A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 56

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I > Part 56

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On September 6, 1875, the theater which cost two hundred thousand dollars to build, was opened. It was the greatest theatrical event in Cleveland's history, for playgoers loved Uncle John and really intended to help him put the theater on a self-supporting basis. Bronson Howard's "Saratoga" was the play, with the following cast :

Mr. Robert Sackett Mr. Joseph Whiting

Jack Benedict. Mr. Henry Meredith

Papa Vanderpool Mr. J. B. Curran

Hon. Wm. Carter .Mr. John Ellsler

Remington . Mr. Alex Fisher

Sir Mortimer Muttonleg Mr. J. M. Pendleton

Mr. Cornelius Weathertree Mr. W. H. Compton

Mr. Luddington Whist. .Mr. H. Fitzgerald

Frederick Augustus Carter Mr. J. S. Haworth

Gyp

Mr. Jas. Murray

Effie Remington

Miss Effie E. Ellsler

Lucy Carter

Miss Rosalie Jack

Olivia Alston

Mrs. Effie Ellsler

Virginia Vanderpool Mrs. Nellie Whiting

Mrs. Vanderpool Mrs. Harry Jordan

Mrs. Gaylover

Mrs. Estelle Potter

Muffins . Miss Mollie Revel

Lilly Livingston

Miss Lulu Jordan

Aggie Ogden Miss Henriette Vaders

Pusy Little Sammy Dunsyser

Little Vivia Ogden Larks

The play was not altogether "the thing" that night, for there was speechmaking, dedicatory exercises and what not, and it was long past midnight when the final

Mr. Chas. Hawthorne

Frank Littlefield.

From an old cut THE OPERA HOUSE WHEN ERECTED 1875 The main entrance was on Sheriff street as here shown

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

curtain dropped. The stock was still the fashion those days, traveling combina- tions having made only slight inroads on the permanent combinations supported by large cities. But unlike the stock companies of the present day, these compa- nies supported some star, the stars usually changing from week to week. The cast as printed above was the first Euclid Avenue Opera House stock company. Ellsler was proud of his players and was anxious to exhibit them without a star.

Stars came and went after the first week, and such well known performers as Lawrence Barrett, Alice Oates, Maggie Mitchell, Barry Sullivan, Lotta, George Rignold. W. J. Florence, Edward H. Sothern helped to fill out the first season. Practically the same stock company was retained for the season of 1876-77. Trav- eling companies were not quite so scarce, compelling the stock company to make occasional trips into the country. One of the great attractions of that season was Mlle. Aimee in a repertoire of French comic opera. The season of 1877-78 found Frank Weston, who later became Effie Ellsler's husband, as the leading man, and there were minor changes in the company which included Adelaide Detchon, who later became a celebrated whistler.

That season witnessed an event, which, notwithstanding the city's tremendous growth since that time, has never been duplicated, a two weeks' engagement of America's greatest tragedian, Edwin Booth, supported by the stock company. This memorable event began November 19, 1877 and the list of parts comprised besides Hamlet and Iago, Booth's best characterizations, "Richelieu," "Henry VIII," "The Taming of the Shrew," "Brutus," "Richard III," "King Lear," "Richard II" and the "Merchant of Venice." It was during this season Modjeska made her first Cleveland appearance and the elder Sothern first presented here his odd conceit of "The Crushed Tragedian."

There were not many important changes in the stock company during the year of 1878-79, and an event of importance was the first production on any stage of W. D. Howells' "A New Play," the title of which was changed the succeeding season to "Yorick's Love." The play was written for Lawrence Barrett, who starred in it and gave it its initial presentation at the Opera House, October 25, 1878.

For "Uncle John" things were going from bad to worse, he lost all he had ac- cumulated in a lifetime and a brief career of three years at the Opera House accom- plished his financial ruin. Ellsler tried to save himself by transferring his com- pany to the Academy of Music, but the remedy was applied too late. The house was sold at sheriff's sale to Marcus A. Hanna, later Mckinley's discoverer and political manager and United States senator. Mr. Hanna bought the theater at about one-third of the actual cost of construction. Later, he said he had no idea of buying the theater but happened in while the sale was in progress and before he was aware of it the theater was knocked down to him. Ellsler finished the season under salary from Hanna, and on June 30, 1879, he was given a farewell benefit, appearing as the Indian chief, Powhattan, in "Pocahontas," and when that night he stepped out of the stage door into Sheriff street, he left the place forever. When Ellsler terminated his career at the Opera House, the stock sys- tem went with him forever and when the season of 1879-80 opened it was trans- ferred into a combination house under the management of L. G. Hanna, M. A. Hanna's cousin. The opening week was September 1, 1879. Of course it was the first class theater of the city and though many years have passed, and numerous

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

theaters have been built in Cleveland since, its star has thus far not been dimmed, the best attractions, including recent New York successes, being given their first local production in that house.

