CENTRAL CITY OPERA
Presents
HOW THE WEST WAS SUNG
No Xbox, no iPod, no MTV? Find out what the settlers and miners of the Frontier
West did for fun. The adventurous lives of Colorado historical figures Molly Brown,
Clara Brown, and Horace and Baby Doe Tabor make great opera stories!
presents
HOW THE WEST WAS SUNG
Created by Colorado composer Samuel Lancaster and illustrated by artist Louisa Armbrust, this
musical history program for family audiences and upper elementary and middle school students
examines the western frontier of the late 1800s from a unique angle – what DID those pioneers
and miners do for entertainment when their work was done and the sun went down – without
computers, TV, radio, or even electricity? Well, there WAS opera – and plenty of other choices.
History is set to music in short excerpts from operas and a Broadway musical about famous
Colorado characters like Silver King Horace Tabor and his glamorous wife Baby Doe, ex-slave
Clara Brown, and the unsinkable Molly Brown. The program also integrates Colorado historical
information with social comment in sound bytes and anachronisms that enable students to
remember the historical factoids as they are introduced. Hang onto your hats and round ‘em up
for a fast and funny covered wagon ride through history!
One teacher’s comment: Excellent! This fit right into 7th grade studies of westward expansion
and manifest destiny; the kids were engaged throughout the entire performance. The creators
were definitely tuned into adolescent entertainment.”
Central City Opera gratefully acknowledges the following companies and organizations for their
support of education and community programs:
Anschutz Family Foundation
Thomas W. Bean Foundation
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
Central City Opera House Association Guild
City of Glendale
Colorado Council on the Arts
Denver Lyric Opera Guild
El Pomar Foundation
Fine Arts Foundation
Gay and Lesbian Fund for Colorado
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
The Hill Foundation
Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust
Helen K. Arthur E. Johnson Foundation
KWGN 2, A Fund of the McCormick Foundation
Raphael Levy Memorial Foundation
J.K. Mullen Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
Post-News Charities, A McCormick Foundation Fund
Schramm Foundation
Scientific and Cultural Facilities District
Henry R. Schwier Charitable Fund
Galen and Adabelle Spencer Foundation
Lloyd David & Carlye Cannon Wattis Foundation
Wells Fargo
Xcel Energy Foundation
Relating this Study Guide to the Colorado Model Content Standards
How the West Was Sung meets the Colorado Model Content Standards for History, Reading/Writing and
Music:
How the West Was Sung description
R/W #1, #4 and History #1, #4
Anachronism
R/W #1, #4
Fat Ladies, High Notes, Stereotypes, Myths and Other Operatic Misconceptions
Music #1, #4, #5 and R/W #1 , #4
Opera and History
Music #4, #5, History #3, R/W #1, #4, #6
History, Herstory, Mystory…
Music #5, History #1, #2, #3 and
R/W #1, #2, #3, #4, #5
A History Quiz
R/W #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and
History #1, #3, #4
The Ballad of Baby Doe, Aunt Clara Brown, Molly Brown
R/W #1, #4 and History #1, #3, #4
Opera Glossary
Music #4 and R/W #5
What in the World is Opera?
Music #1, #4, #5 and R/W #3, #4
Opera Word Match
Music #4 and R/W #4
Related science activities on mining, agriculture and ecology are suggested.
How The West Was Sung
Yes, SUNG. How the West Was Sung is a humorous and tuneful look at one of the most
colorful, yet often overlooked pieces of Wild West history - entertainment. The gradual increase
of leisure time is one of the great developments of history. The variety and popularity of
entertaining pursuits increased right along with the rise in leisure time. In this new century, the
availability of leisure time for all ages is at a historic high, and filling that “empty” time are
myriad forms of entertainment: films, television, video, music (live and recorded), computer and
video games and the Internet. But these media-based forms are only some of the entertainment
options in our modern times.
In the earliest days of the mining camps in Colorado in the mid-1800s, there was not a lot of
leisure time. The work in the camps and towns was demanding and seemingly endless, and for
many, the thirst for riches that first fired the rush to the gold fields gave way to disillusionment
and boredom. So, as towns were established and survival pressures lessened, a gnawing
emptiness grew. Panning gold isn’t as much fun as watching a movie so as this change occurred,
entertainers poured into the camps prospecting for their own kind of gold strike.
From newspaper records, diaries and letters, it is apparent that the rowdy inhabitants of those
early camps and towns thirsted for entertainment as much as we do today. And they found it: a
rich and spicy mix of opera, theater, minstrel shows, variety shows, bear fights, dancing girls,
marching bands, piano players, and . . .wait a minute . . .did you say opera? Communities not
only had a thirst for entertainment in general, but for opera specifically. Nowadays opera is far
from a popular cultural pursuit, so it may come as a surprise to learn that opera was a mainstay of
mining town culture.
It therefore seems appropriate that opera and musical theater should align itself with Colorado
history in the forms of The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Gabriel’s
Daughter. In The Ballad of Baby Doe the oversized romance of millionaire Horace Tabor and
the beautiful Baby Doe is recreated against the exciting but unstable days of greed, riches and
bitter disappointments of Colorado’s gold and silver rushes. Gabriel’s Daughter shows us the
hard work and faith evidenced by those who didn’t strike it rich but were nevertheless important
in the building of diverse communities in Colorado. Molly Brown was a woman who was not
only unsinkable, but a crusader for better working conditions for miners; providing education for
all children, rich or poor; and rights for women. What a marriage: operas bringing one of the
brightest pages of Colorado history to life, and Colorado history providing the subject matter for
a form of entertainment that was so popular in the 1860s and ‘70s that it filled 52 solid weeks of
performance in a ten-year period.
PAINTINGS
The paintings you see onstage as part of the performance were created by artist, Louisa
Armbrust. She worked from actual photos of the period and people, using sepia (brown) tones to
give the impression of old photos.
ANACHRONISM
Anachronism: 1. The placement of something as existing or occurring at other than its historical
time. 2. Anything out of its proper place. Webster’s New Riverside Dictionary
The human brain is a pattern-maker by necessity. One neurobiologist suggests that in order to
adequately process all the incoming sensory information at any one time, we would need a brain
the size of a semi-truck. But since our brain weighs only three pounds, and patterns are one of
the ways we assimilate the onslaught of sensory stimulus, anachronism causes a trip in the
natural sequencing done by the brain and thereby calls notice to the thing that seems out of place.
Anachronism, which is used extensively in How the West Was Sung, is not a mistake. It’s a spray
of sour lemon juice on one’s consciousness. It makes our brains pucker. It makes us remember. It
also aids in simple encoding (the fancy, schmancy name for remembering). The use of
anachronism can help us understand distant things, people, times or situations through a common
piece of everyday experience.
Some examples of anachronism in How the West Was Sung include:
1. “I want a Pepsi!” What did the inhabitants of the 1860’s mining camps drink? What
would your day be like without the convenience of modern, easily portable containers
such as aluminum cans, cardboard cartons or plastic bottles?
2. “I told you to bring the 4-wheel drive!” Have you ever tried to cross a river on foot?
Anachronisms also allude to an extremely interesting but difficult concept: time. What is time? Is
it linear? How does Einstein’s theory of relativity affect our common (and perhaps incorrect)
concepts of time?
FAT LADIES, HIGH NOTES,
STEROTYPES, MYTHS
AND OTHER OPERATIC MISCONCEPTIONS
Questions for class discussion/activities
Is it a stereotype that opera singers are huge women wearing horned helmets?
Webster’s New Riverside Dictionary defines a stereotype as “a conventional, formulaic,
usually highly simplified opinion, conception or belief.” Stereotypes, like prototypes,
may be useful for introducing the idea of something, but they are usually too general.
Opera singers are people – women and men – of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities with a
wide variety of interests and experiences.
Why are opera singers’ voices so loud?
Picture your favorite pop singer. As you imagine him or her singing, what is he or she
holding in their hand or wearing in their ear? That’s right, a microphone. Now picture an
opera singer. See any microphones around? Opera singers spend years learning singing
techniques that help them project their voices and create different sound qualities without
the use of a microphone. Picture your pop singer again. How big is the band? Ten, maybe
12 instruments? In an opera, the “band” is an orchestra often as large as 80 or 90
instruments.
Why do opera singers sing so high?
