Entertainment : Music & Magic Lanterns: Historic cinema returns to Vinton

Area residents have another chance to see some of the very first motion pictures ever made, thanks to an Iowa who loves history, especially the history of cinema.

Mike Zahs will return to Vinton at 7 p.m. this Thursday, April 28 for a Music & Magic Lanterns display. Accompanying the films will be the members of the Red Cedar Chamber music.

Last year, Zahs brought some of the earliest movies ever made, although they have been transferred to DVD and shown with a modern projector. The Magic Slides, however, will be displayed with a nearly 100-year-old Magic Lantern.

Music & Magic Lanterns is a multi-media concert, much like an entertainment and cultural experience you would have seen in the early 20th century. Three composers have used rare magic lantern slides from the collection of Michael Zahs as inspiration. The music ranges from Scottish Baroque sonata miniatures to three world premieres by composers Stephen Cohn (Los Angeles), Phillip Wharton (NYC), and Michael Kimber (IA). Don’t be surprised to hear stories and even a bit of poetry reading to accompany some of the finest music.

Zahs has been featured in several publications, including USA Today, after buying the films from the executor handling the estate of Frank Brinton, who opened one of Iowa's very first movie theaters in 1898.

Tickets for the event, which includes a wine and cheesecake reception, are $10 and may be purchased online at www.vintonpalace.org or at the door.

See an earlier interview with Zahs HERE.

See an interview about the event below:

[VIDEO]

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