L. G. Hanna remained the Opera House manager until A. F. Hartz was turned out of house and home at the Park theater now known as the Lyceum. This fire occurred in the beginning of 1884, when M. A. Hanna called Hartz to succeed L. G. Hanna as manager, who had a farewell benefit at the Opera House May 28, 1884, the production being "Pinafore." A week later Tony Pastor, at that time king of the vaudeville stage, played an engagement at the Opera House and that finally ended L. G. Hanna's career as manager of the Opera House.

June 9, 1884, Hartz took hold of the destinies of the house, the first play under his management being "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The regular season of 1884-85 began August 28, 1884, with Barlow & Wilson's minstrels. From season to season the best the country afforded was booked at the Opera House. Then came a fire-October 24, 1892-which destroyed it. The attraction was Havlin's "Su- perba." Mr. Hanna rebuilt the house on a more magnificent scale than ever and reopened it under Hartz's management, September 11, 1893, with Richard Mans- field in "Beau Brummel." Seats were sold at auction and the event surpassed in brilliancy the opening of the house eighteen years before. It was during this week Mansfield refused to finish the play after the first act because there hap- pened to be something the matter with the new curtain. This resulted in consid- erable litigation.

The Opera House became the Cleveland home of the Klaw & Erlanger theatri- cal syndicate. Hartz has continued as its manager right along, playing from season to season the best stars and combinations the American stage affords.

THE LYCEUM.

The Park Theater, now known as the Lyceum, opened its doors, October 22. 1883, with "The School for Scandal," the same comedy which some thirty years before opened the Academy of Music. The cast was as follows :

Lady Teazle

: Mlle. Rhea

Wm. Harris Charles Surface

Sir Peter Teazle

Robt. G. Wilson

Mr. Oliver George Woodward

Careless . W. G. Reynier

Joseph Surface John T. Sullivan

Crabtree

. Leo Cooper Moses

. Leo Cooper

Sir Benjamin Backbite.

J. R. Amory

Rowley Owen Ferree

Snake C. N. Drew

Trip

Edwin Davies

Mrs. Candour Mrs. Ella Wren

Lady Sneerwell

Miss Eugenie Lindeman

Gracie Hall Maria

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

The house was built by the Wick family and A. F. Hartz was installed as manager. Mr. Hartz expected to make of the Park Theater a rival of the Opera House and he made the opening night a brilliant social event ; a reception to Mlle. Rhea at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Dudley B. Wick, following the perform- ance.

The Hess Opera Company in grand and light opera followed. Some of the succeeding bookings that season were Lizzie Harold, "The Black Crook," "Sibe- ria," Denman Thompson in "Joshua Whitcomb," Margaret Mather in a week of the legitimate, "The Squire," "The Silver King," and similar attractions.

The very first season the house fell prey to the flames. The attraction at the time of the fire was George H. Adams' company in "Humpty Dumpty." The date was Saturday, January 5, 1884, between the time the audience left and Sunday morning. Mr. Hartz lost all his belongings in the fire, and while the Wicks were considering the advisability of rebuilding, Hartz was called to the Opera House.

When the house was rebuilt and reopened September 6, 1886, "Uncle John" Ellsler again stepped to the front as local theatrical manager, with his son John J. Ellsler as treasurer. The Carleton Opera Company opened the house in "Nanon." This was followed by such attractions as "The Private Secretary," Rosina Vokes, Lilian Olcott, The Conried Opera Company, J. K. Emmett, Rhea, the McCaull Opera Company, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Florence, Aimee, Janauschek, Robert Mantell, and similar first class plays and players. May 16, 1887, "Captain Cupid," a comic opera by Puehringer, Sage and Rose, received its first produc- tion on any stage at this theater.

During the season of 1887-88, the quality of the attractions was not up to the first season's standard and again Ellsler stepped out of a Cleveland theater a poor man, never to return as manager, June 13, 1887, being his last appearance on the stage of the Lyceum while still its manager. It was at a revival of "Alladin," Ellsler playing his well known pantomimic part of Kazrac, the dumb slave.

