Theatrical History of Bay City Goes Back to 1865; Famous Names Played Here
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Edwin Booth, father of the notorious John Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, played Shakespeare in Bay City.
Did you know that actor Edwin Booth, father of the notorious John Wilkes Booth who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, played Shakespeare in Bay City?
Or that at the peak of theatrical activity here, in the season of 1896-97, 139performances were presented, including stock theatre in West Bay City.
It's all in one of the more interesting doctoral dissertations ever written, at least for Bay Cityans, "History of the Platform & Stage in Bay City, Michigan in the Nineteenth Century." The academic tome was produced in 1966 by John H. Gore for his PhD in Speech, majoring in Professional Theater, at Wayne State University, Detroit.
No trace has been found of Dr. Gore, who today would be 92 years old. The massive document he produced reported that there were more than 100 theater performances a year, every year except four, in Bay City from 1865 to 1900.
The Madison Avenue Masonic Temple, currently under consideration for an arts center, was the venue for the first cinematoscope (moving picture) production here Dec. 26, 1896. Highlight of the week-long series of shows was a West Point cavalry charge, clearly illustrating the exciting features of Lemaire's invention.
Two orthree Shakespearean productions were presented every year, with actors including Edwin Booth, Rhea, Robson & Crane, Julia Marlowe, Louis James, Janauschek, Robert Downing, Modjeska and Thomas W. Keene.
One of the most popular plays of the time, Uncle Tom's Cabin, revealing the horrors of slavery, played here 17 times in 14 years, nine by Stetson's Company. It is believed to have found more than usual interest here because of the previous residency and influence of famed abolitionist and Bay City pioneer James Gillespie Birney, who lived here 1842-1853.
Before 1865, there was little culture in the community. Each spring, after the timber drive, the town was inundated by 6,000 to 8,000 men who had been working in the woods on streams leading to the Saginaw River.
The Trombley House, that had been a trading post, became a hotel called River House. Sidney Campbell's home at Fourth and Water was enlarged in 1863 by A.N. Rouech who called it the Globe Hotel. It had a public hall of the upper floor that could be used as a theater.
From 1855 to 1875 Michigan was "dry," but saloons fluorished anyway and public drunkenness was common. In 1873 there were 62 saloons, 41 hotels and 13 liquor stores. One of the best known houses of prostitution was called "Holy Old Mackinaw," a building that was reputed to have a trap door into the river where drunken lumberjacks were dropped after they had been robbed. Supposedly that building is today's St. Laurent Bros. "Nut House."
Famed Siamese twins Chang and Eng were among early shows in the Globe Hotel's 40 by 60 foot third floor hall. Then the Fraser House opened June 20, 1867, with a public hall that seated 800. The pride of the city, it was called the best theater north of Detroit.
Lumber baron William Westover opened the Westover Opera House at Washington and Sixth in 1869. After the Westover Opera House burned in 1886, Bay City had only a converted skating rink for theatrical performances, while Saginaw had the Academy of Music. Bay Cityans had to travel to Saginaw by train to see any major theatrical performance.
"Civic pride was hurt tremendously and raising money for construction of the new theater was helped by thefeeling of necessity to go ahead of Saginaw," wrote Dr. Gore in his dissertation.
Citizens donated $15,000 toward the $60,000 cost of Woods Opera House, a municipal facility at Washington and Sixth, named after its designer, Col. J.M. Woodof Chicago.
Noted actor Otis Skinner appeared in "Soldier of Fortune." Fanny Davenport appeared here in "La Tosca." A ladies' reception was held for Rhea, who appeared in "Much Ado About Nothing."
The lineup of productions,besides theatrical performances, included readings, lecture courses and music programs.
The Woods Opera House burned in 1902 and funds again were collected and the Washington Theater was opened in 1903. Big name stars who played here included Maud Adams, Marie Dressler, Eddie Foy, Harry Lauder and Ethel Barrymore. The orchestra pit spawned Broadway tunesmen like Isham Jones and Ole Olsen who wrote "I'll See You In My Dreams," Danny Russo of "Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye" fame, and Ange Lorenzo who penned "Sleepy Time Gal."###
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