A tour around New York, and My summer acre; being the recreations of MrFelix Oldboy . invested to-day in opera, and I really do not think thefault is wholly my own. It is over sixty years since the Garcia troupe gaveNew York its first taste of Italian opera. They madetheir appearance at the Park Theatre in II Barbieredi Seviglia, and carried the town by storm. No won-der, for Mile. Garcia, afterwards known the world overas the great Malibran, made her debut here at thetime, though but seventeen years of age. New Yorkrecognized her genius, and laid its tribute of praiseat her feet, crowding the
A tour around New York, and My summer acre; being the recreations of MrFelix Oldboy . invested to-day in opera, and I really do not think thefault is wholly my own. It is over sixty years since the Garcia troupe gaveNew York its first taste of Italian opera. They madetheir appearance at the Park Theatre in II Barbieredi Seviglia, and carried the town by storm. No won-der, for Mile. Garcia, afterwards known the world overas the great Malibran, made her debut here at thetime, though but seventeen years of age. New Yorkrecognized her genius, and laid its tribute of praiseat her feet, crowding the old Park Theatre to listendelightedly to the same opera for thirty successivenights. The queer part of Malibrans experience herewas her subsequent appearance at the Bowery Theatrein English opera. One can hardly fancy the operaflourishing at the new theatre opened in 1826 on thesite of the old Bulls Head, and it did not queen of song drew large audiences, and was paidat the rate of $600 a night, but after three weeks theattempt was abandoned, and the Bowery was turned. A TOUR AROUND NEW YORK 151 over to the legitimate drama. It was after this failurethat Palmo opened his tasteful little opera-house with achoice troupe of artists, and for a time achieved the suc-cess that he deserved. But at last he was compelled toabandon the enterprise. The Astor Place Opera-housewas an operatic failure from the time of its completionin 1846, and four years later had been converted intoa rhenagerie which the boys delighted to visit, andinto which I stole surreptitiously to save my dignityas a college student. The Academy of Music openedin 1855 with a blare of trumpets, and on that site havesince been witnessed an infinite variety of entertain-ments and performances, many of which were notcontemplated in the original projection of the institu-tion. My correspondent halts me again at Canal Street,and as we stand here I recall having read that TrinityParish once offered to the congre
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnewyorknybuildingsst