Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, January 19, 2017 11 PALACE From page 2 score up as I go. If I play the same film twice, it would be totally different each time.” Stark, 70, says this is an art form he’d like to see continue. “It’s a tradition a lot of people haven’t been exposed to,” he says. “It’s more of an intimate, live performance where I’m guiding the audience through all the different nuances of the film.” He says there are only a handful of theaters that still showcase silent movies and organists together across the country and internationally as well. In Hawaii, the Palace Theater is the only one carrying on this tradition. “Here at the Palace Theater, we’ve been trying to do silent movies as much as possible — maybe five or more a year,” Stark says. “We’ve been getting nice crowds. Sometimes, we get better crowds for the silent movie night than for the regular movies.” Says Bahurinsky, “Tommy (Stark) and I work together to select a film or a group of short films that he will enjoy scoring and that we think our audience will enjoy. I was amazed when we played ‘Don Q, Son of Zorro’ for our anniversary weekend in 2015. We had a few 9-year-olds here, and afterwards, they came up to tell me how interesting it was with the organ music. They were quite enthused. I have seen children at nearly every silent movie night. I love that we are keeping alive this part of movie theater history.” Other silent films screened at the Palace Theater in the past two years include “Phantom of the Opera,” several Charlie Chaplin films, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” and “Wings,” which won the first Academy Award for Best Picture in 1929. “People seem to love the sound of the organ with the movies,” Stark says. “They come up and say, ‘This was just so fun! We’re so excited you’re doing this.” Stark himself splits his time between San Diego and the Big Island, but has been playing the organ since his family got an electronic one for their home when he was 14. Stark says the family turned their garage into a theater and he would play for the neighborhood. “We had 20 to 30 people coming over at a time,” he recalls, noting that over the years, he’s also played for silent movie screenings at local theaters and performed at supper clubs and restaurants. At one time, Stark also toured with Charo and Xavier Cugat for five years. He still plays a regular gig in San Diego as well. Sitting at an organ, he says, is like being your own conductor. “The sounds of different instruments come from thousands of pipes that are each individually tuned to a different sound,” he says. “When you play a chord, you’re playing a handful of keys, but it’s like you’re playing five to 10 instruments at once.” What drew Stark to the organ in the first place was the variety of sounds he could play. “If I wanted a clarinet or drums or tambourine, or even big, bombastic trumpets, I’d just push the stop,” he says. “I was thrilled with the variety and creativity I had on the organ.” Bahurinsky hopes that the silent movie nights at the Palace will draw even larger audiences this year. “Our silent movie nights are actually part of a contractual Phyllis Haver as Roxie Hart in the 1927 silent film “Chicago.” agreement with the Hilo Theater Organ Society,” she explains. “Many people do not know that HTOS actually owns the organ and they maintain it, and we provide a place for it. So, part of the proceeds from our silent movie nights go towards keeping the organ in good repair. A pipe organ needs to be played regularly, so I have been trying to find ways to incorporate the organ into more of our events.” Bahurinsky says the Palace Theater currently uses the organ for holiday concerts and burlesque shows as well. “It is a perfect fit for both types of events,” she says. “We realized after scheduling ‘Chicago,’ that Jan. 20 is Inauguration Day. We are hoping people will need a break from the constant coverage of all the pomp and circumstance. All I can say is if you haven’t tried it, you really should come see a silent movie night.” Doors open at 6 p.m. for the screening of “Chicago.” Tickets are $10 per person. Call 934-7010 or visit the box office, open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday. A scene from “Chicago.”
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