PPAC Announces Line-Up for the 2025/2026 Wonders of the Wurlitzer Series
Series opens with a screening of
METROPOLIS
with live musical accompaniment by
House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski
on Thursday, October 30 at 8P
Wonders of the Wurlitzer is made possible by PPAC Annual Fund donors.
Providence, RI - The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce their Wonders of The Wurlitzer concert series for the 2025/2026 season. Each concert showcases the theatre’s 1927 Mighty Wurlitzer organ, brought to life by House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski. Tickets for the Series’ opening event on October 30th are $13; children aged 12 and under may
attend for free. $10 of each ticket sale will benefit the historic restoration of the Wurlitzer. There will also be several FREE Wurlitzer concerts throughout the season.
The Series begins on Thursday, October 30 at 8P with a screening of the silent film, Metropolis, and live theatrical musical accompaniment by Mr. Krasinski, who is world-renowned for his improvised silent film accompaniment, making each Wurlitzer performance a unique and singular listening
experience.
It is an honor to accompany Metropolis on the magnificent Wurlitzer in a theatre that was a Loew’s Movie Palace nearly a hundred years ago! I will engage all of the musical resources of this Wurlitzer to help Metropolis come to life. This masterpiece from the silent film era presents a complex viewing experience; for this reason, the musical accompaniment will be dynamic and complex as well.
Peter Edwin Krasinski, PPAC House Organist
This silent German-Expressionist film, which was released in 1927, is considered a groundbreaking work in the science fiction film genre. It has influenced many science fiction films, including Blade Runner (1982), Brazil (1985) and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), just to name a few.
Tickets for the Metropolis event are $13; children aged 12 and under may attend for free. $10 of each ticket sale will benefit the historic restoration of the Wurlitzer.
PPAC’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” was built in 1927 and has five keyboards, twenty-one ranks (5/21), and percussion that can produce many orchestral sounds, as well as sound effects that can be utilized when accompanying silent films. The PPAC “Mighty Wurlitzer” is one of only three five-manual keyboard consoles built by Wurlitzer; it is a rare and significant instrument in musical history.
PPAC will present three more Wonders of the Wurlitzer concerts this season; these concerts are FREE:
- "The Snow Must Go On: A Seasonal Sing-Along” on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12P (noon)
- “In Honor of Black History Month” on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 12P (noon), Presented in collaboration with the African American Museum of RI and Juneteenth RI
- “The Pipes Are Calling: A Celebration of St. Patrick’s Day” on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at 12P (noon)
All are welcome at these free community concerts! Additional details will be announced – please visit ppacri.org/wow to learn more.
The Wonders of the Wurlitzer is made possible by the PPAC Annual Fund donors.
