Concord invites community to experience 'The Phantom of the Opera' with live music

PRESS RELEASE

Mary Philbin portrays Christine Daaé in 1925’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’

ATHENS, WV — Dr. Jacob Womack is set to bring a classic 1925 silent film to a Concord University stage with reimagined live piano accompaniment.

“The Phantom of the Opera” will haunt the Anderson Family Theater in Alexander Fine Arts Center Oct. 6, at 7 p.m.

Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name, “The Phantom of the Opera” is one of the most iconic horror films of the silent-film era. The film stars Lon Chaney as the disfigured, mysterious musical genius wandering the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House, who falls obsessively in love with a young aspiring singer named Christine Daaé.

While modern audiences sometimes find it challenging to connect with silent films, Womack believes live musical accompaniment makes it feel more like an experience.

“Having live piano accompaniment makes the film feel more like a performance than a screening. Unlike a recorded soundtrack, live accompaniment allows the pianist to respond to the film’s emotion and the audience’s reactions in real time,” he said. “For ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ in particular, this creates an experience that is especially gothic, suspenseful, and melodramatic.”

This performance is part of a multi-year project in which Womack has explored and performed piano music and live accompaniment for silent films from the 1920s.

The project celebrates the centennial of the decade known as the Roaring ’20s, highlighting the music, films, and cultural history of the era. Womack has previously provided live piano accompaniment for several films featuring silent-film star Buster Keaton, including the classic 1926 comedy “The General.”

“The Phantom of the Opera” is unrated with a run time of approximately one hour and 45 minutes. Due to scenes of suspense, violence and horror, parental guidance is advised.