The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in UtahLindsay, John S. (John Shanks)
Religion
The Mormons and the Theatre; or, The History of Theatricals in Utah
Lindsay, John S. (John Shanks)
Latter Day Saints; Theater -- Utah -- History
1. Overture--"William Tell" ..................... Rossini
2. Quartette--"The Night Before the Battle" ....... White
Misses Olsen and Richards, Messrs. Whitney and Spencer.
3. Flute Solo--"Concert Polka" .................. Rudolph
Mr. George Hedger.
4. Aria--Il Profeta ........................... Meyerbeer
Mrs. J. Leviburg.
5. Selection Favorite ......................... Donozetti
Orchestra.
INTERMISSION.
6. Overture--Pique Dame ........................... Suppe
7. Aria--E. Puritane ............................ Belline
Mr. Robert Gorlinske.
8. Piano Solo--Trovatore ..................... Gottschalk
Mrs. Helen Wells.
9. Song--"My Own Dearest Child" ..................... Abt
Mrs. George Careless.
10. Selection ...........................................
Croxall's Silver Band.
Conductor ......................... Prof. George Careless
Thursday, June 8th--For Three Nights. Louis Aldrich Company in his
very successful play, "MY PARTNER." Superb Star Company.
In the spring of '82, when the Walker was approaching completion, Dr.
McKenzie hied him to New York to secure attractions for the new
theatre, for the erstwhile temperance lecturer had developed into the
sole lessee and manager of a $100,000 theatre. He had already chosen
me to attend to the local management, for which I was to have 5 per
cent of the gross proceeds of everything we played there, with the
privilege of getting up local performances in the interims. I had
worked eleven months, superintending the construction of the building
and was quite in favor. "Doc" was very successful in securing
attractions, his somewhat extravagant and florid descriptions of the
Walker Grand, as they chose to christen it, and its superiority to the
old theatre, caught the agents and managers, and he secured so many of
the attractions going to the coast the ensuing season that he
virtually had the Salt Lake Theatre out of business.
The first dramatic performance given in the Walker was the Louis
Aldrich Company in "My Partner." The house was well filled but not
crowded; there was a very strong prejudice against the Walker among
the Mormon part of the community, and a malicious report to the effect
that the galleries were not safe was put in circulation with a view to
injure the new theatre. Such mischievous whisperings, however, only
had a temporary effect.
One of the earliest attractions at "The Walker" was Haverly's
minstrels, and the house was crowded to its utmost capacity; as the
galleries did not give way on that occasion, the reports which had
been so industriously circulated were seen to be "a weak invention of
the enemy."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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