Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-22
OPERA HOUSE WANTED.


II
/ To the Editor Of the Union and American.
From time to time have rsad from your
columns articles advocating the building a
suitable Opera+house or Thsater-buildina
in Nashville. These articles, although e
some aver, are upon g hackneyed theme
and are worn thread bare, yet ] ventura
the assertion that there has not bean 3
single one published that has not created 3
deal of conversation and speculation in "a
rious circles. One hears the matter talked
Of IN hotels, at the dinner table, in buziness
houses and especially at evening parties,
everybody, male and female, eagerly ask-
ing the reason Why Nashville is not sap
Piled with some frst-class place Of enter
tsinment. Lam sure, Mr. Editor, that the
fault does not lay with you,- nor indeed
with any Of the city press, for no better
champions of refined and elegant amuss-
ment exist in our midst, every oommuni-
cation bearing on the subject, and every
point that can be made q point Of, Is
seized by you and turned to advantage,
and yet capitalists or landholdsrs evinco
the utmost apathy and RORchdLance on the
subject. Various projects bave bean ssshk--
en- OF; prominent among them are, the re-
modelling Of either the old or the rev
theaters, or the reconstruction Of Masonic
Hall Yet none Of these seem practicable,
or at least, do not strike the popular chord.
Some will argue uninyiting surroundings
and inconvenient location of the old
theater, the proximity of negro drinking
saloons, livery stables, etc, and 50 effsc-
tually do away with that idea. Others in
speaking Of the new ~ theater are loud
and bold in their denuneiation Of its
claims. They know it only as a mush-.
room concern, BADLY constructed, lily pro-
vided with stage appurtenances and Alto
gether placs that has seen its day IN his
trionie affairs. The Masonic Hall in all pro-
liability would be more popular but hon
the fact that universal opinion has gone
abroad that the building Is unsafe, and WI
some time or other tumble in and cause
lively work for the undertakers. Now
whether this opinion is well founded on
whether Masonic Hall itself is well found
ed, 1t remains not with me to say. F
No, the truth of the business Is that no
place Of amusement will attain popularity
and success in Nashville unless it is drst-
class. Good theatrical companies viii not
come here and stoke their regulations on
performances IN houses which, instead Of
lending aid, from their miserable construc-
ton detract from the interest Of the play.
People who support the muse in Nashviils
are not willing to pa;ronizs houses whsrs
the immortal drama Is horribly maneIed
for the want of room. Country merchants
stay away because there is no place of
open, and yet the business
men of Nashville, they who possess the
magic means. and could, like Aladdin,
cause to be erected almost as quickly
splendid temple, worthy of the fame and
sxcelleuce Of their city, stand idly by with
their hands elbow deep in their breeches-
pockets and if they do not boot at the idea,
end no aid, make no step forward which
S Just as bad, and so the thing dies Of
tseh. Let some of our business men
AXE hold of this thing and push it forward
o happy and successful completion.
Jnth they do, lovers of the muse, tragic or
'omic, will have to rest uHc0Rteatei, await
ng for something to turn up" like
WILKINS MICAvBm. ~