The succeeding season, that of 1889-90, the name of the Park Theater was changed to the Lyceum. The Miller Brothers and Charles Frohman of New York, became the lessees and James G. Miller the local manager. The old house with the new name, refurnished and beautified, opened September 2, 1889, with W. J. Scanlan as the star. The succeeding attractions were above the average and the house promised to become quite a lively rival to the Opera House. To- masso Salvini, the great Italian tragedian, appeared during the season, so did E. H. Sothern, the Kendals, the Carleton Opera Company, Rosina Vokes, "Little Lord Fauntleroy," "Captain Swift" and similar first-class plays. Before the close of the season, Frohman decided that he had given the house sufficient test, with- drew and left the theater to the Miller Brothers, who remained another season. The quality of attractions were not up to the standard of the previous season, although such plays as "The Burglar" and "Shenandoah" received their initial Cleveland productions that year.

Then came Brady and Garwood as managers with Whiting Allen as local rep- resentative. Allen remained a short time and in April, 1892, Chas. H. Henshaw was installed as local manager. Henshaw remained several seasons, and after

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

the usual ups and downs, the house was leased by the E. D. Stair syndicate, with frequent changes of local management.

The house has remained under the Stair management ever since. The line of attractions has never varied. The plays are usually the kind that have been seen at first-class houses a season or so and which play at popular prices at theaters of the Lyceum order. Occasionally plays are presented and stars seen at the Lyceum that are absolutely new in Cleveland.

THE PEOPLE'S THEATER.

A theater few of the playgoers of today remember was known as the People's, located on Euclid avenue, a short distance east of the Opera House. It was a sort of a temporary affair and lived a short time only. Originally a skating rink, it was opened in January, 1885, under the management of B. C. Hart, who at one time ran the Theater Comique. The opening attraction was a farce comedy, "Collars and Cuffs," with Chas. Gilday and Fannie Beane as stars. The quality of some of the other attractions, considering the nature of the house, was sur- prisingly good at times. Among them may be mentioned "The Two Orphans," "East Lynne," and similar plays; "Pinafore," "Mascotte," "Olivette" and other comic operas popular in those days. The season following witnessed the pro- duction of "Monte Cristo," "Lady of Lyons," "Leah, the Forsaken," and "Ham- let," "Romeo and Juliet," and other Shakesperean plays by the woman star Louise Pomeroy. Daniel Bandman, who in his prime was considered a good tragedian in England appeared in "The Corsican Brothers," "The Hunchback" and similar plays. Then followed another season during which Maude Granger produced "Article 47," "Camille," and "Frou Frou." Even old Joe Proctor appeared in this house as Virginius and Richelieu and in the old hair raiser known as "The Nick of the Woods." Newton Beers starred here in May, 1886, in "Only a Woman's Heart," followed by Frank Aiken, Frank I. Frayne the apple shooter and other old timers.

After these comparatively good stars and pieces at popular prices the wife of the manager starred in "Poppie, the Mail Girl," and "Lost and Won." This happened in August, 1887, and that was its finish except for a series of circus stunts which finally wound up its brief career.

THE CLEVELAND.

And then the Cleveland Theater with its gory and blood and thunder history, which wound up its career as a caterer to the bloodthirsty and hero worshipers on the night of March 5, 1910, with a dramatization of the Elsie Siegel Chinese trunk mystery case. The succeeding Monday, March 7, it was opened as a cheap vaudeville and moving picture house. Two weeks later the cheap drama again held sway there.

The Cleveland, on St. Clair avenue, though recognized as the sensational, melodramatic theater of the city, where murders were committed and heroic rescues "pulled off' every night in the week and six matinees, was not entirely devoted to slaughter during the quarter century of its existence. It was built

EFFIE ELLSLER

CLARA MORRIS As

She Looked When a Resident of Cleveland

JOHN A. ELLSLER

JAMES BARRETT Appeared often in the Older Halls and Theatres of Cleveland.

Photographs courtesy of Maurice Weidenthal

EDWIN BOOTH Appeared often in Cleveland in the old Music Hall. Was a Friend of John Ellsler.

