The Paramount Theatre's fall marquee in downtown Anderson features touring names like Alton Brown and the Del McCoury Band. The instrument the building opened with in 1929 has its own schedule. Most of its listed appearances this fall are on free-admission dates, and most of those dates fall on Wednesday afternoons.
The Paramount at 1124 Meridian Street lists several free events between now and December 23. In most of them, resident organist George Smith plays the theatre's Page pipe organ for an hour before the main program. The paid headliners take the evening slots. The organ hours run on a separate schedule, and a resident who plans around them can spend much of the season in the room without buying a ticket.
The Instrument That Opened the Building
The Herald Bulletin reports that the Paramount opened on Aug. 20, 1929. In separate coverage of Smith's holiday performances, the paper says the theatre opened with the same Grande Page Theatre Pipe Organ he plays today.
The Pipe Organ Database lists the builder as Page Organ Co. Its historical note says the organ shipped on Jan. 3, 1929, was restored by Carlton Smith, and had its chambers refurbished in 2021. The same entry says George Smith has been resident organist since the theatre's restoration. The Herald Bulletin dates that restoration work to 1989.
The Paramount describes its restored atmospheric design as evoking open-air courtyards and twilight skies. Through the end of the year, a free matinee is the main way to hear the organ in that room.
Three Wednesdays at 2 p.m.
The Free Senior Movie Series is the backbone of the organ schedule. Each screening on the fall calendar is listed for 2 p.m. on a Wednesday, and each is preceded by a one-hour pre-show organ concert by George Smith.
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Casper. Free admission, 2 p.m. film, with Smith's organ set in the hour before.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18: Planes, Trains and Automobiles, in the same format.
- Wednesday, Dec. 23: The Polar Express, listed on the second page of the Paramount's event calendar.
Each film is paired with the season around it: a friendly ghost the week before Halloween, a Thanksgiving travel comedy the week before the holiday, and a Christmas train two days before Christmas Eve.
For timing, the ticket listing for Casper on Universe says doors open one hour before the movie. Arriving when the doors open means arriving at the start of the organ set. Arriving at 2 p.m. means missing it.
The event pages carry a "Get Tickets" link even though admission is free. They don't say whether a ticket is required or what the series' eligibility terms are. The box office at 765.642.1234 can answer both questions. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and opens 60 minutes before events.
Veterans Day Uses the Organ First
The Nov. 11 Veterans Day Free Movie Event follows the same pattern and expands it. The listing gives a 2 p.m. start with free admission. The event details say Smith will open the program at 1 p.m. with a collection of patriotic songs on the organ, followed by a veterans' remembrance ceremony at 2:30 sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The film is Old Heart. The Paramount's page describes it as the story of a World War II veteran named Tom Johnson who skips his family's plan to send him to assisted living and flies to Amsterdam to find a Dutch translator he worked with during the war. The page says the screenplay was adapted from a novel by Indianapolis author Peter Ferry and that the story focuses on the Red Ball Express.
The event lists Community Hospital Anderson along with several local veterans' organizations as presenters, including Veterans of Madison Co., DAV Chapter 12, Veteran's Project Coffee Club, and American Veteran Riders. It is the longest free afternoon on the fall calendar, and the organ fills its first hour.
Free Nights Without the Organ, and the Under-$50 Tier
The free calendar isn't limited to the organ. On Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m., the 4th Annual Darla Fest presents National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with free admission. That makes it the one free evening show on this list, and it lands about seven weeks before Christmas.
Next is a group of October nights priced well below the touring headliners. The table lists every free and low-cost event from now through year's end, using prices and times from the Paramount's own event pages and its Universe ticket listings.
| Date | Event | Time | Admission | Organ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 21 | Casper, Free Senior Movie Series | 2 p.m. | Free | Yes, hour before |
| Fri., Oct. 23 | BOOze and Bingo | 7:30–11 p.m. | $42.79–$315.79, 21+ with photo ID | No |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | ASO Presents iMASQUERADE! | 7:30 p.m. | $13–$41 | No |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Rocky Horror Picture Show | 9 p.m. | $15 | No |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Darla Fest: Christmas Vacation | 7:30 p.m. | Free | No |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Veterans Day Free Movie Event | 2 p.m. | Free | Yes, 1 p.m. |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Planes, Trains and Automobiles | 2 p.m. | Free | Yes, hour before |
| Wed., Dec. 23 | The Polar Express | Listed in series | Free | Series format |
The Anderson Symphony Orchestra's iMASQUERADE! on Oct. 24 features the Anderson Young Ballet Theatre and music by Lully, Coleridge-Taylor, and Tchaikovsky. Tickets start at $13. Rocky Horror on Oct. 30 costs $15 and includes audience participation and a goody bag. Outside props are not allowed. Visit Anderson/Madison County lists Rocky Horror across Oct. 30 and 31. The theatre's own page shows a single screening at 9 p.m. on Friday the 30th.
BOOze and Bingo on Oct. 23 is a Paramount fundraiser. The Universe listing includes a 10-game package, with three optional specialty games at $15.
December Brings Smith Out of the Pre-Show
The organ's December schedule changes. Page two of the Paramount calendar lists Sandi Patty on Saturday, Dec. 5, then George & Norma Smith on Sunday, Dec. 6, followed by the ASO's Holiday Pops on Saturday, Dec. 12. For most of the fall, Smith plays the hour before someone else's program. On Dec. 6 he has a calendar date of his own. The Herald Bulletin has covered his holiday performances at the Paramount as a continuing tradition. Visit Anderson/Madison County shows a Dec. 6 date for Sandi Patty, and the Paramount lists her on Dec. 5, so it makes sense to confirm with the box office.
The most formal night of the season pays for the building that houses the organ. The Festival of Trees gala on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 11 p.m. includes decorated trees, dinner and drinks, silent and live auctions, a paddle raise, and an after-party with an open bar and DJ. All of it supports the preservation of the theatre. Individual tickets are $150, and tables are $1,100.
Planning a Fall Around the Free Dates
Here is one way to plan the season, built from the free dates:
- Oct. 21, Wednesday afternoon. Arrive when the doors open for Smith's organ set before Casper.
- Nov. 6, Friday evening. Darla Fest's Christmas Vacation at 7:30, the only free evening show on this list.
- Nov. 11, Wednesday afternoon. Patriotic organ music at 1 p.m., Old Heart, and the DAR ceremony at 2:30.
- Nov. 18, Wednesday afternoon. Smith again, then Planes, Trains and Automobiles a week before Thanksgiving.
- Dec. 6, Sunday. George & Norma Smith get a listing of their own.
- Dec. 23, Wednesday. The Polar Express to close the series for the year.
The Paramount's headliners, including Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood on Oct. 15, Alton Brown on Oct. 16, Del McCoury on Nov. 13, and Marshall Charloff & the Purple xPeRIeNCE on Nov. 14, fill the evenings around these dates. Event times and prices can change, so check the Paramount's show listings or call the box office before heading downtown.
Part of what makes a home in Anderson worth owning is a 1929 theatre on Meridian Street that puts its original organ to work on free Wednesday afternoons. When you're ready to talk about what your home is worth in a town with traditions like these, The Slavin Property Group knows Anderson street by street. Request Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll walk you through the numbers with the same care the Paramount gives that organ.
