Historic pipe organ played by Liberace donated to Hoyt Sherman Place
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This 1922 Wurlitzer pipe organ will be delivered to Hoyt Sherman Place Theater on Saturday. Photo: Courtesy of The Maloof Foundation via Hoyt Sherman Place
Hoyt Sherman Place's century-long wait for a pipe organ has finally ended, with a fully restored 1922 instrument — once played by Liberace — arriving in Des Moines on Saturday.
Why it matters: The instrument will enable the historic theater to broaden its entertainment offerings for choir performances, memorial services and other events that benefit from the richness and character of a pipe organ.
Catch up quick: The theater was built with organ chambers but has never housed one.
- That's primarily because of costs and because the instrument was seen as outdated between when the theater was designed in 1915 and when it was completed eight years later, Sherman Place's CEO Robert Warren tells Axios.
State of play: Hoyt Sherman officials have long sought to identify a 1920s-era pipe organ that matches the theater's chambers.
- Several had been identified but were ultimately rejected due to their condition or because the estimated costs of fitting and installing them were too high, Warren said.
Driving the news: The instrument is being donated to Hoyt Sherman Place by The Maloof Foundation, which is managed by the family that built the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
- The instrument was salvaged from the now-demolished United Artists Theater in Chicago and was used at the resort, then later at Phil Maloof's private penthouse on the 59th floor before he died in 2020, per Warren.
The intrigue: Although the instrument arrives on Saturday, it will not be installed until the theater completes fundraising for its installation.
- That cost will become clearer in the coming days, but could reach as much as $200,000, Warren said.
What's next: Hoyt Sherman supporter Brooke Benschoter has pledged a $50,000 match to encourage others to donate to the cause in memory of her grandmother, a former church organist at Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Danbury.
- Installation could be finished early next year if the campaign concludes quickly.