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

by the late Charles H. Bulkley. Drew, Sackett and O'Donnell were the lessees and Frank M. Drew, now the manager of the Star Theater, the manager. The house was opened October 19, 1885, by Charles L. Andrews' Company in "Michael Strogoff," with Joseph Slayton in the leading part. A ballet was introduced as a special feature. "The Ivy Leaf" followed and the third week witnessed the legitimate by Daniel Bandman producing "Hamlet," "The Merchant of Venice," "Lady of Lyons," "Richelieu," "Othello," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Richard III." Melodramatic plays popular a quarter of a century ago followed, also stars of the order of George C. Boniface, Edwin Thorne, Katherine Rogers, Baker and Farron, Edwin Arden and Dore Davidson. Early in the season the firm of man- agers had some trouble and Drew became the sole manager and at the close of the first season Drew also quit the place.

Then came H. R. Jacobs, the "King of Diamonds," the man who traveled in a private car and who inaugurated cheap theaters in many cities. His first season at the Cleveland, the name of which he changed to H. R. Jacobs' Theater, opened in September, 1886, with Joseph Frank as local representative. The opening attraction was "The Lights O' London," one of the best plays of that kind ever written. This was followed by melodramas of a more substantial character than those in vogue years later. These plays were sandwiched in between comedies and comic operas. The Wilbur Opera Company played a long season there, so did Corinne, Florence Bindley, Mattie Vickers, Lizzie Evans and stars of the same caliber.

Frank Beresford was the local manager the succeeding season, and the season following that, the quality of the bookings remaining about the same. Beres- ford's successor was Charles H. Henshaw, whose season opened August 19, 1889, with "Woman Against Woman." Henshaw remained its local manager three seasons, and during the week of December 7, 1891, the house was totally destroyed by fire. Julia Stuart was the star at the time of the fire and Bartley Campbell's "The White Slave" the play, but as in previous and subsequent theatrical fires in this city, all the trouble came while there was no audience in the playhouse. Man- ager Jacobs made immediate arrangements for the reconstruction of the house which was reopened March 21, 1892, with the Miller Opera Company in "Ship Ahoy." A short time after the reopening Henshaw left to go to the Lyceum and he was succeeded by Joseph Frank. It was Jacobs' method to change his representatives constantly and he did so until he finally. gave up the theater altogether. When the Brady interests, and later the Stair syndicate, secured possession of the Cleveland, the original name of the Cleveland Theater was restored, and for a long time Henshaw held the managerial reins over both the Cleveland and Lyceum.

Shortly after Henshaw left, the Cleveland worked into the extreme sensational groove, from which policy it never deviated until it became a variety show and moving picture house in March, 1910.

TIIE STAR THEATER.

The Star Theater on Euclid avenue was the first local playhouse now entirely given over to burlesque, but it was not opened as such. It was known originally

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

as the Columbia Theater and was built by Waldemar Otis. Its first manager was B. C. Hart. The opening night was Monday, September 12, 1887, with Hanlon's "Fantasma." The succeeding attractions were James A. Herne in "The Hearts of Oak," Minnie Maddern in "Caprice," and "In Spite of All." Maude Banks, Marguerite St. John, Frank I. Frayne, Kate Castleton, Dan Sully, "The Streets of New York," Alice Harrison, Lizzie Evans, "A Bunch of Keys," "Alvin Joslin," Mattie Vickers, vaudeville, minstrels and comic opera companies. The succeeding season was about the same as the first from an artistic point of view, but there was a change of management. A. W. Burlison and D. C. MacWatters were the lessees and Edwin C. Hilton, the manager.

The name of the house was changed in 1889 to the Star, and February 17th of that year it was opened under the management of W. S. Robison and James S. Cockett, both newspaper men. They played a varied list of combinations and at the close of their first season they also quit.

Then followed Frank M. Drew, who has remained its manager ever since. The theater under the Drew regime opened August 29, 1889, with Al G. Fields' minstrels. Plays now and then followed but vaudeville predominated. The next two years still found farces, dramas and even occasional comic operas in the Star. By and by there was little outside of vaudeville and finally its policy changed entirely and in the '90s it became the burlesque house of the city, playing that class of attractions to this day.

THE EMPIRE THEATER.

. While in common with all other American cities, Cleveland in its early days had its quota of vaudeville, then known as "variety," the real reign of vaudeville and the real craze for that form of amusement began with the construction of the Empire Theater on Huron road. Up to that time the vaudeville was fairly well divided with other forms of entertainment, but at present vaudeville seems to run riot and at this writing, without counting the numerous moving picture shows and the little neighborhood vaudeville theaters, there are seven playhouses in Cleveland devoted to that form of entertainment exclusively.

