I recently attended a free Wurlitzer organ concert at the Alabama in October 2004. After the event I introduced myself to a Alabama Theatre staff member. He happily obliged to give me an in-depth 40 minute tour of the entire facility. We started in the basement below the stage where he showed me the dimmer room which has been stocked with decent NSI Dimming to replace the original system of which a few remnants remained. Next in the basement was a screening room where musicians in the silent movie-era could screen movies before their performance. Down the hall were a few dressing rooms and trap space under the stage for more elaborate productions. He also showed me the screw-jack organ lift and the organ blowers which send wind to the pipes resulting in beautiful symphonic sounds. After the basement tour we ascended several flights to the dressing rooms. Next was the fly grid and main air conditioning room with a massive fan than was suprisingly still working and original to the building. This delightful gentleman also showed me the intricate pipes on the stage left side of the theatre. WOW! The Theatre organ society has done a terrific job maintaining the pipes. At the conclusion of the tour he told me about the little known Lyric Theatre across the street from the Alabama. The gentleman told me the Lyric was much larger than the Alabama but was in terrible shape. Would love to post info on the Lyric but no info yet. Email me at if you have any info
I recently attended a free Wurlitzer organ concert at the Alabama in October 2004. After the event I introduced myself to a Alabama Theatre staff member. He happily obliged to give me an in-depth 40 minute tour of the entire facility. We started in the basement below the stage where he showed me the dimmer room which has been stocked with decent NSI Dimming to replace the original system of which a few remnants remained. Next in the basement was a screening room where musicians in the silent movie-era could screen movies before their performance. Down the hall were a few dressing rooms and trap space under the stage for more elaborate productions. He also showed me the screw-jack organ lift and the organ blowers which send wind to the pipes resulting in beautiful symphonic sounds. After the basement tour we ascended several flights to the dressing rooms. Next was the fly grid and main air conditioning room with a massive fan than was suprisingly still working and original to the building. This delightful gentleman also showed me the intricate pipes on the stage left side of the theatre. WOW! The Theatre organ society has done a terrific job maintaining the pipes. At the conclusion of the tour he told me about the little known Lyric Theatre across the street from the Alabama. The gentleman told me the Lyric was much larger than the Alabama but was in terrible shape. Would love to post info on the Lyric but no info yet. Email me at if you have any info