featuring acclaimed theatre organist Jelani Eddington,
Cincinnati Opera Young Artist Tyler Alessi,
and dancers from the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy
CINCINNATI, OH – The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) is pleased to announce the return of Happy Holidays with the Mighty Wurlitzer to Cincinnati’s Music Hall Ballroom on Thursday, December 10 at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM. Now in its sixth year, the popular holiday concert is regarded as one of the Tri-state’s most anticipated music events of the yuletide season.
Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center or Music Hall Ticket Office. For groups of ten or more, call (513) 977-4157.
There’s nothing quite like the unique sound of the Albee Theater’s Mighty Wurlitzer − an orchestra and more all in one organ! 2001 Theater Organist of the Year, Jelani Eddington, along with Cincinnati Opera Young Artist Tyler Alessi and dancers from the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy, will perform holiday favorites with all of the bells, whistles, and special effects that only an instrument as grand as the Mighty Wurlitzer can create! Relive your memories of yesterday as you create new memories of tomorrow with your friends and family!
“The Holiday Season is a wonderful time for family and friends filled with memories and music,” said Don Siekmann of The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall. “Our annual Wurlitzer concert has become a holiday tradition, and this year the talented young dancers from Cincinnati Ballet’s Otto M. Budig Academy will perform some of the world’s most beautiful dances, accompanied by an outstanding theatre organist. Add to that the beautiful vocals of Cincinnati Opera’s Tyler Alessi singing some of your favorite yuletide songs, and you will have a memorable, musical experience that will add much warmth and joy to your holiday!”
The Mighty Wurlitzer
The Mighty Wurlitzer was installed in the ornate Albee Theater on Fountain Square in December 1927 – one of only 2,200 theatre-organs produced at that time to accompany silent feature films. When talkies took over in 1929, the theatre organ was mainly silenced. The Albee organ was donated to the Emery Theater in 1969 (where it played for movies and other events) and was partially rebuilt by the Ohio Valley Organ Club. It was removed from the Emery in 1999 and put into storage.
The leadership at SPMH thought the historic Music Hall Ballroom would be an ideal location for the instrument, and in June 2007, Ronald F. Wehmeier, Inc., Pipe Organ Service in Cincinnati was contacted to completely rebuild and install the Wurlitzer. A donor foundation funded the entire project in the amount of $1.41 million. Only a small number of Wurlitzers of this size still exist, and Cincinnati (the home of the Wurlitzer Company) is one of the few cities in the country to have an instrument of this quality.
The Wurlitzer was expanded in tonal colors and effects, from 19 ranks of pipes to 31 ranks (a rank is made up of 61 pipes, and represents orchestral sounds, such as trumpets, flutes, tubas, strings, etc.). A full array of percussion effects is also present – xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, chimes, and even a large Steinway grand – all playable from the giant three keyboard and pedal console, decorated in 22-karat gold leaf. Wind for the pipes is provided by a 15 HP high pressure turbine, the electrical switching is controlled by computer, and pipes range in size from 16 feet to the size of a pencil. In addition, the Wurlitzer is now fully computerized, so that it can be played without an organist through a digital input system.
Jelani Eddington
Jelani Eddington is one of the most prominent and sought-after theatre-organists on the concert circuit today. During the course of his concert career, Jelani has been featured at numerous national and regional conventions of the American Theatre Organ Society, and has toured extensively throughout the world, including numerous concert appearances in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. He has also accompanied numerous silent films and appears regularly at film series. In 2007, Jelani accompanied the classic film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, for an international organ festival in Finland on the country’s largest pipe organ.
Jelani has also produced and marketed over 30 theatre organ albums on some of the best-known and most dynamic instruments in the country. In August 2001, the American Theatre Organ Society honored Jelani’s extensive career as a concert and recording organist by naming him the 2001 Theatre Organist of the Year. Jelani retains the distinction of being the youngest-ever recipient of this prestigious honor.
For a full bio, visit Jelani’s website at www.rjeproductions.com.
Tyler Alessi, baritone
Tyler Alessi has been seen most recently at CCM Opera, where he sang the role of Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte. During his time at CCM, Tyler has been a frequent participant of Opera Fusion New Works collaboration between Cincinnati Opera and CCM. As a result, he has been able to workshop new and exciting operas composed by Jack Perla, Daniel Catán, Ricky Ian Gordon, and Jake Heggie. Professionally, Tyler has sung many small and featured roles at Cincinnati Opera, most recently William Dale in Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Silent Night. Last summer, Tyler participated in Des Moines Metro Opera’s esteemed young artist program, where he performed the role of Bello in Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West. Equally at home in musical theatre, Tyler recently performed the role of Prince Charming and the Wolf in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods with Cincinnati Landmark Productions. His upcoming engagements include Count Almaviva in Kentucky Opera’s concert tour of Le Nozze di Figaro and Forester in CCM’s production of A Cunning Little Vixen.
Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy
Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy, the region’s only pre-professional ballet training program, combines superior instruction, unparalleled performance opportunities, and a strong connection to Cincinnati Ballet. The talented young dancers from the Academy are in great demand and are performing their interpretation of highlights from the The Nutcracker throughout the Cincinnati area this holiday season.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 