Try this experiment: Imitate a siren with your voice, saying “fee” starting at the highest
point you can reach with your voice. Do it a couple of times to get the hang of it. Now
say “fah” at the lower point of your siren. Do the two things together a few times (fahfee-fah-fee, etc.) If you’re doing it correctly, the high siren will sound much louder than
the low siren. High sounds carry much farther without amplification than lower sounds,
and so composers of operas often write music so that it will carry over the orchestra.
Opera music is also written to express the intensity (high or low) of action and emotion.
Try this: Pretend your dog is lost and you’re calling for him? What is the natural direction
or pitch of your voice?
Why do people sing in the first place?
Think about one of the happiest times in your life. Remember what it was like trying to
tell someone exactly how you felt? Your feelings were so strong that just talking about
them didn’t really capture how you felt. That is why people sing. Music expresses a depth
of emotion that words alone just can’t convey.
Opera stories are not usually about everyday events, like buying a new
toothbrush. Operas tell stories where the feelings are so big, the
characters need to sing!
OPERA AND HISTORY
Opera is a play in which all the lines are sung. Usually the job of creating an opera is divided
between a person who writes the story and the person who sets those words to music. In theater,
the writer is called the playwright or dramatist. In opera, the writer is called the librettist and the
text of the opera is called the libretto. (In Broadway musicals there is often a different person, the
lyricist, who writes only the words to the songs.)
Librettists have often turned to historical personages and events as the basis of operas. The
Baroque composer, Handel, used the torrid love affair of Julius Caesar and Egyptian queen
Cleopatra as the basis for one of his operas. The Russian composer, Mussorgsky, used a person
from Russian history, Boris Godonov, as the subject of an opera.
Contemporary opera turns to recent history for subject matter. THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE
is an example of opera using historical people and events as the subjects for operatic expression.
Molly Brown is the heroine of the Broadway musical, THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN.
And Clara Brown, Colorado’s first African-American pioneer woman, is the subject of
GABRIEL’S DAUGHTER.
Recently, composers have written the following operas about real people and events:
Nixon in China – President Richard Nixon and the opening of relations between
communist China and the United States
Marilyn – Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe’s final months
Harvey Milk – the politics surrounding the assassination of San Francisco’s first gay
mayor
The Mother of Us All – Susan B. Anthony’s struggle to win the vote for women
She Never Lost a Passenger and Harriet, The Woman Called Moses – Two operas about
former slave and abolitionist Harriet Tubman
Gloriana and Roberto Devereux – Two of many operas about Queen Elizabeth I of
England
Dead Man Walking – Sister Helen Prejean, spiritual advisor to Death Row inmates
Broadway has also turned to past and current history for subject matter in productions such as:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – biblical story
Evita – Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina and Spiritual Leader of the Nation
Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell – featuring stories from the Bible’s New Testament
Les Miserables – famous French novel
Annie Get Your Gun – sharpshooter Annie Oakley and western showman Buffalo Bill
Assassins – men and women who attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States
1776 – our Founding Fathers during the creation of the United States of America
History (believe it or not) is filled with exciting stories of love, greed, power and destruction.
And opera, if nothing else, loves a great story.
AND WHY HISTORY?
HISTORY, HERSTORY
MYSTORY (MY STORY)
OURSTORY
History.
Yawn…
Snore..Zzzzz
Wait!
There is only a letter’s difference between the word for personal history, mystory and that word for
something that is not fully understood, mystery. When we articulate our stories, we remove some of the
mystery of our lives.
History surrounds us. The sometimes dull memorization of names and dates is only one way of converting
mystery into mystory: Who are my ancestors, where did they come from? Almost anything around you
holds a bit of history. Your name, for example…
Your name. Have you ever really thought about your name, wondered what it means, where it came
from, and why your parents gave it to you in the first place? Our names are so familiar to us that we
seldom think about them and yet, they can be the beginning of our very own personal history book.
Start by writing down ALL of your names. Find out your mom’s maiden name (maybe it’s your middle
name!). Do you know what “surname” means?
Before you yawn and think, “Oh, come on! Everybody has a name. Big deal!” you might be interested to
know that if you were living just 400 years ago, you might not have had a surname. Villages were
small, and while everyone had a first name, they did not have surnames. They didn’t need them because
everyone knew everybody else, and everyone was likely a part of one large family anyway. But then
villages merged and settlements grew, and it became necessary to have a way of identifying people.
The easiest method for distinguishing between people seems to have been saying, “There’s Bill, Robert’s
son.” Or perhaps the person’s occupation was the distinguishing feature: “There’s Bill, the baker.” Even
the location of the person’s home was useful: “There’s Bill from over the hill.” (It’s best NOT to say your
teacher is over the hill. It has a different meaning these days!)
People thus were named in one of several different ways:
1. Identification with their father by taking his name (This is called a patronym.)
2. A descriptive nickname
3. Where they lived
4. The time of year a person was born
5. Occupation
The origin of your name probably fits into one of these categories.
In the late middle ages, one of the easiest ways to identify yourself was with your father. So, when
people asked who you were, you might have replied…I’m Robertson, Carlson, Stevenson (Stevens), BenDavid.
One of you ancestors may have had some physical feature that his friends (or enemies) used to refer to
him…Youngman, Newman, Klein (small), Truman, Black.
Where you lived was also a convenient way to refer to you…Greenlee, Wells, Underwood, Atwater.
Maybe you became known by the time of year during which you were born or by a special event that
occurred near the time of your birth…Winter, Summer, Valentine, Martinez (St. Martin’s Day).
Occupation, even today, is the way many people describe themselves:
Baker, Miller, Smith, Carter, Farmer, Barber.
C’mon, play the name game. It’s fun!!
A HISTORY QUIZ
(It’s fun, really!!)
For a quick look at how much you know about changing mystery into mystory, try your hand at the
following questions without asking your parents for any of the answers.
1. What is your father’s full name? (first, last and everything in between)
2. When was he born?
3. Where was he born? (town, state, country)
4. What is your mother’s full name? (first, last and everything in between)
5. When was she born?
6. Where was she born? (Remember, no fair asking!)
7. What are the names of your grandparents? Your great-grandparents?
8. When and where were your grandparents born?
9. What are or were the occupations of your grandparents?
10. What country did your paternal ancestors come from originally? How about your maternal
ancestors?
11. When did your ancestors from both sides of the family first come to this country?
12. Where did they land? Where did they first settle and why?
13. Which cities and states has your family lived in?
14. When was the town you live in established? How did it get its name?
15. Who (or what!) lived there before it became a town or city?
16. Why does your town happen to be where it is? (What events or circumstances led to the
establishment of your town?)
Check your answers with your mom or dad or your grandparents, and give yourself one point for each
correct answer.
12 or more – Congratulations! You’re already a backyard historian!
9 or more – Not bad! You’re on your way to solving your own history mystery.
6, more or less – Don’t worry! Find the person or people in your family who can help piece together your
“mystory” and interview them. You just might uncover your hidden talents as an investigative
reporter!
DO YOUR PARENTS HATE THE MUSIC YOU LISTEN TO?
One of the icons of popular culture is the image of a young person listening to music at a high volume, at
least in the opinion of a nearby adult, and that very same adult saying something like “Turn that noise
down!” The music played and listened to in a certain culture or time period is just one of many ways
history can be told.
Hard as it is to imagine, your parents were once kids themselves and probably listened to music as eagerly
as you do. (We hope you listen eagerly to all kinds of music!) What music did your parents listen to? Did
their parents (your grandparents) like and approve of their musical tastes? Did your parents by records?
Cassettes? 8-track tapes? There’s an entire historical side-trip here…
CD’s and MP3’s weren’t around when your parents were kids. In those days, you bought recorded music
on mediums like those mentioned above. Are there any records or 8-track tapes at your house? Or a
collection of 45’s stashed away in a box somewhere? Records came in different sizes and played at
different speeds: 45’s were the smallest and usually had just one song recorded on each side; 78’s were
medium sized; 33’s were big and had 10 or 12 songs recorded on each side. The number refers to the
RPM, or revolutions per minute. If you played a 33 at 78 speed, the music sounded like a chattering
squirrel gone mad. Back to history…
What kind of music did your parents dance to? What kind of dances did they do? When rock and roll
came along in the 1950’s, the music business changed dramatically. Before Elvis, most music recordings
were purchased by adults. Then came Elvis (ever heard of him?) and all of a sudden, teens became the
primary consumers of recorded music and they still are.
