Organist Jay Warren will be at The Crump Theatre on Friday, providing the musical accompaniment to the classic silent film “Phantom of the Opera”.
Jay Warren has watched the first-timers arrive at the theaters he frequents. He sometimes can spot them.
“You’ll see some of them,” he said, “almost seem to cross their arms when they sit down as if they’re saying something like, ‘Yeah? Show me.’”
The 73-year-old Warren referred to his appearances providing live, theater-pipe-organ-style soundtracks to classic silent films. Most of the time, he’s the guy sitting in the dark down front with his three electronic keyboard components providing the punctuation for drama.
He will do that especially at 7:30 p.m. Friday at The Crump Theatre, 425 Third St., when he offers live accompaniment to the 1925 silent-film version of “Phantom of the Opera.” The film, with Lon Chaney as a grotesquely made-up phantom, tells the story of an organist who lurks beneath an opera house and romantically and creepily pursues a young female performer.
“I still get a huge kick out of that one,” Warren said of the movie while speaking by phone from his downtown Chicago home. “‘Phantom’ is just a brilliant film.”
The flick’s live soundtrack contains a mix of classical, romantic and operatic music, including pieces from Charles Gounod’s “Faust,” Eugene Gigout’s “Toccata in B Minor,” and French Romantic organ pieces.
Warren sees the recreation of such live performances today at The Crump and elsewhere as a brilliant idea, though he takes no credit for such. He uses portable Wurlitzer-tuned keyboards that play like an organ for his work at a variety of theaters. He has been providing such soundtracks since 1983.
“He comes highly recommended,” said Jessica Schnepp, the Crump’s project manager.
Tickets are $15 and free popcorn will be available. The movie ties in with Beard Mobb Indiana’s Bearded Theatre event that begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Crump.
Just like a sprouting beard, Warren had to allow the idea to grow on him of using a portable keyboard for such movie magic.
“For years, I was an organ purist,” Warren said of his pipe organ dedication.
But a friend broke down his defenses when the pal lured him to his home for a steak dinner. Then the buddy showed him the multifaceted gadgetry that could make silent films come alive again.
With “Phantom of the Opera,” Warren mentioned that he can hear the sound of candy wrappers crackling, attendees coughing, and voices chatting in the flick’s early portions. Then comes the scene in which the Phantom calls to Christine through the wall.
“I play the appropriate theme music,” he said, “and … everybody suddenly shuts up,” he said.
Warren, a man with a quick wit, laughed about whether he could ever feel a bit like a rock star before movie crowds with his three keyboards while jamming away.
“Well,” he said, “I’ve certainly never gotten any hotel room keys afterward.”
