Oriental Theatre's historic pipe organ to be unveiled at Nov. 8 fundraiser

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A historical organ at Milwaukee's Oriental Theatre is making a comeback.

The theatre says the installation and restoration of the 94-year-old organ has been over five years in the making. 

"This theatre being from the twenties, this instrument being from the twenties, it's kind of really a nice little match made in heaven if you say. It's really a great thing to have it come back to life here."

Milwaukee Film has brought a 1925 Wurlitzer pipe organ from a theater in Atlanta to the Oriental Theater. It's been painstakingly restored and it will be unveiled at a red carpet fundraiser next Wednesday.

Toby Washburn has spent hundreds of hours on the restoration project.

The Oriental, which opened in 1927, has had organs before, but nothing quite like this one.

Washburn says this organ can add more than just music to a silent movie.

"It somebody were to knock on the door, you have a wood block or something that can knock on the door for you," said Washburn. "Someone rings a doorbell, there's a real doorbell. Car horn, it's up there. Horse hooves, we have real orchestra bells, xylophones, chimes, anything from little castanets all the way to a big bass drum."

Next week's organ debut fundraiser will support Milwaukee Film's projects.

If you can't make that, they tell us there will be more public events to show off this remarkable piece of history.

The event will take place Nov. 8 from 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

To purchase tickets, visit mkefilm.org/mightywurlitzer.