New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-01-05

elapsed 81 IT, icicsiion During that bret penod
n hs, pa d tL- Ugh &c lqnd- q Ave different
eceu- who have conducted three seasons. II opened
VIII the G-i-i and Mario troupe who, between The I'd
OotpbT and J0ih December 1854 gave about % per-
iofmsnces, the r hall under the mann gen.ent OF NJ
IL, %. ana the remainder lDder tnht 1T four wealthy
-t, ehLodeTr represented BY NJ. Pane. TIC Pces OF
flr-cu were 70 fr-t g. 90 Al pat- 90 The hou~c OK
,rii lha amphthcste- o. fourth ter, attended 20 sr-
CONN De-, 500 Of 1.-The mas-e-;' and place 80
On s'ruced 'hs nos. u he occupants, should ever
chance % De filed can have quite a good view ct
the performance could De obtained from Brooklyn
Hgh,s or The For. nj the Nagrov-. The admission to
this amphhca'cr fixed at 20 cents. Subsequently
during The season the - price was reduced to -.
Tlo second season commenced in February last I'M
der the management of Ole Bull & Co., and closed in
JUNE under that Of another committee of stockholders
During this Of about forty nights the prce was
81 30. The third season. the one Just concluded by
Mr. Paine commenced on the lst Of October last with
the following scale of prices: boxes parquette and
&" balcony, e. second circle, sl amphitheater, so
gents" Snbsequentlythey were reduced to the fol-
lowing standard with which the season closed "ad-
mission, 81; second seats, 20 cents extra amphi-
thester % cents
At the commencement of the season now terminated
the announcement Of Mr.. Paine's augmented prices
was fayoraby received by of the press and COM
mended and defended various grounds the chie OF
which was the assumption that the II the people
have nothing whatever TO do with the support of the
Italian Opera, and that the experiment Of affordmg it
at a cheap rate had been frequently tired and had al
was failed. A all our sy1npathies democratic as
We are believers in cheap music equally with cheap
newspapers, cheap lsks, cheap governments and all
other good things m the people should ENJOY AZ we
deemed the statement quite erroneous that the expert
ment Of cheap Italian Opera had ever been farly
tried aud had failed; a. We considered the special plan
of Mr. Paine unlikely 10 succeed. and feared that re-
heated failures might disheaen even the most hopeful
ard generous ike himself and prevent the chances
such as they are Of establishing Opera house-tor
these and many other were disposed at the
time to examine and refute the positions assumed. We
refraped however then aud while the season was IN
progress from publishing anything ON the subject from
a desire rot to otherwise than encourage such an
attempt already commenced. But if rumor is right,
notwithstanding Mr.. Peine's great lberality and hrm
hand the season Ike all preceding ones at the same
establishment has failed to remunerate, in moneyed
way. the manager. Italian Opera. therefore, as ut
present conducted cannot be called institution in
New-YoIk but it, existence is due solely 10 the pluck
and pocket Of a manager.
We however are not surprised al the disastrous
results of the fresh attempts to found the Italian
operd in Fourteenth street as scmexclnsiVe
institution on the London plan OF playing three times
week less than half the year. at prices double, treble
quadrupe, and sextupe those OF the theeters.
like result has attended nearly every one OF the sew
eral similar attempts made in this city during the past
thirty years. while during the same period theatrical
management has generally been regular, successful
and profitable business The main causes OF the sue
cess of the latter and failure of the former may be
thus stated:
Theatrical manager as a clas. in this city DO
steady safe and profitable business They sell amuse-
mcnt for the mass of the people, at old-estabshed
stands. well situated in great thoroughfares. They
charge cheap. fixed prices within the means OF all
customers. Their places of business are open six
nights a week during nine-tenths of the year. The
public always sure of finding the shop open, the
good. displayed and the prices unaltered, acquire the
habit of dropping in to make purchases, and in time
each manager thus secures a good run of custom.
Occasionally i'll seasons of general depression the
atricalamusemeu sellers like other merchants, are
oy ertaken by calamity but in the long run their profit
ana loss account SNOW rIgnt sItc OF
the ledger. Prosperity with them IS the rule.
Italian Opera managers, as a class, in this city do
an unsteady. unsafe, Improbable business They
sell an amusement which the great mass OF the people
ale told they cannot appreciate or viii not support
Their shops are away from great thoroughiares and
never become oldestablshe1 stands but after success
.ve failures are converted to other uses They charge
high and ever-vayng prices, far above the means oil
many who might be customers Their doors, instead OF
being always Open only 30 three times week Tor
few months and at fixed periods. The public have to
search first to find the place of business next TO dis
cover if it chance TO be OPEN and thirdly 10 ascertain
the cost Of the goods and calculate whether they can
afford TO purchase. The public generally docs not
choose to take so much trouble and so their custom
bestowed On the theater and withheld from the opera
house.
The success OF place of amusement depends on its
location construction and management. Location at
the busiest point of the greatest thoroughiare of the
city one Of the most essential elements OF success
We, ne find Church street Aston place and Fourteenth
street chosen successfully as sites tor Italian opera
Houses. OF these, the one at Astor place was the
least exceptionabe. Such choice localities as Rich'
mond Hill and Castle Garden were likewise the hcids
Of several regular campaigns and irregular sknishes
Of the Italian operate forces. The sites oil all tue
theaters in New.York have, on the contrary, with the
exception Of Burons which was built for an ltaiian
Opera House-been chosen in the heart oi the TWO
great thoroughfares, Broadway and the Bowery. 30,
too have all those OF all the Concert hall and Exbl'
tonrooms negro minstresy inclusive In every KIND OF
retail business wherein the purchaser the actuai con-
sumer the location Of the stand busy thoroushfare
j. Of the first importance The value OF shop IN
the ratio Of the number Of people who pas actualy
mas. it, very doorsand may chance to be tempted to
enter it, The greater number who pas on the west than