Wonders of the Wurlitzer (WoW@PPAC)
Experience the majesty of PPAC’s
Mighty Wurlitzer, with our free concert series,
Wonders of the Wurlitzer (WoW@PPAC!)
Built in 1927 to provide full orchestral accompaniment to silent films, flourishes today under the artistic direction of House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski. The Wurlitzer continues to WoW audiences!
2025-2026 Schedule
Subscribe to our newsletter, ShowTimes Online, to be notified of these and other PPAC events. Are you with a senior center, school, or other organization that can take advantage of these free community events? Email wow@ppacri.org to be added to our Wurlitzer notification list.
The Snow Must Go On: A Seasonal Sing-Along
Wednesday, December 10, 2025, 12P-12:50P
In Honor of Black History Month
Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 12P-12:50P
In collaboration with the African American Museum of Rhode Island and Juneteenth RI
The Pipes are Calling: PPAC Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 12P-12:50P
Wurlitzer Specials
Holiday Recordings
Experience the Mighty Wurlitzer from the comfort of your home. Click below to view recorded holiday performances.
Valentine's Day - "Love is in the Air"
Juneteenth - "From Free to Freedom"
From FREE to FREEDOM is presented in collaboration with Mixed Magic Theatre, JuneteenthRI, RI Black Storytellers, and Providence’s Department of Art, Culture, and Tourism.
Independence Day
Halloween - "The Phantom of the Opera"
House Organist Peter Edwin Krasinski accompanies the 1925 silent film, The Phantom of The Opera.
Christmas - "Holiday Magic"
About Providence’s Mighty Wurlitzer
PPAC’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” was built in 1927 and has five keyboards, twenty-one ranks, 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. Lincoln W.N. Pratt assisted a small team of PPAC Trustees in finding the 5/21 Wurlitzer organ which was privately owned; the organ was purchased by PPAC in 1982 and has held a special place of honor at the theatre ever since.
Lincoln W.N. Pratt was the PPAC House Organist from 1982 until his passing in 1998; Mr. Pratt played the organ prior to many Broadway shows and he helped create the first, free Wednesdays at the Wurlitzer series which has now become the Wonders of Wurlitzer (WoW@PPAC) series; these community experiences are still free and open to the public. The console of the Mighty Wurlitzer was posthumously dedicated to Mr. Pratt.
World-renowned organist and silent film accompanist Peter Edwin Krasinski was appointed PPAC’s second House Organist in 2020 expanding the magic of this magnificent machine including the creation of a virtual library and collaborating with the community to celebrate and lift the voices of Rhode Island’s cultural diversity.