On Sunday, we traveled to Detroit, Michigan for the first shoot of our Midwest Tour and interviewed organist Lance Luce at the historic Senate Theater.
Lance is a man of many talents – and of many duties. He’s currently the organist at Little Caesar’s Arena for the Detroit Red Wings, and was once the organist at Radio City Music Hall in New York. He’s also the president of the Detroit Theater Organ Society, which is in the rare and fortunate situation of owning the Senate Theater which is the home of their 4-manual, 34-rank Wurlitzer.
Over the years, Lance has performed at a number of pizza & pipe organ restaurants, including particular the Organ Grinder in Toronto. While the Canadian Organ Grinder restaurants – one in Toronto and one briefly in Vancouver, BC – were not related to the ones in Portland and Denver (and the usage of the name is a source of mild irritation for some of the Portland/Denver people), a great many people remember their visits to the Toronto location quite fondly, and several have reached out to us wondering if it would be included in the documentary.
With Lance’s on-camera recollections, we now have a lot of details about the operation, and it will receive some attention in the film.
Thanks to Lance, and to everyone at the Senate Theater who helped make this shoot happen on a tight schedule.
You can help support the project by purchasing from the Crowdfunding Shop.
