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RADIO CITY MUSIC
HALL – A REVIEW by Fr. Gus Franklin
Radio City Music Hall was the
scene of a truly historic event for the
theatre organ world. At 8 pm on the evening of Saturday, August 9, the
largest and last theatre organ the Wurlitzer Company ever built for a
public venue, Radio City Music Hall (RCMH), was brought to life and
showcased for the public.
The Theatre Organ Society
International (TOSI) presented Col. Jack
Moelmann and friends, Lew Williams, Walt Strony, Russell Holmes, and
Fr. Gus Franklin, in a designed-for-the-public pops organ program
featuring that historic instrument (installed in 1932) in the
“Showplace of the Nation.” As you  likely know, the entire event was
underwritten by Jack personally. That action was responsible for a huge
amount of publicity for the theatre organ world. It was certainly the
most highly publicized organ, let alone theatre organ, program ever!
While the events at RCMH generally pay for large amounts of
advertising, the staff there indicated that none of their events has
ever received so much free publicity! Only time will tell how much
public awareness of the theatre organ in general and the RCMH
instrument in particular was generated by this publicity or how much
positive benefit will result from it.
According to the reviews and the
reaction of the audience, the program
was a huge success in all ways, except financially, of course. Jack
never expected to begin to recoup the cost of the event. The program
was, however, precisely what Jack had designed: segments of solo
performances by Jack, Walt Strony, Lew Williams, and Russell Holmes; a
sing-a-long with the electronic “slides” projected from computer
generated and stored images being displayed on two LED screens located
essentially above the two nearly independent consoles which can control
the organ; a couple of duets utilizing both consoles, which was no easy
feat considering that the consoles were nearly a city block away from
each other; and Jack’s famous “Tribute to America” with Jack at one
console and Fr Gus Franklin at the other. For the concluding number,
The National Anthem, the organ was “brought to its knees!” If Jack
wasn’t using a particular significant stop, Fr Gus was, and vice versa!
Several said that it brought tears to their eyes.
As President of TOSI, Fr Gus
welcomed the people in attendance and
briefly described this historic event. Applause followed nearly every
sentence! Emcee Nelson Page then began the introductions and the
program was underway. This was all done from center stage and nothing
else appeared there until after the program when Jack and friends
appeared there for the curtain call.
At that point, Nelson Page
presented Jack with a plaque indicating the
fact that he was the first person to be inducted into the TOSI Hall of
Fame. Then, on behalf of his home church (St Michael’s in O’Fallon,
Illinois), Fr Gus presented Jack with a bouquet from them indicating
their support of his efforts. Some five or six members of the
congregation were, in fact, present; the bouquet was presented on
behalf of the others who could not be there.
Nearly one thousand persons were
present for the program. While you may
read or hear that attendance numbered only about six hundred, those
news (or noise!) sources ignored the fact that ticket sales came from
three sources: the TOSI website, TicketMaster, and the RCMH box office.
Approximately twelve hundred tickets, including complimentary ones,
were dispensed.
Further information and reviews of
this event are all over the
internet. There are articles and pictures from all the major media
sources. Jack is still being hounded by a couple of them.
Watch the following
video from CBS Evening News !
Radio City
Music
Hall Concert YouTube Links
St. Louis Fox 2 News
- Radio City Music Hall - Ad #1 with John Auble
CBS "The Early Show"
- Radio City Music Hall - Ad #2
St. Louis KSDK-NBC -
Radio City Music Hall - Ad #3 with Mike Bush
Jack Moelmann on the
CBS Evening News - August 15, 2008
Jack Moelmann - Radio
City Music Hall Concert, August 9, 2008
Walt Strony - Radio
City Music Hall Concert, August 9, 2008
Lew Williams - Radio
City Music Hall Concert, August 9,2008
Jack Moelmann -
Radio City Music Hall Audience Sing-a-Long, August 9, 2008
Radio City Music
Hall Concert Introduction, August 9, 2008
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