For an even more intriguing story, ask your grandparents what they listened to and what their parents
listened to. Ask about the days before TV…
This kind of historical investigation helps turn mystery into history into mystory.
THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE
Composed by Douglas Moore, Libretto by John Latouche, 1956
Premiered at Central City Opera, 1956
Recorded on the stage of the Central City Opera House by Newport Classics with John Moriarty,
Conductor, 1996
THE STORY
Silver King Horace Tabor is celebrating with the townsfolk of Leadville on the opening of the
new opera house. His wife Augusta disapproves of his boisterous behavior but he reminds her
“dollars from that old saloon helped to build the opera house.” A beautiful young divorcee,
Baby Doe, arrives in Leadville and catches Horace’s attention with a winsome ballad, “The
Willow Song,” sung from her hotel parlor. Horace instantly responds to her beauty with
“Warm as the autumn light.”
Augusta discovers a pair of gloves and a note Horace has written to Baby and they quarrel.
Augusta confronts Baby, who has decided to leave Leadville but changes her mind after hearing
Augusta’s contemptuous opinion of him.
Later, Augusta is told of Horace’s intention to divorce her and swears that she will “make him
rue the day that he was ever born.” However, as women had few rights in 1890s Colorado,
Horace divorces her without her consent or knowledge and marries Baby Doe.
A few years later, Augusta attends a party honoring Horace and tries to warn Baby that silver is
“done for” and they will lose their fortune if Horace doesn’t quickly sell his silver interests. He
interrupts their conversation and accuses Augusta of trying to turn Baby against him. She leaves
and Baby promises to “always hold on to the Matchless Mine.” (History relates that Augusta
died a wealthy woman due to her sound investments and business sense.)
Baby proves a loyal wife to Horace, supporting him as he loses his fortune and until his
death. Her final aria “Always through the changing” describes her love and loyalty
through moving poetry.
Highlighted phrases and descriptions are heard in HOW THE WEST WAS SUNG.
NOTES
Composer Douglas Moore and librettist John Latouche composed THE BALLAD OF BABY
DOE in 1956 as a commission for Central City Opera, which premiered it to great acclaim. It has
become one of the staples of American opera, beloved for both its timeless love triangle as well
as for its accessible music and beautiful lyrics. Based on actual Colorado history, THE BALLAD
OF BABY DOE is filled with waltzes, ballads, marches, even oratory, all original composition
but based on actual musical styles of the period. Artistic Director Emeritus, John Moriarty, who
conducted BABY DOE in 1996, said, “The opera deals with universal truths and values. It is a
story of undying love (Baby), of suffocating pride (Augusta), of hubris punished by the gods
(Horace).” Central City Opera recorded the fortieth anniversary production on CD for Newport
Classics.
TABOR TIME LINE
H.A.W. Tabor
As with all things Western, the tale of Horace
Austin Warner Tabor—who became one of
the region’s richest men and died penniless—
is almost larger than life. Among the figures
in his story:
The man once called “Silver King of the West”
left little behind other than his name and a tragic
love story. Here are some key events in his
tumultuous life:
Nov. 26 1830
H.A.W. Tabor born in Vermont
1883
U.S. senator for 30-day term
1856
Elected to Kansas Legislature
Returned to Maine to marry Augusta
March 1, 1883
Tabor married Baby Doe in
Washington, with President Chester
attending
Jan. 31, 1857
Married Augusta
July 13, 1884
Elizabeth Bonduel Lily Tabor born
1859
H.A.W., Augusta and baby
Maxcy arrived at Pikes Peak
area goldfields
Dec. 12, 1889
Rose Mary Echo Silver Dollar Tabor
born
H.A.W. Tabor
1892
Tabor in debt for more than $800,000
1877
Elected Leadville’s first mayor
1877
Mrs. Harvey Doe (“Baby Doe”),
18, arrived in Central City on
honeymoon
1897
Tabor lost all; worked tailings of an
abandoned mine for $3 a day
First wife
Augusta Tabor
Feb. 1, 1898
Augusta, 62, a millionaire, died in
Pasadena, California
1878
Two miners grubstaked by Tabor
hit pay dirt
1898
Friends got Tabor appointed Denver
postmaster; he moved into Windsor
Hotel
1879
Tabor Opera House in Leadville
opened
Second wife Baby Doe
Tabor was 29 years
younger.
1880
Tabor took up with Baby Doe
(Lizzie McCourt, now divorced
from Harvey Doe)
January 1881
Tabor moved out of home;
Augusta refused divorce
Sept. 5, 1881
Tabor Grand Opera House in
Denver opened; Augusta barred
from admission
September 1882
“Secret” divorce in Durango
(Augusta never notified);
January 1883, paid Augusta
$280,000 in divorce settlement
Sept. 28, 1882
Baby Doe and Tabor
supposedly quietly married by
St. Louis justice of peace
Youngest daughter
Silver Dollar died in
a Chicago boarding
house.
April 10, 1899
Tabor died of peritonitis
1903
Baby Doe moved to shack at the
Matchless Mine; began guarding mine
with a shotgun
1925
Silver Dollar found dead in unsavory
Chicago boardinghouse
Daughter Lily
was called the
most beautiful
baby in the
world.
March 7, 1935
Baby Doe’s rag-wrapped, emaciated
body found frozen to the cabin floor
at the Matchless
Tabor Grand Opera
House, which he built,
stood at 16th and Curtis
streets in Denver.
The Silver King:
Denver Post, Apr 6, 1999
Tabor died 100 years ago, leaving Baby Doe a pauper
H. A. W.
Tabor’s gold
watch fob is
on display at
the Colorado
History
Museum.
Silver King article, continued
MOLLY BROWN
Margaret Tobin Brown was born into a large Irish immigrant family in 1867 in Hannibal, Missouri (Mark
Twain’s home town). Although she was called Maggie or Margaret throughout her life, the writer of the
Broadway show loosely based on her life chose to call her Molly. When the hit movie starring Debbie
Reynolds was released in 1964, “Molly” stuck for good.
Maggie and her brother Daniel made the wagon trip to Leadville, Colorado when she was 18. She found
a job working in the dry goods store and soon met James J. Brown (known as J.J. or Johnny), a miner,
also of Irish descent. They were married a few months later and, while living in Leadville, had two
children. Although Maggie knew how to read and write, she was determined to better educate herself and
began to study literature and music. J.J. became superintendent of a mining company, then partner in
another company. Just as silver prices crashed in 1893, gold was discovered in his company’s Little
Jonny Mine. J.J. applied his engineering skills to prevent cave-ins in the mine and was well paid for his
innovation. The Little Jonny gold strike became known as the world’s richest, making J.J. and Maggie
unbelievably rich as well.
In 1894, the Browns moved to a beautiful mansion in the chic Capitol Hill area of Denver. The house
still stands today and is called the Molly Brown House Museum. Maggie was now known as Margaret
and became famous for her generosity to good causes as well as for her outrageously expensive gowns.
Margaret loved to travel and often visited Europe and other exotic places, sometimes with, but more often
without J.J. She was in Paris in 1912 when she learned that her grandson was ill. She immediately
booked passage on the next luxury ocean liner leaving Europe, the Titanic. Her first-class ticket for the
maiden voyage cost $4350 and she expected the very best on the six-day crossing on the brand-new
“unsinkable” liner. Late in the evening of April 14, she was thrown out of bed onto the floor when the
ship grazed an iceberg that ripped a 300-foot gash in its hull.
A man in the hallway told her to get her life preserver and go up to the deck. She calmly dressed in the
warmest clothes she had, went up and began helping others into the lifeboats. She would have remained
on board, but a crewmember picked her up and dropped her into a lowering lifeboat filled with other
women and a quartermaster who was sure that their boat would sink. Margaret grabbed an oar and took
control, convincing other women to row as well. They watched in horror as the huge ship slipped below
the waves. Margaret kept them rowing to keep warm and a few hours later they were picked up by the
Carpathia answering the distress call of the Titanic.
Exhausted as she was, Margaret refused to rest and helped organize rescue efforts. She knew several
languages and was able to translate instructions for the immigrant passengers. She made lists of survivors
and arranged for the names to be radioed ahead to their families. And, together with a group of other
wealthy survivors, she helped raise money for destitute victims. Before the Carpathia docked in New
York, they had raised nearly $10,000. Margaret stayed on board the Carpathia until arrangements had
been made for the last of the Titanic survivors.
