, 1873-11-16
E1aretzek Refuses to Bring Ills Opera
Company to Chicago.
He Is Afraid He Gould Not Make
Money at 81 O Head.
Mr.. McVickor Offers to Take the Con-
tract Off His Hands at
$4,000 a Week.
Maretzek Declines the Offer, and Nc
Wicker Proposes to Collect
tile Rent.

The failure Of MIX 11aretzek to bring hia
oporatio company TO Ohicago WIS not altogether
unexpected. Tho exorbitant price Of eeats waa
ono certain drawback. and accounted for rurnora
that tho Aenson would DO curtai1od ut my rato.
Tho sudden announcement TINT thoro was to bo
no opera impollcd n reporter to interview Afr.
MoVlckor last ovoning upon tho subject, with
tho following gratifying result:
Reportor--It Is reported TINT 1fr. Marotzck
and his opora-troupo are not coming to Chicago
--iB 1t true?
Mr. MoVicker-Ycs; WRa 30 informed by the
agent, Mr.. Joel. ut o'clock this afternoon.
Roportor-What is tho cause Of tho sudden
cancoling Of tho contract with you2
A1r. A1uVichcr-rhat T don't know. I told Mr..
Joel If It was monoy thoy wanted Iwould furnish
1t. Thoy had agreed to como hero, and in order
not to diBappoint tho people, offered oil tho
funds needed. NY oifer was not accepted and
mn III tho dark NJ to the reason for their refusal
to come.
Rcporter-Thoy refused to 80 to Cincinnati
also, did they not
Mr.. NlcVicker-Yes. They wore to 1laro beon
at Cincinnati this wock. joel wont there aud
looked around things looked blue, and A1arotzok
decided not to 60 thore. He came here and told
mo there was nothing at Cincinnati. Shortly
after his arrival he got 4 telegram from Hosa Of
the English Opera Company who assumed Tint
by giving up Cincinnati, they intended
to give up Chicago. HeHa wanted
their time. Had Joel consented, wo could
hayo made arrangements and had tho English
opora here, but he would not givo up, mud
could not mako him do it. Things looked bright
here, and Joel was in good spirits, advertised
frooly, md seemed to think they would haye d
good soaaon. They put out their announcements
Of two weeks opora--woak oporaa, operaa TINT
would not draw What arc called " oif-night
operas" Thoy commenced the sale of tickets
on Thursday morning. Tickets wont very Glow
ly, aud tho box-ofllco hadn't bean open moro
than two hours before joel began to think TINT
tho season would be afailuro, and tolegraphed to
A1arotzol that the Aalo waa terrible. told him
that ho Was foolish 10 tallo that view 30 carly;
that you couldn't always Judge by m advance
aa1e; that tho advance sales for Misc
Cushnnns Miss Noison's aoasous had
been slow, but still their engagements had
been brilliant and successful, and that he
must not bo guidod by it. Ho bocamo
very despondont. In the afternoon I began to
feel anxious about tho matter, Touring that they
would not como. I told him, when he first can1a
here, that the pr1ccs wero too high hut ho
said tlley could not make them any loss; that
they wore undor CONTRACT with Lucca, and
that slle bound them to a. l told him
they ought to go to her and tell her
they couldn't fulfill the contract, md mike
hor tako less. On Thursday afternoon made
him an offor Tho opera people arc continually
talking about their immonso exponsca and they
magnify them. My experience onnb1es mo to
approximate their expenses, md enables mo 10
know what risk to take. I offered them $4,000
week, but they wouldn't take it. They said it
wouldn't pay them. then offered to lot them
take 100000 beforo took cont for my rent,
If they didn't receive $40, 900 was to have no
rent. Ihat had no effect. This was in aboyanco
two days. Still thoy wouldn't say they wouldn't
como Yesterday (Frday)I told Joel wouldn't
DO tri1ed With any longer, and withdrew my
offer. told him in the first placo I would
taho tho opora on my own shoulders, mud
fix the prices at double my dramatic prices,
$3.50, 80, and 81, aud that could play to s20,-
600 a week at those ratos. Thai would have paid
them and mo too. s..
Roporter-When did you learn that they would
not come?
h1r. Mcyiclor- -Thoy didn't sny they would not
come until this afternoon at O'Clock. ,Jool had
received a telegram this morning from .Alaret-
EEK, telling him to make no move till ho heard
from him. At o'clock he carno In with d tolc-
gram saying ho would not CONC. don't know
Tho CAUSE of their refusal; could only assume
it, l told him not to lot money stand in the
way. I didn't wish Chicago to suffer in rcputa-
ton, by the loss Of the opera, for what lad oc-
eurr cd III Now York. We wanted tho opera
here.
Roporter-Do you think the prices asked too
high?
Alr. ntcViclcr--Woll, tho public aro to blame
for tho prices. They Worship tho operatic god,
and will pay anything asked. Thls WAS owl
dencod during tho last Lucca season. On her
nights the receipts were $1,000, $1,000, and
$4,000, while OH tho Kollogg nights thoy woro
betweon 500 and $1,000 whilo tho latter is
I'll acknowledged artist, but she waa not t1e
goddess. If Patti waa announced tomorrow,
aud the price fixed at $40, the house would be
full. II Luccu Bang the next night It would DO
ar. McVickor regretted that the opera would
not come Ills arrangements with N1iBa Cusluau
woro such TINT l,o could do nothing, ~ would 10
seon from his card, which il publisled, as fol-
lows !:
~ MovleKEns THEATRE % o'clock =. m; Nov, II. 1s7a.
Area ed 1es agent Of ss arcse at IL.
n with me By (which tn his GpeFa
fillet'. I an, poTeriess IN tho matter, and having
mado arrangements to appear. With my entire com.
pany n other cities, with Charlotte Cushnan, during
ile opera season herr thora il no alternative for
weela, % my contract must bo iiled. @'O"'
know nothing Of s1r. aiaretzek's panlc-arichou
condition, hut do know vita Its operntio organlza-
tioa properly managed, tho III Chicago would
have been naecess, ad, 70 believing. nao in offer
to Mr.. Marotzcl which must hive xaycd him, and nut
tho loss, any, me. lIe rcfaed my offer and my
alvice aud lins decided not to como to GhtaEo.
Tho money aid for tickets IL III my lIn.la, and will
be returned ts presentation Of the tlokes ut tho
box-oice Ut tho theatre from 10 to o'clock hIou-
day.
hioYlelora Theatre WIN reopen on Monday, Dec. l,
with It0tu as tllo attraction.
And now, my dear pubiiu, whilo hnyo no apology
t9 make Tor myself aud certainly ahalt offer none for
Maretze lot requcst y0u not to pine ut tho oss Of
yonr loycl opera, and when colool my rent iron,
1larotzck VIII lot yoM klow aAd that, hope, will
compensate you uas II will youra respectfully,
i'll. MoF1oKrn.
Ellc Ep}lillptU1a.
4 short time nofore 1842, O newspaper manager
OF fertile hrnin had goncniYaf1 tho iflan of fhe