The McCaull Comic Opera Company, also called the McCaull Opera Comique Company, was an American theatral production company founded by Colonel John A. McCaull in 1880. The company produced

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

and

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

in New York City and on tour in the eastern and midwestern U.S. and Canada until McCaull's death in 1894. It nurtured such stars, in their early careers, as

Lillian Russell Lillian Russell (born Helen Louise Leonard; December 4, 1860 or 1861 – June 6, 1922), was an American actress and singer. She became one of the most famous actresses and singers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, known for her beauty ...

and

DeWolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat". ...

History

Early years

McCaull (1846–1894) was born in Scotland. He served as a colonel in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

and later became a lawyer in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

.Bordman, Gerald and Thomas S. Hischak. "McCaull, John A." in ''The Oxford Companion to American Theatre'', 2004
Encyclopedia.com
accessed 21 September 2011 He was representing

John T. Ford John Thompson Ford (April 16, 1829 – March 14, 1894) was an American Theatre director, theater manager and politician during the nineteenth century. He is most notable for operating Ford's Theatre at the time of the Abraham Lincoln assassinatio ...

, lessee of the

Fifth Avenue Theatre Fifth Avenue Theatre was a Broadway theatre in New York City in the United States located at 31 West 28th Street and Broadway (1185 Broadway). It was demolished in 1939. Built in 1868, it was managed by Augustin Daly in the mid-1870s. In 1877, ...

in New York, when

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

presented ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

'' in December 1879 and premiered ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 ...

'' at the end of that month. McCaull was attracted to theatrical production and became involved as an investor with these productions. He then quit his law practice to produce light opera. For the Christmas season in 1880, he staged '' Olivette'' at the Bijou Theatre in New York. The strong success of this piece encouraged him to continue to present comic opera. McCaull explained the goals of his opera company to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'': "The public demands good voices. .... Our aim is to build up this thing until we get something like the

Opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...

in Paris".Busch, Stephen E
"John A. McCaull Comic Opera Companies"
at the ''Opera in Old Colorado'' website, accessed September 21, 2011 McCaull invested $10,000 in

Rudolph Aronson Rudolph Aronson (April 8, 1856February 4, 1919) was an American impresario and composer who was most notable for founding the Casino Theatre in New York City. Early life and education Aronson was born on April 8, 1856, in New York City to G ...

's newly rebuilt Casino Theatre in New York in 1882. He opened the theatre the same year with the American premiere of the

Strauss Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually ref ...

operetta ''The Queen's Lace Handkerchief''."The Late John A. M'Caull"
''The New York Times'', November 14, 1894, accessed September 22, 2011 Also there, the company produced ''Prince Methusalem'' (1883), ''

Der Bettelstudent ''Der Bettelstudent'' (''The Beggar Student'') is an operetta in three acts by Carl Millöcker with a German libretto by Camillo Walzel (under the pseudonym of F. Zell) and Richard Genée, based on ''Les noces de Fernande'' by Victorien Sardou a ...

'' (1883–84), '' Falka'' (1884), ''

Nell Gwynne Eleanor Gwyn (2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687; also spelled ''Gwynn'', ''Gwynne'') was a celebrity figure of the Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances as one of the first actresses on the English stag ...

'' (with a new libretto), ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

'' (1885), ''Apajune, the Water Nymph'' (1885) and ''The Black Hussar'' (1885). The success of ''The Black Hussar'' led to an extended run. After this, McCaull quarrelled with the Aronsons and was forced out of the theatre, so the company became exclusively a touring company. The company returned to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, however, for summer seasons at

Wallack's Theatre Three New York City playhouses named Wallack's Theatre played an important part in the history of American theater, as the successive homes of the Repertory theatre, stock company managed by actors James William Wallack, James W. Wallack and hi ...

. The company appeared in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1883, again playing ''The Queen's Lace Handkerchief''. The review in the ''Rocky Mountain News'' praised the cast and stated that "in musical and dramatic ability and magnificent costuming, the McCaull opera company is the best that has ever visited Denver. The scenery is very pretty and appropriate, the chorus well trained and well dressed." By 1885, McCaull had three companies on tour almost continually. He told ''The New York Times'': "Two of these companies play 40 weeks in the year. The other plays 52 weeks. ... ere are 1,300 people who receive their direct support in connection with my companies." The performers included Frederick Leslie,

Eugène Oudin Eugène Espérance Oudin (24 February 1858 – 4 November 1894) was an American baritone, composer and translator of the Victorian era. Life and career Early years Oudin was one of six brothers born in New York City to French parents, Lucien ...

Digby Bell Digby Bell (born Digby Valentine Bell; November 8, 1849 – June 20, 1917) was a popular vaudeville entertainer and Broadway performer at the beginning of the 20th century. Early life Bell was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on November 8, 1849. ...

Frank Daniels Frank Albert Daniels (August 15, 1856 – January 12, 1935) was a comedian, an actor on stage, early black-and-white silent films, and a singer. Daniels was born on August 15, 1856 in Dayton, Ohio to Balinda and Henry Daniels, and was raised in ...

, Francis Wilson,

May Yohé Mary Augusta "May" Yohé (April 6, 1866 – August 29, 1938) was an American musical theatre actress. After beginning her career with the McCaull Comic Opera Company in 1886 in New York and Chicago, and after other performances in the United S ...

and

. In 1890 in Kansas City and Denver, the company produced ''The Black Hussar'' and Von Suppe's opera ''Clover'', "which was given to a crowded and appreciative house. It was exceedingly well put on and was fully enjoyed, applause being continued and frequent. The chorus work was excellent, and the work of the principals left nothing to be desired."

Later years

Late in 1888 in Chicago, McCaull fell on ice, receiving a deep cut on his head. This caused a brain injury that led to paralysis of the muscles of his throat and right side. For about a year afterwards, he continued to direct the company, although his speech was so difficult to understand that he eventually had to give up directing. The De Wolf Hopper Opera Company was then formed with some of McCaull's singers. Francis Wilson also formed his own opera company. By 1890, there were rumors that McCaull's company would disband. By 1891, McCaull had sold his properties and rights to perform works to Harry Askin. But McCaull and his wife sued Askin for not paying the full amount. McCaull continued to control his companies, using hired managers, nearly until his death in 1894. Biographer Johnson Briscoe remarked: "Col. John A. McCaull was one of the greatest light opera's impresarios that this country has ever known, and the McCaull Opera Company was a truly wonderful organization, the like of which we shall probably never know again."Briscoe, Johnson
"Angela McCaull"
''The Actors' Birthday Book: an Authoritative Insight into the Lives of the Men and Women of the Stage Born Between January 1 and December 31'', Moffat, Yard & Company (1907), p. 71

References

External links

* {{authority control 1880 establishments in New York (state) 1894 disestablishments in the United States American opera companies Musical groups established in 1880