Her heroic actions were brought to the attention of reporters who spread her story coast to coast and
across the Atlantic.
Now that she was a celebrity, Margaret used her stature and influence to support worthy causes. She
campaigned for education reforms and funded a playground and summer school for hundreds of lowincome children. She fought for equal rights for women, organized relief efforts for miners’ families after
a coal strike and lobbied for better working conditions in the mines. She was outspoken and courageous
and refused to be intimidated by politicians or industry titans if she believed she was right.
Margaret lived an exciting life during exciting times. Outrageous stories about her appeared regularly in
the newspapers of the day, but she loved the publicity even though most of the stories were untrue. She
called herself “a daughter of adventure,” which meant that she “never experienced a dull moment and was
prepared for any eventuality.” When she died of a stroke in 1932, The Denver Post said of her, “She had
a definite, fearless personality. She knew what she wanted and went after it, and seldom failed her goal.”
Margaret Brown in one of her flamboyant outfits (1927).
DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY WESTERN HISTORY COLLECTION
Clara Brown
Tracing the history of any person in the 1800’s can be
problematic. To find information about a slave can be even
more daunting since birth certificates were not issued, and
individuals were often sold from one state to another. Many
sources say that Clara Brown was born in Tennessee
around 1803. Her tombstone, located in Denver’s Riverside
Cemetery, does not give a birth date, only that she was born
in Kentucky. What we do know is that Clara Brown was
sold as a slave to a Kentucky tobacco farmer named
Ambrose Smith in 1809. She married another slave named
Richard and together they had four children. The two
youngest children were twin girls named Eliza Jane and
Paulina; the latter drowned at a young age.
In 1835 another calamity affected the enslaved family: Ambrose Smith died, and to settle the
family debts it was decided the slaves should be sold. This decision separated Clara not only
from Richard, but also from her three surviving children. Clara watched in horror as her children
climbed onto the auction block. Clara was purchased by a merchant and friend of Smith, George
Brown, a man with the reputation of treating his slaves very well. Clara felt so much a part of
Brown’s family that she adopted his surname. When George Brown died in 1857, he left a will
that enabled Clara to gain her freedom. Kentucky law stated that a freed slave must leave the
state within a year to retain freedom, so she moved first to St. Louis and then to Leavenworth,
Kansas. She had two motives, the first being her own personal safety by avoiding slave traders
who were kidnapping free slaves and selling them back into slavery, and second, the search for
her children.
Hearing that African Americans enjoyed more freedom on the western frontier, she joined a
wagon train that was leaving for Colorado. In exchange for her fare, she asked if she could cook.
Two months later she arrived in Colorado at the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte
River called Auraria. Taking a job at the City Bakery, she cooked for and found great acceptance
from the prospectors and miners. They saw the gold in her heart and began to call her Aunt Clara
or Aunty. She became friends with a Methodist minister to the homeless, Jacob Adriance, and
knowing that he barely had enough food for himself, let alone others, she would cook extra
helpings and deliver the food to the minister.
Clara began to hear about a town in the mountains called Central City. Seeing a new opportunity,
she moved to this gold mining town and opened a laundry, the first in the territory. Charging
fifty cents per bundle of clothes, she saved and reinvested her earnings in mining claims. By the
end of the Civil War, she had accumulated property worth $10,000. What money she didn’t
invest, she donated. Clara contributed to the building of two churches in Central City, St. James
Methodist and St. Mary’s Catholic. Devoutly religious, denomination was of no importance to
her.
Rarely spending money on herself, Clara dipped into her savings to return to Kentucky to look in
vain for her husband and children. Unable to find them, but still invested in helping others, she
paid the way for twenty-six former slaves to come to Colorado, housing them temporarily, and
helping them get jobs or start businesses.
Due to her generosity and two Colorado catastrophes, Clara lost her fortune. The 1864 Denver
flood washed out several of her properties. Then a fire in 1873 burned most of Central City,
destroying three more of her houses, including her own residence. She now had to rely on the
charity she had once offered others. Due to the kindness she had dispensed for so long, many
came to her aid. The Colorado Pioneer Association was one benefactor that rushed to her
assistance. She was the first African-American and the first woman to become a member of this
association.
In 1882 Clara received news that overshadowed all the misfortunes in her life. A friend wrote to
tell her that her daughter, Eliza Jane, was living in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Friends offered to pay
Clara’s way to the Midwest where her life-long search was finally fulfilled. Eliza Jane had been
married but lost her husband during the Civil War. She had raised five children on her own.
Clara brought Eliza Jane and a granddaughter back to Colorado. While Clara’s spirit soared, her
health began to be a concern. Clara Brown died on October 26, 1885 with both her
granddaughter and Eliza Jane by her side. The Colorado Pioneer Association held an ecumenical
funeral service at Central Presbyterian Church in Denver. Interment was at Denver’s Riverside
Cemetery. Her image in stained glass now hangs in the Old Supreme Court Chambers of the
state capitol, a permanent chair was dedicated to her at the Central City Opera House, a plaque in
her honor hangs in St. James Methodist in Central City, and she was inducted into the Colorado
Women’s Hall of Fame.
Clara Brown was eulogized by the Colorado Pioneer Association as “a kind old friend whose
heart always responded to the cry of distress, and who, rising from the humble position of slave
to the angelic type of noble woman, won our sympathy and commanded our respect.”
Left: Stained Glass in State Capitol Building
Above: Marker in Riverside Cemetery
Clara Brown’s Colorado
1857 Upon the death of her master, George Brown, Clara paid $100.00 to gain her
freedom. She was around 55 years old.
1858 News of gold in the pike streams of the Pikes Peak region of the Kansas
Territory spread east. Green Russell and a party of Georgians made the first gold strike
that summer. They settled at the point where Speer Boulevard crosses Larimer Street
today and called their camp Auraria.
Another group arrived and set up town stakes across Cherry Creek and called their
settlement St. Charles. A granite building now stands at that site on the corner of 15th
and Larimer Streets.
Yet another group arrived at St. Charles lead by General William H. Larimer, Jr. from
Kansas. They “jumped” the claim and renamed the town Denver City after James
Denver, the territorial governor of Kansas. The main street was named after General
Larimer.
Clara Brown moved from Kentucky to St. Louis, then on to Leavenworth, Kansas.
1859 John Gregory discovered “The Gregory Lode” in a gulch near present-day
Central City. Within two weeks the gold rush was on and within two months the
population of the area grew to 10,000 people. William Byers, founder of the Rocky
Mountain News, pitched his tent along with some companions in the center of the
mining district and Central City was born. Gregory’s discovery is commemorated by a
stone monument at the eastern end of the city.
Clara Brown’s attraction to Colorado was not gold, it was the hope that she might find
her daughter, Eliza Jane. Clara took a job as a cook on a wagon train headed to
Colorado. She was the only black woman of the six women on the 600-mile trek. The
trip took eight weeks to complete. She settled in Denver City for a short while, then
journeyed up to Central City to find work. The trip to Central City took two weeks.
1860 Denver grew to a town of 25 buildings on Larimer Street. Auraria also grew,
and the two towns existed as rivals until the spring of 1860. A torch-lit ceremony on
Larimer Street Bridge took place uniting the two towns into one Denver.
1861 General Larimer’s cabin, with doors made of coffin lids and the first glass
window in Denver, was torn down. A one-story false front store took its place.
These were wild times in Central City. In 1861 alone there were 217 recorded fist
fights, 97 revolver fights, 11 Bowie knife fights and one dog fight. Remarkably, no one
was killed.
1864 Colorado Militia forces lead by Colonel J.M. Chivington attacked a Cheyenne
and Arapaho camp in southeastern Colorado, slaughtering peaceful men, women and
children. Chief Black Kettle of the Southern Cheyenne nation survived the attack. At a
meeting in which Governor Evans and Colonel Chivington were in attendance, Black
Kettle had said, “All we ask is that we have peace with the whites. We want to hold you
by the hand…we want to take good tidings home to our people, that they may sleep in
peace…” (Denver, 1864) The attack, known as the Sand Creek Massacre, was
ultimately condemned after three federal investigations.
Motavato (Chief Black Kettle) in 1864
A flood in Denver washed out several of Clara Brown’s properties.
