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BY W. H- GARDNER.In the days when heroes were poor but proud, heroines persecuted but spotless, villains black-mus-tached and very, very villainous, and dramas prone to end in snowstorms, the old Tremont Opera House was in Its glory.For twenty-five years Its stage was trod by the great and the not-so-great, and its rafters echoed to the cheers or hisses of the Victorian ladies and gentlemen who thronged Its seats.Barret and Booth, Patti and the ‘Divine Sarah” played there, as did countless troupers whose names are not oven memories now. For'in its beydey the Tremont Opera House was Galveston’ premier playhouse and considered one of the best in the state.Tremont\ 1e. • . ' V-V Wl it nwrtw.f|XM Sitttwto j«a• sx*•X:n m •AMO tttft SMf WWXU•X-But the gentlemen In broadcloth and the ladles in brocade w'fio made up its audiences have given way lt;o the sleek-haired youth and thesleek-stockinged maiden of today.:and the drama has been replaced by the talkie. And the site which 1 once rang with the strains of “La ! Tosca” and “Carmine” now echoes \ to talk of stocks and bonds, and 1“latest fall shipments.” ;txuonu.\siAA.rtlt;ritar*-v -mm*.******.I* At lAl mSRLa nflBk • ■ i'• vC's’’1* .• 4Hiev• vl. 'a\v. *x *. “'.y- •. Vv• Ult;4 Hhf.v. 'y*r • \?»iThe Tremont Opera House was located on the southeast comer of Tremont and Market, the space now occupied by Ben C. Doherty's clothing store and the City National Bank building. It was built on the former site of the office of the Galveston News, which was de-ti222££-------‘ ffjw-*9+* •%)%% Vfcstfsius.rM^TW:eiiH «*...r•* f*t • • •stroyed by fire on the night of Oct. 24, 1889. There had been ’theatricalperformances given in Galveston since the ’40’s In “Sydnor’s Theater” a small wooden building adjoining the old News office. Butm*v.,u ***• •«. ... *r. *hm»#this, too, went im in the flames onGaV. r-.» ...+*■£«.* vHAV;that night, and Galveston was without an adequate playhouse.But Willard Richardson, one of the proprietors of The News, took immediate steps to remedy this, and soon after the fire started construction on the theater which was to become the Tremont Opera House.NEW THEATER OPENS.On the evening of Feb. 25. 1871. in a blaze of lights and glory, the new theater was opened with the production of Sheridan’s “School for Scandal.” The house was acked—everybody who was any-ody was there. The lesees at that time were Greenwall Brothers arid Prince. According to the program, T. H. Adams was architect of theErected In 1870 to provide Galveston v opening of Grand Opera House In 1805; robIt::,:. -j’SSSk£: J hjio*;h § ma *GLe£ ,1 SUiUSC9~ 5 1■ ---- ^ m tUy.J : *. v .. i■ • • .• •.. ix'jpv ;■. . ':;’;5: - ' 4 0 | ^ , » JiMg• ■. •• -i-i.• -v ’ *;r-r JiiJjbbuilding rind Hugh Pritchard and T. F. Hollis contractors and builders. Vining Bowers was stage manager, and J. Pi McCall “prop” man.“Mr. Henry Greenwall has charge of the front of the house,” the program stated, prices for that initial performance were: Orcbes-Bllled as “the finest organization in the world,” Miss Emily Soldene’s English Opera Company appeared at the Tremont Opera House Jan. 28, 1877, giving the opera, “Chllperic.” A copy of the proferam, printed on white satin, is in possession of the Rosenberg Library.Company was brought here from New Orleans largely through the efforts of Charles Fowler, Sr., and played at the opera house for one week. •Jra chairs, $1.50;. parquette, $1.50; cldress circle, $1; gallery, 50c; private boxes, $10.The Performance was opened by Aubreys overture, “Le Cheval de Bronze.” Richard Madden was conductor of the seven-piece orchestra. After the overture Miss Augusta L.Dargon read a poem written by George D. Prentice.Among the past were several well known actors and actresses from New. York and New Orleans stage. The program closed with the musical burletta “Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale.”When the playhouse was firstfli'st opened It was known as theNew Galveston Theater, but this name was soon changed to the Tremont Opera House, although the entrance was on Market street. The main Auditorium was on the second floor and was entered by a broad flight of steps leading up from the street.