Celebrate the historic return of the original 1925 Wurlitzer organ to the Lucas Theatre for the Arts at a special concert. As part of SCAD's ongoing commitment to historic preservation across its university locations, including its 100-year commemoration of the Lucas Theatre, the original pipes have returned to again dazzle Savannah audiences with signature sounds after a meticulous, years-long restoration process.
During this special concert, audience members will step back in time to the golden age of the Lucas Theatre. The concert includes live vaudeville performances, the premiere of a SCAD-produced silent film made in honor of the theater's centennial celebration, and a magnificent "one-man orchestra" performance by renowned organist Ken Double.
Tickets for the concert are free for SCAD Card holders, $10 for students, military, and seniors, and $15 for the general public.
For more information, email scadtheaters@scad.edu.
ABOUT KEN DOUBLE
Ken Double enjoys telling people, “I’ve been paid to have fun my whole life.” He parlayed the organ lessons of his youth into a second career as a concert-performing artist on the great theatre pipe organs that graced the movie palaces of the 1920’s. Since his debut concert in 1978, Ken has toured the U.S. and all over the world presenting “pops” concerts.
This Chicago-native’s primary career, however, involved sportscasting. In 1992, Ken moved to Atlanta as the play-by-play broadcaster of the Atlanta Knights, and fell in love with the city he would later call home. He returned in 2009; retired from broadcasting; enjoyed a 10-year stint as the President of the American Theatre Organ Society; and continued his concert career, which has included eight tours of Australia and New Zealand.
Since 2017, he has been privileged to play the great Moller pipe organ at the Atlanta Fox Theatre, presenting the beloved Mighty Mo to audiences who attend events. In 2017, Ken was the principal advisor to the Fox on the upgrades and renovation of the 90-year-old console that plays the great Moller pipe organ.
Ken has played the inaugural concert on four different pipe organs in Indiana, and is thrilled to be the very first to present a concert at the Lucas Theatre, celebrating the return of the Wurlitzer Theatre Organ back into its original home. Broadcaster, organist, entertainer, promoter, administrator, and “never have worked a day in my life,” Ken Double takes great joy in breathing life into the mighty theatre pipe organ every opportunity he can.
ABOUT "AT LONG LAST" SHORT FILM
"At Long Last" is a SCAD-produced 9 minute short black and white silent film. It’s an homage to the silver screen wonders of the silent era and tells a fictionalized take on a unique aspect of the Lucas Theater’s history: Arthur Lucas sending Savannah newborns a complimentary movie ticket. The plot of the short film revolves around the question, “What if a child never used their ticket before they grew up?”
Thirteen alumni formed the entirety of the film’s cast (at the time of production, twelve were students.) Twenty-four alumni worked on the film as crew and technicians.
The film’s original score was created by Ken Double, President/CEO of the American Theatre Organ Society, who also led the Lucas’ Wurlitzer restoration, and was recorded on an original Wurlitzer organ in Atlanta.