Transcription:
Dennis James back in town for ‘Phantom of the Opera’
By Gail Helsel, ids Staff Writer
"An unqualified success. I was there."
This statement is followed by the signature of Virgil Fox, organist, and is inscribed on the cover of Dennis James' new organ score for the silent movie, "The Phantom of the Opera," to be presented in the I.U. Auditorium at 8 tonight.
James, organist and originator of the silent film series which ran at the Auditorium for nearly two years, has been playing organ at the Organ Stop restaurant in Phoenix, Ariz. since summer.
American favorites
While playing in Phoenix, James has discovered the No. 1 favorite American songs are "Dr. Zhivago" and "Love Story." "The people are always asking me to play 'Dr. Chicago.' I play each of those songs eight to 10 times a night," James said.
James was originally hired to play a theater organ at the Organ Stop, which he has been helping to install. Last Friday, he decided to try out his new "Phantom of the Opera" score and played it to a full house.
"The place was well packed, and they loved it. People were hanging from the rafters. And then Virgil Fox came in," James said.
Show similar to Fox's
"I did the show just like Fox did his light show when he was here. I had the screen in front of the organ and it worked fine. Fox really like it and wrote that inscription on my score."
James is presently enrolled at Arizona State University in the Masters degree program in music. He plans to make a concert tour in the spring which will include a stop in Bloomington between concerts in Detroit and Buffalo, N.Y. to play his senior recital March 17 and to get married March 18.
James is engaged to Heidi Augsburger, who was also an I.U. music major. They will make the spring tour together, playing pieces by George Gershwin. Augsburger will play piano parts and James will play orchestra transcriptions on the organ.
Theater organ network
"There's a whole circuit of restored theater organs in all the major cities in the country. There were only 14 in this circuit five years ago, when I first began touring around the country, but now there are 60," James said.
Besides plans for the concert tour, James and Augsburger plan a trip to England in spring 1974. James does not intend to forget I.U., however. "I'll play a concert here once a year for at least the next 10 years," he said. "I have to keep coming back -the people are so good to me here."
