Niblo's Garden "THE BLACK CROOK" Original New York Production 1860's Stereoview

Description

This is a rare "Black Crook Series" Stereoview released in conjunction with the original production of the landmark musical "THE BLACK CROOK" at Niblo's Garden in New York City. (The production opened September 12th, 1866 and ran for 475 performances.) The stereoview was created by the Union View Company of Rochester, New York ..... "THE BLACK CROOK" has the distinction of being the first piece of musical theatre that conforms to the modern notion of a "book musical". The book was written by CHARLES M. BARRAS (1826-1873), an American playwright. The music was comprised of mostly adaptations, but some new songs were composed for the play, notably "March of the Amazons" by GIUSEPPE OPERTI, and "You Naughty, Naughty Men", with music by GEORGE BICKWELL and lyrics by THEODORE KENNICK. This production gave America claim to having originated the musical.
The Black Crook
is considered a prototype of the modern musical in that its popular songs and dances are interspersed throughout a unifying play and performed by the actors.
The Black Crook
was born when a dramatic group and Parisian ballet troupe joined forces in New York. Henry C. Jarrett and Harry Palmer had hired the ballet troupe to perform at the New York Academy of Music, but the troupe was left without an engagement when a fire destroyed the Academy. They approached Wheatley at Niblo's Garden to see if he could use them. Wheatley offered them a chance to participate in a musical "spectacle" by combining their ballet forces with Barras's melodrama. In operas, even comic operas with dialogue, the principal singers leave the dancing to the ballet troupe. In burlesque, music hall and vaudeville, there is little or no unifying story, just a series of sketches. So
The Black Crook
, with song and dance for the entire company, was an evolutionary step. In the late 1860's, as post-Civil War business boomed, there was a sharp increase in the number of working and middle class people in New York, and these more affluent people sought entertainment. Theaters became more popular, and Niblo's Garden, which had formerly hosted opera, began to offer light comedy. The production was a staggering five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, ran for a record-breaking 475 performances and exceeded a record-shattering one million dollars. The same year,
The Black Domino/ Between You, Me and the Post
was the first show to call itself a "musical comedy." (Reprinted in part from AbsoluteAstronomy.com) ..... The cast included GEORGE BONIFACE, ANNIE KEMP BOWLER, CHARLES MORTON, MARIE BONFANTI, Mrs. BONIFACE, J. W. BLAISDELL, E. B. HOLMES, Mlle. RITA SANGALLI, Mlle. BETTY REGAL, J. G. BURNETT, GEORGE ATKINS, HERNANDEZ FOSTER, Mr. RENDLE, Mr. CLARKE, Mr. WEAVER, Mr. LITTLE, ROSE MORTON, MARY WELLS, MARY MILLER and Miss WHITLOCK ..... CREDITS: Book by CHARLES M. BARRAS; Music and Lyrics by GIUSEPPE OPERTI, GEORGE BICKWELL, THEODORE KENNICK and others; Scenery designed by R. MARSTON (Covent Garden, London); Choreographed by Signor DAVID COSTA; Produced and Directed by WILLIAM WHEATLEY ..... DETAILS: The photographic images measure approx. 5 3/4" X 3 1/8" inches, was published by Union View Co. in Rochester, New York and are mounted on a heavy card measuring approx. 6 7/8" X 3 3/8" inches. The backside of the card is blank (shown in the second scanned image) but someone wrote "Actress" in pen ..... CONDITION: With the exception of the aforementioned writing on the back and minor edge wear, this rare stereoview is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.