1865 The Civil War ended and the slaves were emancipated. This meant that Clara
Brown could travel around the country freely. She had managed to save the tidy sum of
$10,000. She made some wise investments in Colorado real estate and left for Virginia
and Kentucky in search of her loved ones. She returned to Central City with thirty-four
members of her family and sixteen other freed slaves, finding jobs and housing for them.
Unfortunately, her daughter Eliza Jane was not one of the found family members.
Denver was deemed the capital of the new Colorado Territory.
1871 The Republican Convention took place in Central City. It of course turned rowdy
when the second floor of Washington Hall collapsed and deposited 200 men into the
Recorder’s office on the first floor. Nobody was injured.
1872 The Teller House Hotel, the finest hotel west of the Mississippi River, was built in
Central City.
1873 President Ulysses S. Grant came to see his friend Henry Teller and his new hotel.
To impress the President, mine owners decided to lay 26 ingots of solid silver in a path to
the entrance of the Teller House so the President wouldn’t have to dirty his boots. Legend
has it that Grant became angry when he saw the silver bars and walked up the boardwalk
instead. This was during the time that Congress was debating whether gold or silver
should back the dollar. Grant apparently did not want to make a stand, or stand on silver.
In January, a fire destroyed 16 buildings on Lawrence Street in Central City, including 3
houses owned by Clara Brown.
1874 Most of the buildings in Central City were destroyed by a second fire on May 21 .
st
The fire was stopped by the Register Block (Masonic Lodge) and the Teller House, both
sturdy, brick buildings. The town was rebuilt, this time primarily of brick and stone.
1878 Central City Opera House opened, beginning a tradition of community theatre,
vaudeville, and, of course, opera.
Central City Opera House with Clara Brown’s Presbyterian Church on the left.
1882 Clara Brown received a report that Eliza Jane was well and living in Council
Bluffs, Iowa. Friends raised money for the now-impoverished Clara to take the train to
Iowa. Mother and daughter were finally reunited in a tearful but happy reunion which was
widely publicized in Midwestern newspapers.
1885 A Colorado pioneer and legend, Clara Brown died with her daughter and
granddaughter at her side. She was buried with honors and her friends made sure her
unlimited charitable deeds would not be forgotten.
Did you know?
You can read more about Clara Brown!
Lowery, Linda. One More Valley, One More
Hill: The Story of Aunt Clara Brown. New
York: Random House, 2002.
Lowery, Linda. Aunt Clara Brown:
Official Pioneer (On My Own Biographies).
Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1999.
Baker, Roger. Clara: An Ex-slave in Gold Rush
Colorado. Central City, CO: Black Hawk
Publishing, 2003.
Opera and Opera Houses of Old Colorado
(excerpted from http://operapronto.home.comcast.net)
From about 1870 until 1920, entertainment and civic events in most of the cities and towns of
Colorado were centered in the "opera house." Almost all of the towns in Colorado in the late
1800s had one or more opera houses, although some never hosted opera performances. The name
was synonymous with theater, but generally the opera house catered to the more elite citizens. A
mix of local talent and touring groups occupied their stages in the heyday of live entertainment.
Among the variety of events taking place in the opera houses were dances, community meetings,
political gatherings, performances by local actors or musicians, vaudeville acts, minstrels,
lectures, roller skating, wrestling and boxing. However, in a substantial number of Colorado's
opera houses, the denizens experienced real opera, either by local groups or by traveling
companies, often of considerable repute. Denverites enjoyed a fairly continual procession of
opera troupes from 1881 onward. In 1870, when a railroad was extended to it, Denver became a
convenient and usually profitable stopover between Chicago or St. Louis and San Francisco for
the best touring artists and companies. As railroads progressively linked other Colorado cities,
entertainers could travel in circuits within the state and, eventually, make traverses across the
state between Denver and Salt Lake City.
The Denver Theatre (1860) and the Montana Theatre (1861) in Central City are the earliest
venues in the state were operas were staged. The earliest "opera" houses we so far have
discovered are Goodnight's (1874) in Pueblo, Cushman's (1875) and McClellan's (1876), both in
Georgetown, and Forrester's (1876) in Denver. The oldest surviving theatre with an opera history
is the Belvidere (1875) in Central City. The oldest surviving opera house is Central City's 1878
building.
Central City Opera House
When the Tabor Opera House in Leadville opened in 1879, it was said to be the finest theater
between St. Louis and San Francisco. Architect George King with builders J.T. Roberts and L.E.
Roberts constructed the Opera House in 100 days with an estimated cost of $78,000.
Golden witnessed the opening an opera house also in 1879, but it was not as elegant as the one in
Central City or as ostentatious as the one in Leadville. Typical of many such houses, its wooden
folding chairs could be removed for dances, including the seasonal grand balls.
Not to be outdone by its small mountain neighbors, Denver made plans to build a better opera
house. With the backing of the silver millionaire, the impressive and expensive Tabor Grand
Opera House opened in 1881. Its total cost was in excess of $860,000, and to be built in a city
that was 600 miles west of what was then considered as civilization, the Tabor Grand was indeed
a magnificent structure.
Tabor Grand Opera House, Denver
For the next 30 years opera houses sprang up in almost every town and city in Colorado. Several
of the larger municipalities had two or more opera houses existing simultaneously and often a
series of opera houses were built in cities where one burned or became obsolete and then was
replaced by another. Approximately 150 buildings called opera houses were built between 1860
and 1920. Most no longer exist. Fire destroyed several, including, in 1907, the 1897 Grand Opera
House in Cripple Creek, and, in 1922, the splendid 1890 Grand Opera House in Pueblo. As tastes
in entertainment changed, many of the opera houses fell into disrepair and were demolished. The
Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver was one of them. It was razed in 1964. The sites occupied
by many of the old opera houses became automobile parking lots.
Forty-three survivors, or approximately one-third of the old opera houses, have been identified at
present, but of these most have been so much remodeled and renovated that virtually nothing of
the original remains. Primarily, they now are commercial properties or housing.
Only 17 structures remain that have significant associations with opera in Colorado and are or
will be entertainment venues. Four of these were called theaters but at least sometime functioned
as an opera house: Orpheum Theatre in Buena Vista, Belvidere Theatre in Central City, Elitch's
Theatre and the Municipal Auditorium (now renamed the Ellie Caulkins Opera House) in
Denver. Four former opera houses have been or now are cinemas: Grove (formerly Isis) in
Alamosa, Curran in Boulder, Unique (formerly Salida) in Salida, and Fox (formerly West) in
Trinidad. Only eight of the old opera houses still are called opera houses and are mostly in
original state: Wheeler in Aspen, Central City, Tabor in Leadville, Dickens in Longmont,
Mancos, Wright in Ouray, Manassa, and Sheridan in Telluride. Some of these currently are
undergoing historic restoration or will be restored, including Sheridan Opera House in Telluride
and Orpheum Theater in Buena Vista. The stately and well-preserved Dickens Opera House in
Longmont, although a designated historic landmark, now has a billiard parlor and bar in its
auditorium.
This website provides a brief history of opera performance in early Colorado and a synoptic
listing of 141 opera houses for which we have substantial information. To provide a more
complete catalog of the opera venues of the time, we also have included a few halls and theatres
that were the equivalent of opera houses. Additionally, there is a page of links to websites that
honor the old opera houses of America or remember the opera and opera stars of the time. Herein
can be glimpsed the cultural exposure, including the way opera was experienced, at the end of
the 19th century and early 20th century in the American West.
Tabor Opera House, Leadville
http://operapronto.home.comcast.net
WHO PUTS AN OPERA TOGETHER?
- backstage Lots of preparation goes into choosing the operas to be performed. Our board of
directors, staff and artistic director spend lots of time listening to different operas
to decide which ones would be best for our Opera House. Once the operas are
selected, singers must be auditioned. An audition is a try-out…where you show
off all of your talent and hope to be selected. From there, rehearsals begin. The
set must be built, the costumes created and the show choreographed and
directed. The entire cast gets together and practices the show until it is perfect.
There are many people involved in putting a show together. Not only do you
have the people on the stage (the principals and the supporting roles, the chorus
and all of the other parts) plus the orchestra in the pit—you also have the crew.
The crew is made up of lighting people, set designers, costumes, make-up
artists, stage managers, stage hands, prop people, and the director.
That’s a lot of people. Just look!
WHO PUTS AN OPERA TOGETHER?
