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Last weekend, my wife and I were fortunate to go to Pittsburgh and see the opera "Carmen" put on by Pittsburgh Opera. The performance was spectacular. The music by the live orchestra, coupled with the acting and spot-on sets, in the glamorous Benedum Center was nothing short of amazing.
It wasn't the first time we had seen the production. The last time "Carmen" was performed in Pittsburgh was in 2015, and my wife and I saw it then, too. We love going to the opera. In fact, one of our first dates was a trip to the Benedum to see "The Barber of Seville," Gioachino Rossini's 1816 masterpiece. Even though the majority of the performances are extremely old, the themes, story line and passion of the productions still resonate with a modern viewer. Therefore they hold up well in the 21st century.
Pittsburgh Opera does a fantastic job of making its performances come alive. The opera "Carmen," for example, was first performed at the Opera-Comique in Paris on March 3, 1875, according to the program. I think one would be hard pressed to find a large stage production still being performed 147 years after it was debuted. In this way we are able to get in touch with our past. Listening to music and seeing a performance that might have been known by past generations is something appealing to an antiquarian and therefore right up my alley.
Today, the closest place to see a large opera like "Carmen" would be in Pittsburgh, but that was not always the case. Once upon a time right here in Steubenville, there were at least two opera houses operating in the latter half of the 19th century.
According to John Holmes in his book "Remembering Steubenville," Kilgore Hall, built in 1830 on Market Street between Fifth and Sixth streets, was the premier venue for stage performances in town. By 1868, though, larger scale shows were touring the country and needed larger space for their productions. According to Holmes, in that year, the Grand English Opera Co. was touring the United States with prima donna Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa. Performances were held in Pittsburgh and Wheeling but not Steubenville because there was no hall suitable for the show. With that in the minds of the city elite, Kilgore Hall was purchased by H.G. Garrett in 1869 and underwent substantial renovations, including a larger stage, trapdoors, 80 gas jets for lighting and seating for 1,000 guests.
Garrett's was the only theater in town large enough for grand performances, but all that changed in 1883 when the city of Steubenville entered the theater business. That year, the city built its new city building on the lot previously occupied by the market house. This lot is now the large green space next to the current city building on Market Street across from the Jefferson County Courthouse today. This building, according to the 1897 Centennial Souvenir book, cost $65,000 to construct with Messrs. Fickes and Kell as contractors. The brick building was three stories tall with the ground floor occupied by the post office, public library, board of education, council chamber, offices of the water works, city clerk, street commissioners and two storage rooms. The mayor's office, solicitor and board of education rooms were on the upper floors.
What comprised the majority of the second and third floors was the City Opera House. City Solicitor Charles Reynolds operated the theater for the city. The first performance took place Aug. 27, 1883, with the production of "The Lights o' London." The show premiered at the Princess Theater in London in September 1881 and by 1883 was traveling in the new world. Many of the original cast performed in Steubenville and the Wheeling opera-house orchestra provided the music. During the next several years, many shows were held in the theater, although the city leased out management of the facility only after one year. The theater eventually became known as the Victoria Theater early in the 20th century.
Around the time that the City Opera House opened, a well-known city resident and opera singer was making headlines in New York and Boston for his performances. William H. MacDonald was born here in 1849 and at an early age excelled in singing. In 1873, he along with three other Steubenville natives interested in making it in the arts, disembarked for Europe to study their craft.
MacDonald studied in Germany, England and in Italy for four years perfecting his vocal talent. When he returned to the states, he joined a group of performers known as The Bostonians and became part owner. This group became one of the first successful national touring companies and is credited for making English opera popular in the United States. With MacDonald as co-owner of the company, they produced many wildly popular shows, including "H.M.S. Pinafore" in 1879, "Prince Ananias" in 1894 and "The Serenade" in 1897 among many others. By far the most well-known production was "Robin Hood" in 1890. This production traveled the country and was extremely popular in its day, performing more than 2,000 times.
It made the Bostonians, and William H. MacDonald, who played the role of Little John, a household name. MacDonald married another well-known singer from Boston called Maria Stone, also a member of the troupe. In 1900, the Steubenville Herald-Star called him the most popular singer in the United States.
In 1905, the Bostonians, due to many different reasons, closed their company. MacDonald went on to perform in other productions with his business partner, Henry Clay Barnabee. Tragically, in March 1906 while in Springfield, Mass., for a production of "The Free-Lance," an opera by John Phillip Sousa, he unexpectedly passed away at the age of 56. Although successful, he made no provision for his widow, and a benefit was held in New York City in December 1906 by the theater elite to help Mrs. MacDonald and Barnabee financially, ultimately raising more than $20,000. William MacDonald's remains were returned to Steubenville, and he was interred in Union Cemetery at his family plot.
MacDonald is known to have performed with his company at least three times at the Opera House in Steubenville, and proceeds of the performances, according to Joseph Doyle in his book, "History of Steubenville and Jefferson County," went to the erection of the Stanton Monument. The Opera House in Steubenville survived as a theater until the late 1920s. In 1929, the old city building was demolished to make way for what was known as the City Building Annex. Today, that building is gone, too, replaced with the lovely green space that is more in keeping with how it looked when Bezaleel Wells donated the property to the city so long ago.
Looking at pictures of the Old City Building and Opera House, I could only imagine what it was like to attend a show there. It certainly would have been a destination for my wife and me. But since it is gone, I can only close my eyes and imagine that I am witnessing a great performance and lovely music. And that suits my old soul well.