J OURNAL OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2012 - HERE The Atlanta Chapter Invites You to WITH THE WIND “here with the wind 2013” Featuring… the tlanta Fo ller Richard Hills Clark Wilson Larry-Douglas Embury Dave Wickerham Overture in Chattanooga featuring… Tony Fenelon the ivoli heatre urliter: the iringham labama heatre Jonas Nordwall Wurliter Simon Gledhill viit an inner at orl-famou Mark Herman Rock City on Lookout Mountain the Stehenon S 4/16 Grane age the eorial uitorium 1 utin Stone ountain Walt Strony Dwight Thomas concluding with a the arietta Stran heatre llen G-IV: Finale to South Georgia featuring…. Lance Luce the laner heatre ller in eriu: Ron Rhode Stay at the luxurious inner uffet the Gran heatre arton II in Fitgeral JW MARRIOTT. Jelani Eddington HOTELS & RESORTS in Buckhead Overture July 1 Convention July 2-5 Finale July 6 Registration Details Coming Soon! Visit us at http://atosatlanta.org/convention THEATRE ORGAN SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2012 Volume 54 | Number 5 FEATURES ATOS Student of the 17 Year: Stephen Kucera A Virtual Pipe 18 Organ Journey 2012 ATOS 21 Awards Old Wine in New 24 Bottles—Uncorked 2012 ATOS 30 Convention Radio City Music 56 Hall Gala: Part Two DEPARTMENTS 3 Vox Humana 5 President’s Message 6 News & Notes 8 Directors’ Corner 10 Letters 12 Vox Pops The “Foort Traveling Möller” at home in the 55 Closing Chord Pasadena Civic Auditorium (Photos by Richard Neidich) 60 Chapter News On the Cover: The theatre at the Avalon Casino on Catalina Island, California, with the 67 Around the Circuit Page console in the pit (Photo by Richard Neidich) 70 Meeting Minutes THEATRE ORGAN (ISSN 0040-5531) is published bimonthly by the American Theatre Organ Society, Inc., 7800 Laguna Vega Drive, Elk Grove, California 95758. Periodicals Postage Paid at Elk Grove, California and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription of $33.00 paid from members’ dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THEATRE ORGAN, c/o ATOS Membership Office, P.O. Box 6491, Aloha, Oregon 97007-0491, [email protected]. www.atos.org SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2012 1 Journal of the American Theatre Organ Society Library of Congress Catalog Number ML 1T 334 (ISSN 0040-5531) Printed in U.S.A. SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2012 Volume 54 | Number 5 THEATRE ORGAN JOURNAL YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE Nathan Avakian ([email protected]) Opinions expressed in the pages of THEATRE ORGAN PUBLISHER 503-347-0278 are not necessarily those of the American Theatre Donna Parker ([email protected]) Organ Society or the editors. ATOS is not responsible for PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE omissions or errors that result from misrepresentations CO-EDITORS Ken Double ([email protected]) in information provided to us. Advertisements in Mike Bryant ([email protected]) THEATRE ORGAN do not constitute an endorsement 404-790-5400 206-619-6645 of the goods and/or services offered, either by ATOS Don Feely ([email protected]) MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY or the editors. Advertisers and their agents assume Donna Parker ([email protected]) all liability for advertising content. The Editorial Office 503-882-6155 reserves the right to accept, reject, or edit any and all 503-372-6987 ASSOCIATE EDITORS submitted articles and advertising. AROUND THE CIRCUIT: Micah Bisson ATOS MARKETPLACE We are pleased to accept manuscripts for review. ([email protected]) Rob Vastine Contact the editors ([email protected]) to discuss MUSIC: Steven Ball 23855 SW 195th Place length and content. PIPE PIPER: Jonathan Ortloff Sherwood, Oregon 97140 No part of THEATRE ORGAN may be reproduced ([email protected]) 503-313-1024 in any form by any means without the express REVIEWS: Douglas Grant [email protected] written consent of ATOS. For permission and reprint information contact the Publisher. JOURNAL ADVERTISING ATOS CORPORATE OFFICE Mike Bryant American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. THEATRE ORGAN (title registered U.S. Patent Office) Don Feely 7800 Laguna Vega Drive is the official publication of the American Theatre [email protected] Elk Grove, California 95758 Organ Society, Inc. (ATOS), a non-profit organization. © 2012 American Theatre Organ Society, Inc. All rights THEATRE ORGAN EDITORIAL OFFICE reserved. 3111 NE 165th Place PROGRAMS Annual membership in the American Theatre Organ Vancouver, Washington 98682 ENDOWMENT FUND Society is $40.00 per year ($55.00 outside of the 206-619-6645 Bucky Reddish, Chairman U.S.A.), which includes six issues of THEATRE ORGAN. [email protected] Endowment Fund Board of Trustees Make check or money order payable to ATOS and mail to the ATOS Membership Office, P.O. 