Doors – 7:00 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $12 

Shorts Program: The Goat (1921) and One Week (1920)  

48min | NR | Comedy | United States  

Feature: Sherlock Jr. (1924) 100th Anniversary Screening! 

45min | NR | Comedy/Fantasy | United States 

Live organ accompaniment by Dennis Scott

A season of Silents at the Senate would not be complete without the timeless pairing of cinema and physical comedy—SLAPSTICK!

With two classic shorts and one short feature directed and starring the most deadpan titan of silent comedy, An Evening with Buster Keaton is sure to delight.  

Irate cops stepping into open elevator shafts, a crudely assembled house with teetering walls, a movie screen turned into a doorway toward which a dreamer falls, searching for a way back to his beloved. Even after a century or more, his films—overflowing with physicality, absurdity, mischief, and even wonder—remain as captivating and hilarious as ever. They are . . .

PURE MOVIE MAGIC!

And their magic will be made all the more powerful by the internationally known silent film accompanist out of Chicago, Dennis Scott. At the console of our Mighty Wurlitzer theater pipe organ, Mr. Scott is sure to show off our instrument’s kaleidoscopic tonal color without ever showing up the images on the screen as he creates a live film score in real time, right before your very ears! 

A LIVE FILM SCORE IN REAL TIME, RIGHT BEFORE YOUR VERY EARS!

Be sure to stick around after the show for a chance to ask the organist a question and take a tour of the organ pipe chambers. This is a rare opportunity to get an up-close look at the inner workings of this marvelous musical machine! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts 

Parking is available in a gated parking lot on Gilbert St., behind the theater.

Sat. Mar. 30 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

2hr 7min | PG | Drama/Musical | USA 

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom! Your heart will sing. Como me duele! Your heart will break. 

Selena tells the story of the rise and sudden death of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the trailblazing Mexican American singer, and the tight-knit family who made it all possible.

Released just two years after her tragic death, (with deep involvement and consent from the family) Selena the film has served as a loving monument to the “Queen of Tejano Music” for over a quarter century. 

Directed with sincerity and respect by Gregory Nava this modern classic has endured. It guides viewers through an uplifting musical journey, made real by the touching performances of stars Jennifer Lopez (in her breakout role) and legendary Mexican American thespian, Edward James Olmos. In the process it has ensured the legacy of its subject, allowing her music and light to shine beyond her time, inspiring new generations who otherwise may have never heard her voice. 

We could fall in love with her. 

So come to the Senate and fall in love (again) with Selena! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society is supported by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue

Sat. Dec. 2 

Doors – 7:00 PM 

Organ Overture – 7:30 PM 

Film – 8:00 PM 

Tickets - $6 

2hr 10min | PG |Drama/Comedy | USA 

Merry Christmas, Detroit! Merry Christmas Michigan Avenue! Merry Christmas you wonderful old Senate Theater! 

We’re kicking off the season of giving this year by bringing you It’s a Wonderful Life. More than seventy-five years on, this enduring holiday classic remains just as romantic, funny, and heart wrenching as ever.  

You’ve seen it again and again, but now you can see it on the big screen in a theater that was playing movies back in 1946 when this classic was released. 

George Bailey (James Stewart) is an idealist, dedicated to his family and neighbors. Almost universally beloved, he is known as a man of integrity and generosity, living his entire life within the quaint confines of his hometown. But will a stifled ambition, the cruelty of fate, and the darkness lurking beneath his picturesque surroundings lead him over the edge of despair into ultimate destruction?  

You probably know the answer. But the strength of this film, where integrity, generosity and the power of community defeats deceit, greed and a lust for power, is that knowing the end doesn’t matter. It never gets old, watching the life story of our flawed but thoroughly decent hero. We laugh and cheer at his triumphs. We ache and cry with him in his moments of darkness. We long to descend into the picture as Clarence, his guardian angel, descends from heaven to save his soul. 

Come experience this beautiful picture once again at the Senate. We’ll see you there! 

The Senate Theater and The Detroit Theater Organ Society, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization, is supported in part by The Michigan Arts and Culture Council and The National Endowment for the Arts. 

Parking is available in our gated lot, on Gilbert, and Michigan Avenue