Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-07-11
Ihe 81 ree press.
THE COST OF GRAND OPERA
A Few Figures from the Past Season
mr.. Abbey's Profits nnd Losses.
my. Cor. Boston Adycrtiscr.I

mr.Abbey's Profits and Losses
IN. Y. Cor Boston Advertiser
1t has been given out that the contract
with Mr.. eye for lease of the Me'topolnn
Opera House for the coming season has be
duly signed, sealed and delivered. This
may be true, but there are many people who
doubt the willingness of manager with Mr..
eyes shrcwdncss and ability to meet the
views of body of men as anxious to get
100 cents on the dollar for everything winch
they spend as are the gentlemen composing
the executive committee of the Metropolitan
Opera House company Mr. eye must re-
ceive subsidy much larger than that given
to Mr.. Abbey aud furnish company much
less expensive. | had an opportunity
the other day of looking over little
pocket memorandum b0Ok-onc Of those
little slim 20 or 30 page books which
can easily be carried in the vest pocket but
which are also quite large enough to contain
good many important figures 1t has been
generally supposed that The loss to Mr..
Abbey on bis lease # the Metropolitan
Opera House, after taking the benefit, which
Melted him li,tle over $50, O0O was some
what over $40, 600. The figures in this little
book showed that the actual loss was very
nearly twice rs much; in fact, it toots up
over $50, coo.
GLOW under the sun could the loss have
reached any such figure as that ~ | asked.
"Well, in the first place we had to get the
people at any price. There was no chance
for us unless we could down the other fcl-
low, and we had to give opera as
it had never before been given IN
the world. 1t was apparent before the
house opened that there was no chance OF
81 : a ,,t,lt
ton Of how much the loss might be reduced.
In the first place the costumes cost half as
much again as the estimate called for, and
the scenery involved an expenditure twice as
great. The house was not popular and 1t
was apparent that expenses could not be
reduced to Il figure which would admit of
profit unless ali the space available for sale
to the public was occupied, and that was
not to be expected. There was II heav
outlay in preliminary expenses TO begin with
a large Indebtedness incurred long before
the house had opened. The cost OF getting
the company together, securing the necessary
agents and supcrintenGerts OF The different
departments began as soon as the contract
was signed. Then there was the sccrtry
and the costumes, OF which | have spoken
already, dep sit of $50, 600 guarantee for
Madame Nilsson and 5000 for Madame
SembrCh, all of which was tied up from the
moment that Their engagement was conclud-
ed, so there was large amount of money
thus invested before tie doors opened. The
receipts for the opening night were S14 $50
After that there never was Il siuglc purlor-
nance given in this clly or in any other
which paid expenses One of the most
costly operas to give, PROBABLY the
most expensive in the whole
repeItory considering the arbitrary
salaries paid, was Don Giovanni, bu. no
opera during the season dIcw less money on
an average. 1t was gwen in Philadelphia
during the las week of tie season to 800. II.
This was the smallest house Of the whole
season, but there were many o. hers in which
the receipts were less than $1,000. For sing