Imre Kiralfy "THE BLACK CROOK" Sisters Ongar 1889 Denver, Colorado Program

Description

This is a rare February 11th, 1889 program from a revival of the landmark musical "THE BLACK CROOK" at the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, Colorado. (The original production opened September 12th, 1866 at Niblo's Garden in New York City and ran for 475 performances.) ..... Historical Background: "THE BLACK CROOK" has the distinction of being the first piece of musical theatre that conforms to the modern notion of a "book musical". The book was written by CHARLES M. BARRAS (1826-1873), an American playwright. The music was comprised of mostly adaptations, but some new songs were composed for the play, notably "March of the Amazons" by GIUSEPPE OPERTI, and "You Naughty, Naughty Men", with music by GEORGE BICKWELL and lyrics by THEODORE KENNICK. This production gave America claim to having originated the musical.
The Black Crook
is considered a prototype of the modern musical in that its popular songs and dances are interspersed throughout a unifying play and performed by the actors.
The Black Crook
was born when a dramatic group and Parisian ballet troupe joined forces in New York. Henry C. Jarrett and Harry Palmer had hired the ballet troupe to perform at the New York Academy of Music, but the troupe was left without an engagement when a fire destroyed the Academy. They approached Wheatley at Niblo's Garden to see if he could use them. Wheatley offered them a chance to participate in a musical "spectacle" by combining their ballet forces with Barras's melodrama. In operas, even comic operas with dialogue, the principal singers leave the dancing to the ballet troupe. In burlesque, music hall and vaudeville, there is little or no unifying story, just a series of sketches. So
The Black Crook
, with song and dance for the entire company, was an evolutionary step. In the late 1860's, as post-Civil War business boomed, there was a sharp increase in the number of working and middle class people in New York, and these more affluent people sought entertainment. Theaters became more popular, and Niblo's Garden, which had formerly hosted opera, began to offer light comedy. The production was a staggering five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, ran for a record-breaking 475 performances and exceeded a record-shattering one million dollars. The same year,
The Black Domino/ Between You, Me and the Post
was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy." (Reprinted in part from AbsoluteAstronomy.com) ..... Produced by IMRE KIRALFY, t
he cast of
The Black Crook
included the greatest living aerial arists, THE SISTERS ONGAR, the great grotesque dancer MONS. ARNOLD, the marvelous comical gymnasts, THE DARE BROTHERS, the musical eccentric artists BIBB and BOBB, Mr. J. K. VERNON, Mr. FRANK PETERS, Mr. W. H. BARTHOLOMEW, Mr. GEORGE ATKINS, Mr. L. RUBEL, Mr. F. STARR, Miss LOUISE ALLEN, Mrs. EDWARDS, Miss RAY ALLEN, Miss ELLA ATKINSON, Miss ROSE WATSON, Mr. ALBERT MARTINETTI, Mr. E. J. LEAN and Mr. CHARLES M. BLESSER ..... DETAILS: The 16 page playbill measures 7" X 10" inches and includes wonderful cover graphics, production credits, cast list, scenes, musical numbers and wonderful vintage advertising, but no cast photos or bios ..... CONDITION: With the exception of the date written in pencil at the top of the program, a light vertical fold and minor edge wear, this historic program is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.
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