Weill Center Organ

Weill Center For The Performing Arts

Sheboygan, Wisconsin

3/12 Kimball

The Sheboygan Theatre opened on February 28, 1928 and was built for the Milwaukee Theatre Circuit of Universal Pictures Corporation. Built in a Spanish Colonial Revival design, it had an original seating capacity of 1,600 and boasts a so-called “atmospheric” style providing the effect of twinkling stars to entertain theatre patrons.

The theatre originally had a 2-manual 7-rank Wurlitzer “Style E”, Opus 1828, installed in only one of the two organ chambers. In 1978 the Wurlitzer was sold, and the theatre was purchased in 1980 by the Marcus Corporation. The new theatre owners decided to “twin” the theatre and close the balcony. In 1989, however, the Sheboygan Community Theatre Foundation commenced efforts to acquire the theatre. In 1996, those efforts were successful, and a massive $9.75 million restoration of the theatre began. The theatre, now named the Stephanie H. Weill Center For The Performing Arts, is presently home to the local Symphony Orchestra, Youth Theatre, and other musical groups.

The 3-manual, 12-rank Kimball presently installed in the theatre was originally housed in the Orpheum Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. A Madison-area musician purchased the instrument from the Orpheum and installed it in his home. The instrument was subsequently acquired and reinstalled in its present home at the Sheboygan theatre beginning in 2002. The Kimball made its debut performance to a standing-room-only audience in the spring of 2003.

Main
Diapason / Diaphone
Concert Flute / Bourdon
String
String Celeste
Tibia Clausa (Wurlitzer)
Vox Humana (Wurlitzer)
Trumpet (“Style D”) (Wurlitzer)

Solo
Trumpet
Tibia
Vox Humana
Clarinet
Kinura