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Featuring the voices of the South Puget Sound Community College Choir, St. Martin's Choir and Opera Pacifica and the Olympia Chamber Orchestra. Join us for this wonderful event in Olympia WA. more info... The Fox Theater finds an 'Organ Donor' ! Since acquiring the Fox Theatre in 2005, we have sought a true theatre organ to replace the one that was removed nearly 40 years ago. We were surprised one day by a phone call from Fred and Eva Beeks of Anacortes, Washington. They had a fascinating story to tell. Their first date had been at an organ concert. After they were married they found that a theatre organ was for sale at the California Theatre, in Dunsmuir, California - so they bought it. That was in 1960 Fred and Eva first restored and reassembled the 900-piece organ in Reno, Nevada, where they lived for 30 years. During that time the organ was 'visited' (and played) by many organist luminaries over the years. The first reassembly took Fred about two years, learning about the instrument as he went along. Later, they moved the organ to Skagway, Alaska, where they built a home around the instrument. The home was featured in a number of magazine articles and television shows as one of the more recognizable landmarks in Skagway. They called Opera Pacifica on day in 2005. Fred (71) and Eva (68) explained that they were the owners of a 1925 Wurlitzer Style D, the most popular of the smaller theater organs. They later explained how they came to own this marvelous instrument: "She found this in the want ads and said, 'You've always wanted one,' and we didn't know what we were getting into," said Fred. The organ had been the showpiece of their home in Reno, Nevada for many years. Then Fred and Eva 'retired' to Skagway, Alaska, where they built a home around the organ! Their home, and Fred and Eva, were always a 'part of the tour' for anyone visiting Skagway. When they decided to retire again - this time to Anacortes - they found that the home they had decided on was too small for the organ. They had planned to donate back to the original theatre in California, but when those plans didn't work out, they determined to find the instrument a new and long-term home. That's when the ever vigiliant Eva discovered the Opera Pacifica web site, where they discovered our plea for a theatre organ. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever imagine that we would not only be the recipients of a theatre organ - a vintage one, at that - but Fred and Eva also donated their own time, money and materials to install it. The Fox Theatre and the City of Centralia will forever be indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Eva Beeks for their kindness, their generosity, and their incredible energy and love of life. We hope to dedicate the organ this coming Spring to Fred and Eva Beeks. They've become part of the history of the Fox Theatre and the City of Centralia, and we thank them sincerely. We hope to be able to show silent movies with organ accompaniment in connection with the Seattle Film Festival late this year. The Fox Theater Resoration Project
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Restorations are ongoing at Opera Pacifica's Fox Theatre, located at the corner of Tower and Locust Centralia, Washington. 
Opera Pacifica Education and Repertory Association (O.P.E.R.A.) is a Western Washington opera company. We provide performance opportunities for aspiring professional vocalists and instrumentalists. We hold regular recitals, perform at fundraisers, and conduct classes and lecture series for young people and adults in music appreciation and performance.
Opera Pacifica is a Non-Profit 501©(3) organization founded on 3/20/2002.
Copyright© 2002-2007 Opera Pacifica, Inc.
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