See the world’s first vampire film the way it was meant to be seen, with a live musical accompaniment.
The historic Newtown Theatre will present “A Night of Silent Terror” on Saturday, October 28 at 8:00 p.m. The night will feature a screening of the silent film classic “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror.” The film will be accompanied by Not So Silent Cinema – a chamber music ensemble that performs live music to silent films.
Philadelphia composer Brendan Cooney composed this original score to Nosferatu in 2010 and Not So Silent Cinema has been performing it alongside the film ever since. Now in their 14th year, these live performances receive rave reviews from audiences.
Online tickets are $22 per person or $17 for theatre members. Any remaining tickets will be sold for $32 at the door on the night of the show (if available).
All seating is general admission.
About the Event
Prior to the mid-1920s, all movies were silent, and dialogue was transmitted through mute gestures, mime and title cards, which contained a written indication of the plot or key dialogue. For added effect, silent films were commonly accompanied by musicians who provided a live score in the movie house. The Newtown Theatre, which showed its first film in 1906, was one of these places.
“Nosferatu” is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife of his estate agent and brings the plague to their town. The film is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula.
Even with several details altered, Stoker's heirs sued over the adaptation, and a court ruling ordered all copies of the film to be destroyed. However, several prints of “Nosferatu” survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema and the horror genre.
The original score was composed by Hans Erdmann and performed by an orchestra at the film's Berlin premiere. However, most of the score has been lost, and what remains is only a partial adapted suite. Thus, throughout the history of “Nosferatu” screenings, many composers and musicians have written or improvised their own soundtrack to accompany the film.
HISTORIC RENOVATION FEE
In the summer of 2024, the historic Newtown Theatre will undertake Phase II of its master renovation plan, which includes renovating our balcony and expanding and improving our basement restrooms. To help pay for these exciting upgrades, we have implemented a $2 historic renovation fee on every ticket of $15 or more. This fee is just one part of an overall plan to raise the $600,000 required to make these upgrades. Thank you for supporting your historic hometown theatre!
DETAILS
Doors open at 7 PM and the film starts at 8 PM.
Beer, wine and canned cocktails will be available for purchase at the theatre before and during the show.
All ticket sales are final – please be aware of what event you are buying tickets for. Refunds or ticket “exchanges” will not be offered for any reason. If you can't attend an event, you're welcome to give your tickets to someone else. The name on the ticket does not have to match the person using it.
Need help finding your tickets? First, check your junk or spam folder in your inbox. If you don't see your tickets there, try to retrieve them here. If you have tried both of these things and you still don't see your tickets, please contact us for help.
Please bring your tickets! Electronic or hard copy is fine. We recommend printing them out (or saving them to your phone) as soon as soon as you buy them.
Members, please be prepared to present your membership card at the door.