If you've been following this series, you may remember Hotel Congress from our first story. Just across the street on Congress Street stands its twin. The Rialto Theatre was built around the same time, by the same architects, and the two buildings have watched over downtown together for more than a century.

The Rialto opened as a movie palace in the 1920s, back when going to the pictures was a grand night out. The theater's own history tells of a young manager named Roy Drachman, who later became a well-known Tucson developer. During his years there, he saw a little of everything. One patron went into labor in his office. Another simply dropped dead in the audience during a screening.

Then came the mid-1940s, and the story the theater is best known for.

A piano player was seated in the orchestra pit when his bench gave way. The heavy piano toppled over on top of him, and he struck his head against the concrete edge of the pit. He died of his injuries. Accounts differ on the details, and some say it was the piano's leg that failed rather than the bench, but the heart of the story stays the same.

Over the years, the Rialto went through plenty of changes. It became the Paramount, then a Spanish-language cinema, and eventually it was restored and given back its original name. Today it's one of the most celebrated concert halls in the Southwest, ranked among the busiest venues in the world.

Through every reinvention, the stories stayed. Some say you can hear footsteps when the building is empty. Others say musicians have felt a presence in the pit, as though someone is still listening to the show. A few believe there might be more than one spirit, including that of the moviegoer from the 1930s, or former tenants of the apartments above.

The next time you're at a show, take a look at the orchestra pit. Maybe you'll hear the music before the band starts playing.

Next Friday, our grand finale: a shrine built for a love that ended in tragedy.