- showtime -
Careers in the Arts
What do you want to do when you grow up? When people think of careers in the arts, they most often
think of singers, actors, musicians, maybe directors and maybe painters. But what about:
Visual Arts
Animator
Architect
Art Historian
Computer Graphics
Commercial Artist
Critic
Fashion Designer
Framer
Gallery Owner
Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Interior Designer
Painter
Paper Maker
Photographer
Print Maker
Printing/Publishing
Sculptor
Sign Painter
Teacher
Textile Designer
Typographer
Theater/Film/Radio/TV
Actor
Animal Trainer/Wrangler
Announcer
Art Director
Audio Engineer
Box Office/Ticketing Services
Camera Person
Carpenter
Casting Director
Cinematographer
Comedian
Costume Designer/Maker
Dialect/Voice Coach
Director: Film, Television, Stage
Electrician
Film Editor
Lighting Designer
Magician
Music Director
News Anchor/Reporter
Producer
Props
Recording Engineer
Scene Designer
Special Effects
Stagehand
Stuntman/Stunt Coordinator
Teacher
Videographer
Voiceover Actor
Writer: Film, Television, Theater
Music
Accompanist
Composer/songwriter
Conductor: Choir, Band, Orchestra
Instrumentalist
Instrument Maker/Repair
Music Publisher
Music Librarian
Orchestrator
Personnel Manager
Piano Tuner
Recording Executive
Singer
Sound Engineer
Stagehand or “Roadie”
Stage Manager
Teacher
Dance
Ballet Master/Mistress
Choreographer
Company Manager
Dance Captain
Music Coordinator
Shoemaker
Teacher
And then there’s
Accountant
Arts Administrator
Art/Music Therapist
Agent
Artistic Director
Attorney
Business Manager
Curator
Education and Outreach
Executive Director
Fundraiser
Marketing Director
Publicist
And more!
What is Opera?
An opera is a musical drama or comedy where the actors sing rather then speak their lines. The
word "opera" is derived from the Latin word opus, which means work (of art). Like a play, an
opera is performed on a stage with singer-actors, scenery, costumes and make-up, and lighting.
Opera is truly a multi-disciplinary art form, which means it is a combination of many art forms
(singing, orchestral music, theater, visual arts, dance) and subject areas (history, mythology,
literature). Opera combines these disciplines in a very powerful way to tell a story. Opera can be
funny, sad, scary, dramatic, mysterious, fantastical or any combination of feelings and moods.
The libretto contains all of the words of an opera. Italian for “little book,” a libretto is usually
shorter than the script for a play because it takes longer to sing lines than to say them, and
because music is also a very important part of telling the story of an opera. The person who
writes the words for an opera is often a playwright or poet and is called a librettist.
The composer writes the music for the opera. All of the music, both vocal (for singers) and
orchestral (for instrumentalists) is written in the score with separate lines for each instrument and
each singer’s vocal part. The score, as a piece of music, reflects the mood, events and emotions
of the characters in the story.
Characters are the people in the story. Singers perform the parts of the characters, also called
roles.
A synopsis is a short written summary of the story.
The Performers
The Music Director is responsible for the interpretation of the score. The Music Director is also
usually the conductor, who is responsible for the musical interpretation and coordination of the
performance. The conductor stands at the front of the orchestra pit and uses a baton (a short
white stick) and his/her arms and body to interpret the music, cue singers and instrumentalists
and keep the beat so everybody stays together. Maestro (maestra for a woman) is the Italian
word for conductor (literally “master”) and is a term of great respect.
Soprano is the highest female voice. She is often the heroine of the opera and a lot of the time
she is in love with the tenor. A star soprano is often referred to as the "Prima Donna" (first lady
in Italian).
Mezzo-soprano, or just mezzo, is the second highest, or middle, female voice. The mezzo sound
is typically darker and warmer than the soprano. The mezzo usually plays the older female
character (like the mother), a bad guy (like a witch), a seductress, or a young man or boy. When
the mezzo plays a male character, she will be dressed in men's clothes. This is called a pants or
trouser role. This convention became popular in the 17th Century as a woman’s voice is stronger
than a boy’s voice.
Alto, also called contralto, is the lowest female voice. The alto often plays an old woman, who
can either be wise and good or an old witch.
The tenor is the highest male voice and is usually the hero of the opera and generally in love
with the soprano.
Baritone is the next lowest, or middle, male voice. The baritone is often a villain but can
sometimes be a hero who sacrifices himself for the tenor and/or soprano. In a comedy, the
baritone is usually the one pulling all kinds of pranks. The baritone is often in love with the
soprano but usually loses her to the tenor.
The bass has the lowest male voice. He very often plays a wise old man or sometimes a comic
character (basso buffa). Basso profundo describes the lowest bass voice.
Supernumeraries or "supers,” appear on stage in costume in non-singing and non-speaking
roles.
The orchestra is the group of instrumentalists who accompany the singers. They play under the
stage in the orchestra pit where they will be less likely to overpower the singers and detract from
the physical action on stage. Even though the orchestra is not on stage, the instrumentalists are
equal partners with the singers in performing an opera.
The chorus is a group of singers who function as a unit on stage. Choruses can be for mixed
voices, men only, women only, or children. They are usually featured in crowd scenes where
they can represent townspeople, soldiers, pilgrims, etc.
Dancers are often included in an opera. They are usually part of large crowd scenes but can be
featured in solo roles as well. Many operas include a short ballet.
The folks behind the scenes - opera production
Where do you start if you want to put on a production of an opera? Usually the General Director,
Artistic Director or Music Director will pick the repertoire, or what operas will be performed.
The performance is conceived by the Production Team, which consists of the Music
Director/Conductor, Stage Director, Choreographer, Scene Designer, Costume Designer, Prop
Master, Lighting Designer and Technical Director. These people meet frequently to trade ideas
and work together to ensure a cohesive interpretation of the piece from a visual, dramatic and
musical standpoint.
The Stage Director (sometimes simply called the director) is responsible for the overall look or
concept of the production. The director determines how the opera will be interpreted and tells
everyone on stage when and where to move, creating "stage pictures" that enhance the story.
The Choreographer designs the movement for the dancers.
The Costume Designer designs and creates the clothes singers wear to reflect aspects of the
character played by the singer and their significance in the story.
The Scene Designer creates the visual background and set pieces for the opera. He or she creates
a small scale model of the set and detailed blueprints which serve as the “instructions” for
building the set. He or she also works closely with the prop master on hand props, furniture and
set decoration.
The Lighting Designer creates a lighting plan that emphasizes each drama of the moment.
Lighting design is an important visual element that contributes to the ambience of the stage
setting and affects the appearance of people, costumes and props on stage.
The Technical Director supervises everyone who is implementing the concepts of the designers.
He or she works with carpenters, painters, electricians, sound designers and stagehands and
oversees the building of sets and props and hanging of lights.
The Stage Manager coordinates the visual elements of a show during the performance. He or
she is responsible for calling all the cues in the performance for the cast and crew. This means
the stage manager warns the cast and crew when acts are about to begin and end, tells the
conductor when to start, cues cast members for entrances, and follows hundreds of detailed notes
in the score to tell the crew when to change lighting, scenery, sound effects, and raise or lower
the curtain.
The Crew works behind the scenes and is responsible for setting up and running all of the
equipment for a performance, including changing sets, placing and maintaining props, operating
the lights, opening and closing the curtains, operating trap doors, sound effects, and assisting
performers with costumes and makeup.
What makes an opera?
Opera is a musical form. The orchestra provides the overriding musical texture, while the
singers are featured as soloists.
The overture is a piece of music played by the orchestra to begin the opera. It usually, but not
always, contains some of the musical themes from the opera and sets the mood for what the
audience is about to see.
Recitative, pronounced re-chi-ta-TEEV, is sung dialogue that propels the action of the story. The
singing is generally faster with a rhythm more like regular speech.
An aria is an extended musical passage sung as a solo (by one person). It is often very lyrical
and accompanied by the orchestra, giving the audience information about the character at a
particular point in the story. The action usually stops while an aria is sung.
A duet is an extended musical passage for two singers, a trio is sung by three singers, a quartet
is a piece for four singers, and so on.
An ensemble is an extended musical passage for four or more singers. Very often each
performer in an ensemble is singing different words and different musical lines.
Choral scenes usually feature the principal and secondary cast members with the chorus. The
sheer number of voices on stage is usually reserved for moments of high drama and spectacle.
Dancers might also be featured in a big choral scene.