The Empire was opened as a regular vaudeville house and for that matter it is still in the same line of business, for burlesque so-called is only vaudeville under another name. The date of opening was the latter part of 1901. Eirick was the first manager and La Marche was associated with him later. They were suc- ceeded by Shay, Chase and several others. Finally the Columbia Amusement Com- pany leased it, converted it into a burlesque house and it has been running as such ever since.

For one season, or at least a good part of one, between vaudeville and bur- lesque the Empire was a stock company house when William Farnum headed a good company in a round of modern and standard plays.

PROSPECT THEATER.

The playhouses opened in Cleveland during the last decade or so, were not epoch making. Important productions were given from time to time in some of them, but little if any local dramatic history was made in them.

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

There was a race for opening between the Prospect and Colonial Theaters. Both were built about the same time and for a time there was rivalry between them. The Prospect being located next to the Colonial hotel, Manager A. F. Hasty, for whom it was built, expected to call it the Colonial, but the Colonial got ahead of Hasty and he was obliged to call his theater the Prospect. The house was opened in 1903 with the Baldwin-Melville Stock Company and for several seasons it was a stock house and grew in popularity.

In time Hasty disposed of his interest in the house to Keith. The name was changed to Keith's Prospect Theater and finally to Keith's Theater and for sev- eral seasons under Manager Daniels it set the pace for high class vaudeville, until Keith leased the Hippodrome when Keith's had a Kaleidoscopic career, moving pictures, cheap vaudeville, a season of Vaughan Glaser Stock Company following each other in rapid succession.

This season it opened with a fairly good stock company followed by another after the first succumbed and finally the name changed back to the Prospect and became the home of second class vaudeville.

Keith's has also been the home for a long time of the German drama, a German stock company of Cincinnati playing there consecutive Sundays.

COLONIAL THEATER.

The Colonial Theater on Superior avenue has developed gradually as the first real rival of the Opera House which opened in 1875 and had the field practically to itself until the Shuberts got possession of the Colonial. Shubert has been for several seasons presenting what are known as anti-trust attractions, making Cleve- land one of the important centers in which the Klaw and Erlanger trust and the Shuberts are conducting the fight of their lives. When the struggle began but few stars and combinations had the nerve to come out in the open against the securely intrenched and long organized trust, but at this writing the attractions are fairly well divided and the breach is widening from season to season, the result being that the Colonial never lacks for attractions of the first class.

The house was built by the McMillans of Detroit. Shortly after its opening in 1903 it was leased by Drew and Campbell of the Star Theater and it was then a question whether the Colonial should take the place of the Star as a burlesque house. For a time it was used for vaudeville and ultimately it was converted into a home for the Vaughan Glaser Stock Company where that matinee idol won his greatest conquests.

Ultimately, Drew and Campbell sublet the house to Ray Comstock, who is playing the Shubert's attractions. But before Comstock took the house Drew and Campbell ran some of Shubert's companies in the Colonial. F. O. Miller is man- aging the theater for Comstock.

THE GRAND.

The Grand, on East Ninth street, had its ups and downs for a number of sea- sons. It was built by the Cleveland German Theater Company as a home for Ger-

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

man comedy, drama and opera and reconstructed from a German Lutheran church, East Ninth street and Bolivar road, into a theater, the style of architecture being the art nouveau.

It was called the Lyric and as an exclusive German theater it failed to pay, so the stockholders decided to abandon the project and for several seasons it was open to experiments. Finally the Marks and Harris Amusement Company took hold of it and changed the name to the Grand. It is conducted as a vaudeville house under the local management of Julius Michaels.

THE HIPPODROME.

The most beautiful and complete theater of Cleveland and one of the most perfect in the country, the Hippodrome, whose name may shortly be changed to the Auditorium, was opened, December, 1907. It was financed by the Orchestra leader, Max Faetkenheuer to be used as a home for great spectacular productions and operatic performances on a large scale. The Hippodrome building fronting on Euclid avenue and Prospect avenue was constructed at a cost of one million, eight hundred thousand dollars, of which the theater proper cost about eight hun- dred thousand dollars. The house proved to be too colossal for the city and as a theater for spectacles fashioned after the New York Hippodrome it failed. Money was sunk in the venture, Faetkenheuer himself being among the financial sufferers. The house holds an audience of about four thousand, five hundred and while the stupendous spectacles with which it opened were fairly well patronized the pat- ronage did not reach the point of profit. A memorable event was a season of grand opera for which the theater is peculiarly well fitted, the auditorium being so enormous that it is not necessary to charge exorbitant admission prices.

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 56

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262