Frankenstein With Bach Choir's Live Score

The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh is taking over the Row House Cinemas in Dormont on Saturday, October 24, for a live-scored screening of Frankenstein. It's the 1931 Universal Monsters classic directed by James Whale, with Boris Karloff in the title role alongside Colin Clive, Edward Van Sloan, John Boles, and Mae Clarke. The film is a silent one in this version, and the music is where the whole thing comes together.

Artistic Director Thomas W. Douglas wrote an original R&B-inspired score for the movie, and the Bach Choir is performing it live right there in the theater with a band. It's a 90-member ensemble, known for a repertoire that runs from the Renaissance to the present, so seeing them tackle an R&B score for a horror movie is a bit of a departure from their usual choral work. The choir and the band play along with the film as it runs, replacing the original sound with Douglas's music.

Row House Cinemas bills the screening as part of its mission to build a stronger film community in Pittsburgh through unique programming, and this fits the bill. It's not just a movie night; it's a full performance. The film itself is a cornerstone of early horror, and the live score gives it a completely different energy than you'd get watching it at home.

The screening is at The Haunted Hollywood MegaScreen at Row House Cinemas, 1449 Potomac Ave. in Dormont, running from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Tickets are $40 for adults.