Shea's Buffalo marks 100 years with the sound that started it all

Tickets available to Mighty Wurlitzer concert with international organist Richard Hills

Shea’s Performing Arts Center press release & photos

The celebration of Shea’s Buffalo Theatre’s 100th anniversary takes center stage again on Wednesday, July 8, at 7:30 p.m., when internationally acclaimed organist Richard Hills takes the bench for an unforgettable evening showcasing one of the theater’s most treasured icons – the mighty Wurlitzer organ. 

The program will trace a musical timeline of the theater’s history, spotlighting “Great American Songbook” composers with selections spanning from 1926 to the present day, with special recognition of the artists and shows that have graced the Shea’s stage.

The Mighty Wurlitzer was installed during the construction of Shea’s Buffalo Theatre in 1925 and has entertained audiences for the past 100 years. Shea’s Wurlitzer is one of the largest instruments built by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Co. of North Tonawanda and remains one of the finest and best preserved in the country. 

Shea’s is delighted to welcome Hills to Buffalo. He has had an esteemed education and career, winning numerous awards including 2010 Organist of the Year by the American Theatre Organ Society. Today, Hills is organist at St Mary’s, Bourne Street, in London. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists and serves as musical adviser to the U.K.’s Cinema Organ Society.

The event will also welcome music and organ enthusiasts from around the country visiting Shea’s as part of the 2026 American Theatre Organ Society convention with stops this year in Buffalo, Elmira, Corning, North Tonawanda, Rochester, Rome and Syracuse.

Shea’s Mighty Wurlitzer photos credit: Tom Burns

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Shea’s Mighty Wurlitzer represents virtually every instrument in a symphony orchestra and contains a complete set of percussion stops, including a large xylophone, marimba, harp, chimes, cymbal, kettle, snare and bass drums, orchestra bells, plus an array of sounds that were traditionally used to accompany silent films – auto horn, boat whistle, gong, bird whistle, etc. 

The concert is a feature event during Shea’s Buffalo Theatre’s centennial anniversary. Tickets are $15 and available through Shea’s box office at 650 Main St., or online at www.sheas.org/performances/mighty-wurlitzer-100th-anniversary-concert.