WILMINGTON — A celebration of a local landmark and the people who make it possible is upcoming.
The Murphy Theatre will host its first-ever piano recital at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, free to the public, featuring Wilmington’s own Barbara Price Leeds.
Leeds is excited to bring a selection of favorite piano works to the stage on the Yamaha C7 Conservatory grand piano, a recent gift from the Leland Family Foundation.
She will be joined by Craig Jaynes to play a selection of four-hand piano duets. Jaynes will also play the Allen theatre organ, which was donated by the family of Tom Hamilton in 2018.
“It’s a joy to be playing,” said Leeds.
The two were contacted by Murphy’s Executive Director Maretta Alden to perform.
The last time Jaynes performed at the Murphy was for the dedication of the organ at the centennial ceremony last year.
Leeds had played on stage years ago with the community band during a performance of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
“I have no personal connection to the theatre other than the organ,” said Jaynes. “But I’m theatre and a theatre organ buff. To see a venue like this preserved, maintained, and kept as beautiful as this theatre is, Wilmington has no idea how fortunate it is to have this.”
Not only do both consider their upcoming performance a tribute to the theatre and the people who keep it alive, they consider every performance played there to be of that nature.
Alden told the News Journal they’d like to see shows like this happen every other month with different configuration, but free to the public.
She added that the best way for these performances to continue is for people to pack the theatre and enjoy the concerts.