The finale is the last number in an act. It usually involves many singers and is very dramatic.
Operas are often performed in a different language, usually the language in which they were
originally written. Even if you cannot understand the language, you can usually get a good idea
of what is happening from the music and the actions of the characters.
Supertitles or surtitles are the translation of the words of an opera projected above the stage or
on the backs of seats in the theater at the same time the character(s) on stage is singing them.
Even if an opera is performed in English, supertitles are often used to help the audience follow
the story.
Other opera terms and fun things to know!
Bel canto, literally “beautiful singing,” describes the musical style of an opera that is lyrical and
often very flowery.
Bravo, literally “brave” or “courageous,” is a form of applause when shouted by members of the
audience at the end of an especially pleasing performance. Strictly speaking, bravo is for a single
man, brava for a single woman and bravi for more than one performer.
Cadenza is a brilliant passage in an aria often improvised by the singer, usually in such a way as
to best display his or her vocal talents.
Coloratura describes a voice that possesses unusual flexibility, able to sing many notes quickly
over a wide range. This term is most often used to describe female voices, i.e. coloratura soprano
or mezzo, but occasionally men will have this same ability.
The concertmaster or concertmistress is the first chair violinist who leads the orchestra in
tuning at the beginning of each act and coordinates the strings section, deciding on the bowing so
that all the bows move in unison.
Diva, literally “goddess,” refers to an important female opera star. The masculine form is divo.
Leitmotiv, “light-mo-teef,” is a short musical phrase associated with a particular character or
event. These repeated musical themes can signal the entrance of a character, foreshadow an
event, or help reveal what a character is feeling or thinking.
The prima donna is the leading female singer, or “first lady,” in an opera. Because of the way
opera stars have behaved in the past, it often refers to someone who is acting in a superior and
demanding way. Diva can have the same connotation.
Tempo refers to how fast or slow the music is performed. The conductor reads the composer’s
markings and sets the speed of the music.
An understudy is someone who learns a main role in an opera in case the lead singer can’t
perform for some reason. This is also called a cover, i.e. Miss Trill is covering the role of
Buttercup.
What in the world is opera?
Write down what you think opera is before you go see the show…
Oh! Now I know what opera is!!!
Were you right? What did you learn about opera?
Answer Sheet
Word Match
5
3
14
2
11
7
4
10
12
1
8
6
13
9
History of the Central City Opera House Association
"The purpose of the Central City Opera House Association is to foster the
cultivation of the Arts and Humanities, particularly the performing arts;
encourage and participate in the education and development of persons
interested in the Arts and Humanities, particularly the performing arts
and the history of Colorado. . ."
-From the Mission Statement of the
Central City Opera House Association,
written in 1932.
Located 40 miles west of Denver at an altitude of 8500 feet, Central City was founded shortly
after gold was discovered in Gregory Gulch in 1859. Until about 1870, it was nationally
known as "the richest square mile on Earth." This once-thriving mining town is home to the
Central City Opera House. Built in 1878 by Welsh and Cornish miners, the opera house
reflected Victorian elegance: frescoed ceilings and wall panels and an elaborate kerosene
chandelier. In its day, the opera house was one of the finest theaters west of the Mississippi
and a symbol of the prosperity of Central City. However, by the turn of the 20th century,
Central City was nearly a ghost town and the opera house was in severe disrepair.
The Central City Opera House Association was formed in 1929 to renovate the historic
theater. Denverites Anne Evans and Ida Kruse McFarlane raised the money to restore the
opera house and return it to a producing theater. Broadway director and designer Robert
Edmond Jones convinced film actress Lillian Gish to head the cast of Camille and in July,
1932, Denver society traveled to the sleepy town, whose population at the time was only 300,
to celebrate the reopening of the Central City Opera House. Since then, the Association's
summer festival has become one of the most prestigious in the United States.
Central City Opera has concentrated on continuing the traditions begun by Robert Edmond
Jones and the founders of the company: an ensemble approach to opera rather than the "star
system" so common to regional theaters; and casting according to physical type as well as
vocal quality. Current General Director Pelham G. Pearce strives to continue the traditions of
the past while building the company’s international reputation by producing works new to the
region, contracting singers and stage directors from around the world, and maintaining a
commitment to American opera. Central City Opera previously produced all operas in
English, but now presents operas in their original languages.
Central City Opera has been a significant force in the development of American singers.
Notable singers who have graced the Central City Opera stage include Beverly Sills, Samual
Ramey, Denyce Graves, Catherine Malfitano and Sherrill Milnes, among others. The BonfilsStanton Foundation Artists Training Program, established in 1978 by Artistic Director
Emeritus John Moriarty, is a national model for the professional development of young
singers. The program, which selects 30 participants from more than 700 applicants each year,
is a rigorous 10-week program with an emphasis on performance and career management.
Central City Opera’s Education and Community Programs
Central City Opera has presented performances and workshops in more than 100
communities across Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska since 1996, and we’re still
counting! Each year, the Central City Opera Ensemble presents over 150 performances
and workshops in schools, in senior centers and residences, and in communities large and
small. These performances provide opportunities for audiences to hear and learn about
less familiar works from the opera repertoire along with old favorites and, for newer
audiences, they help debunk many of opera’s myths.
Central City Opera regularly performs two different programs suitable for students
grades K through 8. The Great Opera Mix-up and Mozart & Co. are interactive
performances that encourage students to explore opera in a fun way and entice them to
learn more. For grades 3 through 8, How the West Was Sung enhances social studies
and western history curriculum. For middle and high school students, En Mis Palabras
(In My Own Words) ties to social studies curriculum and relates to students’ own life
experiences. For all ages, Central City Opera offers master classes and workshops
designed to meet specific needs and interests. All of Central City Opera’s school
programs support Colorado Model Content Standards.
One of the abiding goals of Central City Opera’s education programs is to provide
integrated, meaningful opportunities that support public school curriculum, serve as a
resource for both students and teachers, and provide inspiration. One way this is being
accomplished is through Opera Alive! Utilizing the text-book based curriculum of
Music! Words! Opera!, students receive an in-depth introduction to opera and its
relationship to history, literature and other disciplines and then have the opportunity to
create and produce their own opera with the assistance of professional mentors. Teachers
prepare for Opera Alive! through a week-long professional development program offered
free each summer to educators across the state.
In addition to school programs, Central City Opera presents two special Family
Matinees during the summer festival. Priced at only $7.00 for students aged 6 through
18, and $12.00 for adults accompanying students, Family Matinees feature special
narration for the young audience. Also an educational experience for singers, the Family
Matinees feature members of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
singing the principal roles. For individual or group tickets, contact the Central City Opera
Box Office at 303-292-6700.
Central City Opera programs have been critically acclaimed for their innovative,
energetic approach to introducing opera to new audiences. Programs like these provide a
foundation for an enjoyment of the arts that will last a lifetime and support and enrich
academic achievement. For more information on any of Central City Opera’s education
and community programs, please call Deb Morrow or Rita Sommers at 303-292-6500, or
visit our website at www.centralcityopera.org.
Learn More About Opera On the Web
All of these appear as links in the CentralCityOpera.org Education section’s Resource Center.
TEACHING/STUDY RESOURCES:
www.centralcityopera.org
Our Education section includes resources and activity guides for each assembly program plus
general and specific information on operas. You can also find information in the website about
the Festival Season, previews, education and community programs, performances for kids and
families, activities and programs of the Central City Opera House Association Guild, and on-line
ticketing.
ARTSEDGE http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org
A program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ARTSEDGE offers free,
standards-based teaching materials for use in and out of the classroom, as well as professional
development resources, student materials, and guidelines for arts-based instruction and
assessment.
www.operainfo.org
This website of the Metropolitan Opera in New York features study guides (most available in
Spanish as well), and teacher materials for operas. The schedule for the current Metropolitan
Opera International Radio Broadcast season is also posted here. Listen to performances of
great opera in your own living room or in the car! The Met also offers live HD performance
transmissions to movie theaters throughout the year. See the website for that schedule as well.