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AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY Ken Double CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD THEATRE ORGAN WORKSHOPS Bob Dilworth ([email protected]) Jonas Nordwall ([email protected]) 302-995-2603 503-246-7262 www.atos.org —Theatre Organ Online VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Tim Needler ([email protected]) — Membership maintenance: join or 317-255-8056 renew online —Articles and Features added regularly SECRETARY Bob Evans ([email protected]) —Around the Circuit calendar of events 508-674-0276 —Theatre organ locator TREASURER — ATOS Committees and contact Michael Hutcherson ([email protected]) lATOS information AMERICAN THEATRE ORGAN SOCIETY 770-460-6821 —Chapter Liaison contact information 678-586-3663 (fax) Feel,th<1/ l-4 tM-lo! DIRECTORS (CURRENT TERM) Immediate Past Chairman ATOS MISSION STATEMENT—To preserve, protect, COL Mike Hartley (2013) ([email protected]) promote, and present a truly American musical 386-445-7562 invention, the theatre pipe organ and its musical art Bob Dilworth ([email protected]) (2015) form, worldwide; 302-995-2603 To ensure that the few remaining instruments are Jelani Eddington ([email protected]) (2015) played wherever possible to provide entertainment 262-639-8788 to the public as a solo instrument or part of an ensemble, and to accompany silent films; Larry Fenner ([email protected]) (2013) 717-274-2254 To encourage industry-acceptance restoration, John Ledwon ([email protected]) (2014) maintenance methods and techniques to ensure performance ability for future generations; and 702-767-8772 Allen Miller ([email protected]) (2013) To assist local chapters and our members by 860-402-4686 providing coordinated support in education, concert promotion and marketing to further our mission. Jack Moelmann ([email protected]) (2015) 618-632-8455 Tim Needler ([email protected]) (2013) 317-255-8056 Don Phipps ([email protected]) (2014) 508-758-3723 Bucky Reddish ([email protected]) (2014) 770-948-8424 2 THEATRE ORGAN D D Thank you, Lord, for digital cameras When your co-editors took the reins We can’t overlook the contribution shots for these reasons, but we’ll post in 2010, we held the opinion that if the made by the photographers who them on the website soon. convention is in early July, we should generously contribute their work to us. When it comes right down to the be able to bring you coverage in the This year, in addition to the few hundred wire and Dannielle Stark, our graphic September/October issue. We’ve managed photos Don and I shot ourselves, we designer, says “I can’t possibly fit all this to do that for the last three conventions, received thousands of pictures from in,” sometimes we resort to a sort of last- but if there were not two of us, it could Richard Neidich, Peter Beames, Bill ditch virtual “dart board” approach to not happen. Schumacher, John Atwell, and many eliminate however many shots we need to. We do our best to get all the non- others (these four were the most prolific). It becomes a series of judgment calls, and convention feature content edited in We are grateful to all, and most of their we just do the best we can. You won’t miss advance for this issue, so that we can focus stuff turned out much better than ours. what you never saw, but we did see it and on the convention, but you know what they (It’s my camera’s fault. Yes, that’s my story, we just hate to drop a shot we particularly say about the best-laid plans. We really and I’m sticking to it.) like. can’t even begin work on the convention Now you know why we’re thankful for Publication deadlines being what they coverage until the usual deadline is on top digital cameras. are, we owe a particular debt of gratitude of us. Our regular contributors have been One of the toughest jobs is selecting to Dannielle. Remember that we are only great about timely submissions, and they the pictures to go with the article. We can one of her clients, and any time we work are a big reason this issue still comes out only include a few dozen, and it is a slow “late” on an issue, such as September/ on time. process indeed. We begin by tossing any October, that can have a pretty significant Once again, I’m going to usurp Don’s pictures that are too low resolution (i.e., impact on Dannielle’s schedule for her role in contributing to this column so it too small), too dark, out of focus, or not other clients.