This month we are
looking at the development of American musical theater over the last 150 years.
Last time we looked at a few types of early theater. Today, let’s look closer
at one famous work, The Black Crook (1866),
which started as two separate works that, when combined, found success.
The
Black Crook originated
as a melodrama by Charles M. Barras. Considered old-fashioned, it was a
supernatural tale similar to Weber’s Der
Freischutz. Despite the lack of intrigue, the New York theatre Niblo’s
Garden booked the show. For more about Niblo’s Garden, check out the video
below!
Around the same
time, a European dance troupe that was scheduled to perform at the Academy of
Music found themselves without work when the Academy burnt down. Thus, they
combined their ballet with the melodrama to produce a show known for its scenic
effects and scantily dressed dancers. The show ended up taking in over a
million dollars and running 475 consecutive shows at Niblos’s, exceeding any
production prior to it in New York! In order to keep the show fresh, new
ballets were periodically added. Following its Broadway run, The Black Crook toured the country.
Join me next week
as we move into the early 20th century!
