FOXBURG, Pa. (EYT) — Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts is presenting two concerts over the next two weekends at the Lincoln Hall in Foxburg.

Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts is presenting Dave Wickerham at the Mighty Mckissick Wurlitzer Theatre Organ Accompanying the great silent film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” on Sunday, October 28, at 2:00 p.m. and Bob Milne: Ragtime & Boogie Woogie Piano “National Treasure” on Sunday, November 4, at 2:00 p.m.

Dave Wickerham & The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Be prepared to be awed, terrified and delighted as you begin your Halloween week (in costume if you wish) with Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts. Step back in time to the 1920s as you watch the legendary silent horror movie classic “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” starring Lon Chaney and featuring the brilliant Dave Wickerham on the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer in Lincoln Hall on Sunday, October 28 at 2:00 p.m.

Dave Wickerham’s concerts are always well sold, so be sure to reserve your tickets early. Adults  $20, Students $5. You may purchase tickets online here or call to reserve: 724 659-3153.

This silent screen version of the often-filmed novel by Victor Hugo remains a powerfully entertaining movie nearly 100 years after its release. Lon Chaney gives a brilliant performance as the grotesque bell-ringer Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame. And Wickerhams’ realization of the musical score that accompanies the silent movie will be magical. 

And it’s scary: Lon Chaney’s version of Quasimodo is powerful and memorable. He is deaf and half blind; his only joy in life is ringing the cathedral bells. While Chaney wears a fake “dead” eye, wig, putty nose, and plaster hump – with braces on his legs as he hobbles around, licking his lips and grimacing, this extraordinary, dedicated actor didn’t rely on those outward trappings to create his character; he portrayed the Hunchback with a powerful emotion reality. The film elevated Chaney, already a well-known character actor, to full star status in Hollywood, and also helped set a standard for many later horror films including Chaney’s The Phantom of the Opera in 1925.

He enjoys concertizing frequently to many audiences including various chapters of the American Theatre Organ Society. In April of 1999, he took great pleasure being a feature artist in Melbourne, Australia for the convention of the Theatre Organ Society of Australia for which he received rave reviews. He returned “Down Under” for a six-week concert tour in Australia and New Zealand during the summer of 2003 and very recently has completed a similar tour concluding November of 2012.

Dave and his family currently enjoy living in Upper Michigan where he has accepted the position of Co-Manager and Organist in Residence at Crystal Theatre in Crystal Falls. This 1927 theatre is now a regional Performing Arts Center and houses a 3 manual, 21 rank Moller theatre organ that Dave also looks after. Additionally, his wife Rhonda – at his side – works as Co-Manager of this beautiful and historic venue.

No one makes the Lincoln Hall’s McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre organ sound more glorious than Dave Wickerham. This is world-class theatre organ artistry from a true genius, evidenced by the glow you will feel after experiencing his inspiring performance of this epic horror movie classic.

Bob Milne: Ragtime & Boogie-Woogie “National Treasure”

Hailed “A National Treasure” by the Library of Congress and considered to be the best Ragtime/Boogie-woogie pianist in the world, Bob Milne has charmed and entertained audiences around the world with his spectacular keyboard artistry, sharing his passion and knowledge. Revel in the joyous music of that era in the hands of a master on Sunday, November 4, at 2:00 p.m. with Bob Milne at the Lincoln Hall Steinway.

Ticket are Adults $20, Students $5, and children under 6 Free. Tickets are available online at www.alleghenyriverstone.org or call to reserve 724-659-3153.

Bob Milne was filmed and documented for future generations in 2004 during three days of interviews at the Library of Congress, and was declared a National Treasure at the conclusion. Mr. Milne is an active Musical Ambassador for the United States Dept. of State and has performed numerous times in Japan, including the Okinawan Islands and Hokkaido. He has also performed for members of the Swiss Parliament at the U.S. Embassy in Berne.

Mr. Milne’s natural ability to hear and play music goes back to his early childhood. He states, “I knew how to play a piano long before I ever started. Just push down the notes you hear and the instrument will play itself. Can’t everyone do this?” He considers either looking at music or practicing to be cheating.

A French horn player in High School, he went to the prestigious Eastman School of Music at the age of 17 and then became assistant First Horn in the Rochester Philharmonic at age 19. After symphony concerts, the students all went and hung out in local places. When the piano player didn’t show up at a sing-a-long saloon one night, Mr. Milne filled in. They hired him on the spot. He continued playing the horn until age 21, then became a full-time piano player in the Detroit area, playing seven nights a week for twenty-five years.

Playing in concert halls now since 1991, Mr. Milne plays worldwide every year. A comment often heard following one of his performances is, “unbelievable.” He teaches music history at various universities around the country and is also the founder and director of the Frankenmuth Ragtime Festival in Michigan.

Bob Milne teaches music and music history at Florida/Atlantic University every winter for Lifelong Learning. His courses are among the most popular in the curriculum.

Mr. Milne averages 250 performances per year. He is highly sought after for his incredible piano playing and easy going, modest presentations. He claims, “If I have been given any ability at all, it is my duty to honor it by trying to improve that ability every time I perform.”

The list of music festivals he’s appeared at is extensive. They include the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Eau Claire Ragtime Festival, Sacramento Ragtime Festive, and many others.

Mr. Milne is also the founder of the Michigan Music Retreat, a four-day event held in his hometown every September during which he teaches music and music history to students of all ages. “You can’t educate a piano,” he says, “but you can educate yourself to know everything about it.”