Opera Glass Opera.stanford.edu
This Internet site hosted by Stanford University provides links to synopses, libretti,
performance histories, discographies, opera professionals and tons of other neat opera
information and resources. Note: this Internet site does not use the prefix www!
www.operaamerica.org
OPERA America is a professional association of opera professionals and companies in the
United States. Its fundamental mission is to promote opera as exciting and accessible to
individuals from all walks of life. The “Audiences” section of the website has numerous study
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera
resources and recommended books and recordings for various age groups.
http://www.opera-opera.com.au/plotind.htm Alison Jones's Opera Plot Summaries - many
synopses included that are nowhere else on the web
www.musicwithease.com Music With Ease believes that music should always be a pleasure -whether you are listening to it or playing it or just learning more about it -- and to help people to
share their enjoyment, they provide extensive, free information on various kinds of music -classical, opera, and more.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LOCAL OPERA:
Check out www.operapronto.info for information about opera in Colorado, including the
history of Colorado’s many opera houses (in the Exhibits and Links sections).
www.babydoe.org - the DoeHEADS website. This site is devoted to an exploration of the lives
of Baby Doe, Augusta and Horace Tabor and the opera they inspired, Douglas Moore's The
Ballad of Baby Doe (which premiered at Central City Opera in 1956).
FOR FUN:
Opera Is All Around You! http://www.arts.gov/national/GAV/operaaroundyou.html You know
more opera “tunes” than you think you do… the National Endowment for the Arts has
compiled a list of many opera references shown on television and in movies, and celebrities you
might not have known had a connection to opera.
Moguls to Mozart www.stringsinthemountains.org
This website for Strings in the Mountains in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has a really fun,
interactive section about Mozart. Click on the “Kids” section then scroll down within the “Kids”
drop-down list to click on “Moguls to Mozart”. Enjoy!
Music Fun’s Game Room http://musicfun1.tripod.com/id25.htm A collection of several musicoriented online games.
www.dsokids.com Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s website geared towards both students and
teachers, with games and activities
www.playmusic.org is a children's website from the American Symphony Orchestra League.
www.nyphilkids.org is a children's website from the New York Philharmonic. (Requires Shockwave
Player)
Take the Opera Challenge http://music.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/0201_operaquiz/
Minnesota Public Radio’s music director takes on the Met Opera Quiz—and so can you!
These are only a few of the many websites on or related to opera. By using your imagination and your search
engine(s), you can find all kinds of interesting information about opera, pictures of opera productions, singers and
composers, and audio files so you can hear the music, right from your computer!
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera
SUGGESTED VIDEO AND
SOUND RECORDING
A list of popular operas available as recordings
or videos at many libraries and rental outlets.
Bizet, Carmen
Britten, A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Gershwin, Porgy and Bess
Humperdinck, Hansel and Gretel
Leigh, Mike, Topsy-Turvy, an Academy Award-winning movie about the collaboration of Gilbert
& Sullivan
Leoncavallo, I Pagliacci
Menotti, Amahl and the Night Visitors
Moore, The Ballad of Baby Doe
Mozart, The Magic Flute
Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro
Puccini, Tosca
Puccini, Madame Butterfly
Ravel, L’enfant et les Sortileges
Rossini, The Barber of Seville
Strauss, Die Fledermaus
Verdi, Aida
Luciano Pavarotti’s Opera Made Easy: “My Favorite Opera for Children,” [conductors – Solti,
Varviso, et al] Decca, 1994
For specific recording recommendations, see the list OPERA America created at
http://www.arts.gov/national/GAV/listening.html
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera
READING LIST
Suggested reading for Teachers
On Opera:
Barber, David W. When the Fat Lady Sings: Opera History As It Ought To Be Taught.
Toronto: Sound and Vision, 1990.
Brener, Milton. Opera Offstage: Passion and Politics Behind the Great Opera. New York:
Walker & Company, 1996.
Cargher, John. How to Enjoy Opera Without Really Trying. Salt Lake City: Peregrine Smith
Books, 1986.
DiGaetani, John Louis. An Invitation to the Opera. New York: Doubleday, 1985.
Dobkin, Matt. Getting Opera: A Guide for the Cultured but Confused. New York: Pocket
Books, 2000.
Englander, Roger. Opera: What’s All the Screaming About? New York: Walker & Company,
1983.
Mordden, Ethan. Opera Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985.
Plotkin, Fred, and Placido Domingo (intro). Opera 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and
Loving Opera. New York: Hyperion, 1994.
Pogue, David and Scott Speck. Opera for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide,
1997. (Includes CD)
Vickers, Hugh. Great Operatic Disasters. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1979.
On Singers:
Kerby, Mona. Beverly Sills. Viking Kestrel. New York, 1989.
Terdards, Anne. Marian Anderson, Singer. Chelsea House Publisher. New York, 1988.
Williams, Sylvia. Leontyne Price. Children’s Press. Chicago, 1984.
On Local Opera History:
Johnson, Charles A. Opera in the Rockies: A History of the Central City Opera House
Association. Central City Opera House Association, 1992.
Miles, Henry. Orpheus in the Wilderness: A History of Music in Denver 1860-1925. Denver:
Colorado Historical Society, 2006.
Theatre of Dreams: The Glorious Central City Opera Celebrating 75 Years. Denver: Central
City Opera House Association, 2007.
Young, Allen. Opera in Central City. Denver: Spectrographics, Inc., 1993.
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera
Suggested Reading for Students or Read-Aloud in Class
History:
Ganeri, Anita and Nicola Barber. The Young Person’s Guide to Opera: with music from the
great operas on CD. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2001.
Siberell, Anne. Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera: Behind the scenes with composers, cast,
and crew. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Filled with detailed explanations and
entertaining trivia, this clearly written, lively book introduces readers to the world of opera from
curtain opening to curtain call.
Streatfield, Noel. The First Book of the Opera. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1966.
Opera Stories:
Auch, Mary Jane. Bantam of the Opera. New York: Holiday House, 1997. Fun story of a
rooster with operatic talent.
Clement, Gary. The Great Poochini. Buffalo: Douglas & McIntyre, 1999. A canine opera star has some
trouble getting to his performance of Dog Giovanni.
Falconer, Ian. Olivia. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000. A lively young pig is
interested in all of the arts, including opera.
Frost, Frances. Amahl and The Night Visitors. Adapted from the opera by Gian Carlo Menotti.
McGrew. New York, 1952. Picture book with dialogue from the opera.
Price, Leontyne. Aida. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1980. Picture book of the opera
story as told by singer Leontyne Price.
Rosenberg, James. Sing Me A Story: The Metropolitan Opera’s Book of Opera Stories for
Children. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1989. Includes stories of many major operas and
beautiful illustrations.
Spruyt, E. Lee. Behind the Golden Curtain: Hansel and Gretel at the Great Opera House. New
York: Four Winds Press, 1986. Describes both onstage and backstage preparations for the
opening night of an opera production.
Updike, John. The Magic Flute. Adapted by John Updike, illustrated by Warren Chappell, from
the opera by Mozart, libretto by Schikaneder. Alfred E. Knopf. New York, 1962. Picture book
with selections from the music of the opera.
West, Jim and Marshall Izen. The Dog Who Sang at the Opera. New York: Harry N. Abrams,
Inc. 2004. Based on the true story of a supernumerary dog who sang along with soprano Renée
Fleming onstage one night.
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera
Where to see operas
You can listen to operas on recordings or watch them on videos and television, but the real thrill
of opera is seeing it live on stage.
Central City Opera performs every summer in the historic Central City Opera House built in
1878 in Central City, a mountain town 40 miles west of Denver. Operas are sung in original
languages with supertitles in English. Two special Family Matinees are presented every year
especially for young people. Ticket prices for these performances are only $7 for kids 6-18 and
$12 for adults accompanying kids. Call the box office at (303) 292-6700 for information.
Opera Colorado performs each spring at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Operas are
performed in the language in which they were written with projected supertitles in English.
Student performances are offered. Call (303) 778-6464 for information.
Opera productions may also be seen in Fort Collins at Lincoln Center, in Greeley at the Union
Colony Theater, in Aspen at the Wheeler Opera House, and in Colorado Springs at Colorado
College and the Pikes Peak Center. The University of Denver, the University of Colorado at
Boulder, and other universities and colleges in the state often perform operas featuring students.
To see an opera on television, watch for "Live from Lincoln Center" and “Great Performances”
on PBS or various productions on cable or satellite stations.
The Metropolitan Opera in New York is now broadcasting nationally on radio stations and to
movie theaters. Their website www.operainfo.org has the schedule for the current Metropolitan
Opera International Radio Broadcast season, as well as its live high-definition performance
transmissions to movie theaters.
Educational Resources Guide, Central City Opera