The Majestic Theater will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s 1925 classic The Gold Rush accompanied by the critically acclaimed Paragon Ragtime Orchestra (PRO) on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m., marking the world premiere of a reconstructed score for the film.
PRO, one of the world’s foremost silent film accompanists, will open the Majestic’s centennial season and perform a newly reconstructed score that brings modern audiences into the era of silent cinema; PRO has presented more than 750 screenings across 48 states and seven countries and maintains one of the world’s finest collections of original period film scores.
Released the same year the Majestic opened, The Gold Rush was written, produced, directed by, and starred Charlie Chaplin, who considered it the work by which he most wanted to be remembered; the film is celebrated for its visual storytelling, iconic scenes, and international appeal.
“The chance to experience Chaplin’s unequivocal masterpiece from 1925 in a stunning theater from the very same year with live musical accompaniment is a rare and thrilling invitation to be transported through time to experience the grandeur of the silent film era and of the beginnings of our iconic theater,” said Majestic Theater Executive Director Brett Messenger. He added, “The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra is widely regarded as a world leader in the performance of silent movie music, and it is fitting that they will debut their The Gold Rush program to open our Centennial Celebration.”
The performance is made possible in part by the Majestic Theater Centennial Endowment Fund with support from a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Tickets are available at the Majestic Theater Box Office, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg, by calling (717) 337-8200 or online at www.gettysburgmajestic.org; the Majestic Theater at the Jennifer and David LeVan Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by Gettysburg College as a gathering place for its campus and community to celebrate the arts together.