Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-26
BIG MONEY IN
GRAND OPERA.
An Expenditure of Hall a
Million Dollars.
ONLY ONE AMERICAN COMPANY.
Entertainments Of the Highest Class
Made Possible Without Subsidy.
Damrosch's Genius as
an Impresario.


New York, Feb. 23.-The people OF the
United States are investing 100000 In
grand opera this winter. The aggre-
gate Is remarkable when you consider
that there is only one grand opera COM
pnny in the field--that of Walter Dam
rosch and Charles A. Ellis. Last year
there were two opera companies. and
two seasons ago there were three. This
season Mr.. Damrosch and his partner
have the field to themselves. and they
will close about six weeks hence with
good balance TO their credit. II moth
ing unexpected happens. Besides, they
Will have the satisfaction of having
made grand opera profitable without n
subsidy. The Damrosch- Ellis company
on its merits has made money and
proved again Mr.. Damrosch's genius as
an impresario. His experience has
shown New York at least one thing
that IT Is possible with first class
opera company to give opera at 81 a
seat and make money. The Grau COM
pany charged Sc Il seat and depended on
the stockholders of the Metropolitan
Opera House to make UP n deficiency.
Opera conditions have changed
great deal in other ways. Before Mr..
Damrosch organized his company for
German opera, the French-Italian COM
pany under Abbey. Schoeffel & Grau
used to play a long season in New York,
followed by n shorter season in Chica-
80 and supplemental spring season in
New York again. In the course of the
winter members OF the company We're
sent to Philadelphia and Brooklyn on
flying trips. Then the programme was
extended and week was divided be-
nd
was extended still further and time was
put In at st. Louis. Cincinnati and Bos-
ton.
MIR. Damrosch went to work to culti-
waite the Philadelphia field until he has
made 1t quite his own. Last season he
played a profitable season of seven
weeks there. having a guarantee fund
to insure him ngainst loss This season
he had guarantee of $4,000 for an
other season of seven weeks. The fund
was not touched, and the opera compa-
ny left the Quaker City with flying col
ore. 1t played short but brilliant en-
gagements in Washington. Baltimore,
Pittsburg and Cleveland. Then 1t came
to New York for Ave weeks season,
and here 1t duplicated its success. Then
1t went to Boston, Feb. q. for three
weeks at the Boston theater, thence
~ SuiCdeo tNb NttiS At lilt Nuul-
forum. Incidentally 1t gives perform
ances at New Haven and probably at
Springfield and Providence, and, in an
interval of the Chicago engagement, nj
Milwaukee. At the close OF the Chicago
season another week VIII be put in at
western points. Louisville and Cincin-
natl have made bids Tor come of these
performances. About the LIST of April
the season VIII close.
When ! say that the American peo-
pie will invest probably half n millior
dollars in opera, the statement carries
suggestion of the enormous risl
which is undertaken by the managers
Of the opera company. of the immense
sums of money which are needed &c
pay the salaries of the stars. to pay tn,
wages OF musicians. OF chorus singers
and ballet dancers of scene shlfters
and baggage handlers and electricians
TO pay the fares of several hundred meT
and women travelling by special trair
from one city to another. The risk doe!
not reach half a million. but 1t can b,
figured in the hundreds OF thousands
There are few specuations depending
go largely on popular taste, on aus.
picious weather and favorable nnan.
eial conditions which involve so grea
4 sum.
To be sure when you have n Nordlc,
and Melba a Gadsd and other grea
rtars like those OF the Damrosch- ELI
company, with no competition from an!