'Phantom' plays on Halloween

Halloween is a holiday inundated with tradition -- costumes, trick-or-treating, pumpkins and?silent films? For many years, October 31 has been celebrated at the University with a showing of the original silent version of the film Phantom of the Opera in Irvine Auditorium. "It added atmosphere to the night," said College junior Alexandra Schaffrath, who attended the event Tuesday evening. "I liked when the phantom's head was cut off at the end." The film was accompanied by the resonating music of the 12,000-pipe Curtis Organ played by organists Lee Erwin and Ramona Peterson. "The music sounded great," Engineering junior Cliff Skalaski said. "Silent films are about the only thing they can play in Irvine -- the acoustics are so bad. But the organ can be heard a block away." Phantom was characterized by exaggerated acting which was typical of the silent film era. When the Phantom's muse Christine Daae cried, "Believe in my love, Raoul. Save me from that monster -- save me," the audience erupted in laughter. But the accompanying music brought the film more up-to-date. In preparation for this accompaniment, Peterson looked at the film only once to gain an idea of what was going to happen next. "I decide on the variations in the score as I go along," Peterson said. These variations included "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music, which was played during the section of the film where an opera is being performed. "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess accompanied the scene when the Phantom tortures intruders in his chambers by increasing the heat. And "The Alley Cat" was the theme to the appearance of a black cat. Musical excerpts from the Andrew Lloyd Webber version of Phantom were also incorporated, including "Masquerade," "Angel of Music" and "All I Ask of You," but Peterson did not make these the focus of the accompaniment in the interest of originality. College freshman Megan Rooney said she was a little disappointed that more of the familiar broadway score was not played. The Curtis Organ is one of the few remaining theater organs of the silent film era, and is the ninth-largest pipe organ in the world. Peterson explained that at one time, there were more than 35 theaters in Philadelphia with pipe organs, but that the art died out with the arrival of the talking movie. "The Curtis Organ is fabulous to play," said Peterson, who has accompanied the Phantom showing for the past three years. "Being so large, it is very versatile. "The trick to accompanying silent film is to ensure that the spotlight is on the film and that the music exists only a s a sound track," Peterson said. "After the film, local organist Bob Wech told me that many times, he forgot there was a live organ playing. This can be one of the best compliments for an organ accompanist."