File:Oscar Hammerstein's London Opera House.jpg

Identifier: morechaptersofop00kreh (find matches)
Title: More chapters of opera : being historical and critical observations and records concerning the lyric drama in New York from 1908 to 1918
Year: 1919 (1910s)
Authors: Krehbiel, Henry Edward, 1854-1923
Subjects: Opera
Publisher: New York : H. Holt and company
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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a district heavy with the cluster-ings of theatrical traditions. It was called The Kingsway,was about equidistant from Covent Garden and Drury Lane,and debouched into the Strand. In this spacious street Mr.Hammerstein caused a beautiful theater to be built ofgranite and marble at a cost of about $750,000. Of themoney expended on the construction $300,000 came fromthe sale of the Philadelphia and New York interests, thatsum being still in his hands after he had paid off the mort-gages held by Mr. Stotesbury, similar encumbrances on theManhattan Opera House, Victoria and Republic Theaterswhich he owned in New York, and other debts amountingto about $150,000. With characteristic confidence and energy he began hisLondon experiment and had seen the foundations of hisnew building laid when he returned to New York in Jan-uary, 1911. Characteristic also was his reply to a reportersquestion: What do you intend to open the house with? With debts, was the reply; I always open a housewith debts.
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w m P O K wp< O o QO CO HW u o FAILURE OF THE ENGLISH ENTERPRISE 83 There was a suggestion that the English people might nottake him seriously and out came another exhibition of hischaracter: I will make them. It is not a question of what theywill do, but of what I shall do. The story of the London attempt can be only a shortinterlude here. The opera house in The Kingsway wasopened on November 13, 1911, with a performance of QuoVadis. Mr. Hammerstein was his own manager; he askedno English help, but called to his side two trusted, faithful,and capable servants from New York, Lyle D. Andrewsand Jacques Coini, who had been respectively treasurer andstage-manager at the Manhattan Opera House. At the out-set fortune seemed to smile propitiously upon the under-taking. On the opening night the receipts amounted to over$6,600, and in the first week to over $21,000. A winterseason of 15 weeks was given at which 12 operas were per-formed, and a summer season of 12 weeks from April 22to July

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