Mighty Mo” — the larger version — residing at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Until recently, the Rylander and the Fox had the distinction of housing the only two such instruments in the state.
“Phantom” has been produced a number of times, with one of the best-known versions the 1986 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber that came to Broadway in 1988 and has become the longest-running show in Broadway history. The Webber musical was made into a film in 2004.
The films are based on the Gaston Leroux novel “Le Fantôme de l’Opéra,” which was serialized in 1909-10. The story is about a mysterious, disfigured phantom who haunts the Opera of Paris house and becomes obsessed with a young protégé, Christine Daae, forcing the opera company to replace its star with her and, eventually, luring her to his hideout in the catacombs below the theater.
Tickets to the Rylander show are currently on sale. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for students in grades K-12. The event is eligible for Friends Membership complimentary tickets. Tickets can be reserved by calling the theater box office from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m Tuesday through Friday or by visiting rylander.org.
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