Silent SNOW WHITE Film to be Shown With Live Score at The Park Theatre
This special event will take place Sunday, May 4, at 4pm, at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey.
The 1916 silent film Snow White has been brought back to life with a live score composed and performed by harpist Leslie McMichael, accompanied by her sister Barbara McMichael on viola. This special event will take place Sunday, May 4, at 4pm, at The Park Theatre in Jaffrey.
The 1916 film, Snow White, which inspired a young Walt Disney to create his iconic 1937 animated masterpiece, had long been considered lost to time, rumored to have perished in a vault fire due to its flammable nitrate film stock. But a single theatrical print was discovered in the Netherlands in 1992, and a heroic restoration was performed by the George Eastman House film archive.
Leslie McMichael’s magical score seamlessly intertwines with the film’s expressive silent-era acting, enhancing the fairy tale’s timeless charm. The project began when Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum commissioned Leslie in 2016 to craft an original soundtrack for the film’s centennial, a debut that premiered to acclaim at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle. Performing together, the McMichael sisters have toured this unique presentation across the country, enchanting audiences with their delicate yet powerful musical interplay.
The press has showered this innovative pairing of silent film and live music with glowing praise, emphasizing the sisters’ ability to evoke the story’s emotional depth. Critics have noted Leslie’s meticulous approach—using modern tools like a DVD remote and digital timer to align her compositions with the film’s every scene—resulting in a soundtrack that feels both spontaneous and perfectly synchronized. “It’s thrilling to play live and pair the visuals of the film with my music,” Leslie shared in an interview, a sentiment echoed by reviewers who call the experience “spellbinding” (Epsilon Spires). Audiences of all ages have been delighted by this fresh take on a classic, with the McMichaels’ performances creating a cozy, family-friendly event that celebrates both film and fairy tale history.
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