• During the first season the new theater was open the French OperaBooth and Barrett appeared there on their celebrated joint tour of the country, and Sarah Bernhardt played “La Tosca” and Camille” from the Tremont’s stage. One of the most memorable nights in the history of the old theater was when Patti was brought to Galveston. Every seat in the house was sold for $10, and the place was thronged.Between appearances of the professional stock companies amateur performances were put on by the old Histrionic Society, made up of some of the most prominent young people in town.Some of these performances were big successes; some forlorn failures.presented by amateurs from Col. S. H. Pope's military school. Most of the Histrionic Society’s plays were staged between the years 1879 and 1890.Evans. The Green walls again took control later, however, only to be succeeded by Spenser. In a short time, however, Henry Greenwall secured control for the third time and held it until the theater was abandoned. During the last season the theater was operated (1894) Dave Weis was manager.The building passed to the control of Houston business men upon the death of Its original owner, Richardson, in 1875, and they owned it until 1894, when it was purchased by E. S. Levy. The superstructure, with the exception of the iron portions and a small part of the rear wall was then torn down, and a building which was later acquired by the City National Bank and became known as the City National Bank Building, erected on the site.70LIFINewlife ini the res UnitedAmong the early plays - was an opera, “Th© Feast of the Roses,” written and presented ‘by . local' talent. Another was “Carmine, or the Trader at the Ford.” written in the ’70’s by Warren Baer, reporter for the News. This play failed to arouse much enthusiasm, however, and after the first performance was not repeated. Another failure was “La i Fitte. or the Pirate of the Gulf,” ' written by Prof. Louis Eyth, andBAR BENEATH THEATEROne of the features of the old Tremont was the bar which was located beneath it, on the first floor. There the gentlemen “out front” sought refreshment between Acts and after the show. The life qf this saloon almost coincided with that of the opera house. It was opened by Henry Toujouse and Arthur Michels soon after the Tremontwas completed, and after Michels’ death a few years later was conducted by Toujouse until the old theater closed in 1895.The Tremont Opera House, in addition to the regular theatrical performances was also the scene of the annual Monius Ball, helci during the carnival season, and predecessors of the present day Mardi Gras balls. A floor for dancing was built over the downstairs seats a few days before the ball, and was torn up after the carnival was over. The iaaj. Momus Ball was held in 1881.Shortly after tHe theater opened the management changed from Greenwall Brothers tari.d Prince to Fife, and then to Southerland andPalm Beach Preened for Winter;New Club to Set Society’s PaceGRAND OPERA HOUSEProgress, which destroys many things, was responsible for the passing of the old Tremont. On the night of Jan. 8, 1895, the new Grand Opera House was opened, and the day of the Tremont was past. The new playhouse was thrown open with as great a flourish as its predecessor had been a quarter of a century before. Again the house was packed with “beautiful ladies and gallant cavaliers,” but the setting was different. This time the opening production was “Daughters of Eve,” presented by a New York stock company. The Grand, which is now the’ Martini Theater, was packed to the roof with the “beauty and culture’’ of Galveston. On the mornirig before the new theater opened the Galveston News carried a story In tribute to the old theater whose day was done.The “lead” of that story is worth repeating. It read as follows:“The Tremont OpCra House isdark.“For nearly a quarter of a century has the old theater stood on the central corner of Tremont and Market; stood there through summer’s sunshine and winter’s woe; through the good old days and thepanies, preside Insurai Cal., bi Insura sion h Amerk all the was at the gei suranc ing th.selling follow* Canad; recent] life ini to th© said;“At date f(are av that thwas $1the Ur in fori suranc world’s try. wi ditions ing lifGlt;bad old days.“And what crowds of people have j trooped up and down those steep ■ front stairs. Some now lie ’neath i white shafts of marble in the silent city of the dead; others live in cities far removed, while many are . stiil here whose hearts will palpi- | tate, whose eyes will fill when memory carries them back to theo In
Newspaper Details
Galveston Tribune
Galveston, Texas, US
Sat, Dec 14, 1929
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Rosenberg L.
TX, USA 13 Mar 2019
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