ALBERT TAVERNIER AND THE GUELPH ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Wayne Fulks

This article is a history of the building of the Royal Opera House in Guelph, Ontario, with a discussion of its management under Albert Tavernier. The Opera House was built in 1894 by a group of local businessmen from designs by the Stratford architect, Harry J. Powell. Excerpts from Tavernier's Account Book, including a list of performances and an estimate of expenses are reprinted.

Cet article est une etude de la construction de la Royal Opera House à Guelph, Ontario, avec un examen de son administration par Albert Tavernier. L'Opera House était construit en 1894 par des commerçants locaux d'après dessins de Harry J. Powell de Stratford. Extrait du Livre des comptes menagé par Tavernier, y compris une liste des productions et son devis de dépense sont impressionés.

When Mr Frank Dowler rose from his seat in one of the boxes of the Royal Opera House in Guelph, Ontario, to address the opening night crowd on 5 November 1894, he was acting in his capacity as chairman of the board of directors of the Guelph Workmen's Opera House Company. The House was not full but the audience which had assembled to see the comic opera Athenia, the opening night production, was composed mostly of the professional elite of the city. As the Guelph Herald explained, 'The house was not top heavy. Opera never was a strong attraction for the gods.' ¹ Dowler spoke of his pleasure in welcoming the audience to the first performance at the Opera House, and was pleased that the public had responded so generously to an appeal for funds to build it. Before he thanked his fellow directors and withdrew, he made a statement of principle reported in the Herald: 'the question of whether the enterprise would pay or not did not influence many; they were inspired only by a patriotism to provide for the citizens a proper and commodious amusement hall.' ² The Guelph Daily Mercury reported that Dowler went on to say that the institution was on a paying basis. ³

The board of directors was a mix of experienced and younger men, providing a balance of enthusiasm and experience which saw the project through to completion. In addition to the chairman, the other members of the board of directors were W.H. Stubbs, the secretary and treasurer, James C. Keleher, James G. Sully, and George Sleeman.

Frank Dowler was the proprietor of a dry goods store called The Great Cash House. According to the Herald it was one of the leading establishments in the county, and Dowler enjoyed great personal popularity. 'One could write many interesting personal references to the popular proprietor of The Great Cash House. An Irishman, he possesses all the striking characteristics of that sturdy race. Manly, self-reliant, aggressive, he is of a nature that looks straight ahead and never dreams of faltering until the goal is reached.' ⁴ A good selection for chairman, Dowler had already established himself in the community, and yet was still young and vigorous enough to want to continue to build his reputation.

W.H. Stubbs was the co-owner of one of the principal furniture stores in town, just a few steps down the street from the theatre. ⁵ Another dry goods merchant, J.C. Keleher, was also a member of the board. Keleher was active in community affairs, also serving as a member of the Board of Trade, and as chairman of the Market Committee. ⁶

J.G. Sully, the youngest member of the group, was general manager of the large and well-known sewing machine factory, Raymond Manufacturing Company. Sully participated actively in community affairs. He served as an alderman for Saint David's Ward, and was a member of several of the city's committees. He was a prominent member of the Council Board, had served as chairman of the Parks Committee, and was head of the Fire and Light Department. ⁷

Probably the most influential member of the board was George Sleeman. Sleeman had inherited a fortune from his father who owned the Silvercreek Brewery, and made another by developing the Guelph Street Railway Company. Sleeman was sufficiently popular that he was several times elected mayor of Guelph, both before and after the building of the Royal Opera House.

Before the Royal Opera House was built, the City Hall was used for any touring theatrical events and for the display of local talent. People had never been happy with the City Hall because it was ill-suited to this sort of presentation and because the location was unsatisfactory. ⁸ There were no galleries, the floor was not raked, and the stage was level and high. In addition to the visual problems, the acoustics were judged to be poor. But perhaps the most telling blow was the location:

The Grand Trunk Railway runs directly parallel with the hall and only a few feet away from it, and it has always been customary for trains to stop just beneath the windows while the engineer played a sort of rhapsodie on the steam whistle. This generally happened when anyone was singing 'doleful songs of mother,' or dying a painful death. ⁹

In 1893 the Ancient Order of United Workmen, one of a number of fraternal organizations that were active around the turn of the century, started looking for a larger meeting room. On 9 May a mass meeting of all the members of the AOUW was held to discuss the feasibility of building a new hall and opera house. ¹⁰ This meeting was sufficiently enthusiastic that a provisional committee was struck to further the scheme and to report back. By 24 May the committee's investigations were sufficiently advanced that they were ready to report to the mass meeting. That day the committee had brought to Guelph Mr Blackwell, an architect from Peterborough. He had inspected various sites around Guelph and reported as to the probable cost of erecting an appropriate building. At this time, the meeting instructed the committee to make the best bargain possible for the site proposed, and then proceed to take subscriptions for stock. Shares were placed at $10 each. The plans called for a hall for society meetings, five stores of good depth, and the opera house in the rear of the building. ¹¹

In June the provisional committee selected Harry J. Powell, an architect from Stratford, to prepare the plans for the proposed opera house. ¹² When the plans were ready they were put on display in one of the local shops. ¹³ on 13 July 1893, the subscribers of the stock met. At this meeting the board of directors was appointed. With one change, these men were the same as the provisional committee of the AOUW, but by now the plans for the Opera House had become independent of the AOUW. At this meeting, the board presented its final plans for the Opera House and an estimate of expenses for its completion.

The site selected for the building was at the top of Wyndham Street, the main shopping street. Right across the street was the new and elegant Wellington Hotel, a fine limestone structure whose manager, David Martin, had subscribed some of the stock. The property on which the Royal Opera House was built was owned byJames E. Keleher, one of the board of directors. ¹⁴ Two sides of the irregularly shaped property were 104'5 ", with three sides being 60'4", 62'6 ", and 64'2 " respectively. ¹⁵ The transfer of ownership took place on 1 January 1894 for a consideration of $7,000.

By October 1893, tenders had been opened ¹⁶ and the company had been officially registered with the Ontario government. ¹⁷ The Letters Patent list twenty shareholders who subscribed individually as much as $2,000 (Keleher and Sleeman) and as little as $100. The total amount listed in the Letters Patent is $8,250. ¹⁸ Newspaper reports state the directors had collected $15,000. ¹⁹ Thereafter the construction of the Opera House proceeded without serious delay. By the middle of October 1894 the house was essentially ready.

From the first mass meeting of the AOUW to opening night had taken about eighteen months. By way of contrast, it took over eight years from first meeting to opening night for the Saint John Opera House in Saint John, New Brunswick. ²⁰ The total cost of the Saint John Opera House was approximately the same as the one in Guelph, but the financing was handled differently. The land cost was $20,000 in Saint John, and this was all taken back by the owners in stock. What is perhaps the most striking contrast, however, is the ease with which the Guelph group raised the money needed for their project as opposed to the difficulty that the Saint John group encountered.

Harry J. Powell, the architect, made no attempt to be innovative in his approach to the design of the theatre. As the Guelph Herald put it, 'All modern opera houses are arranged on a well defined plan, and it is difficult as well as unwise to make any new departure from the generally accepted style of either the stage or auditorium.' ²¹ The acoustics appear to have been excellent, and though there were pillars in the auditorium, they did not block the sight lines. However, when the theatre was remodeled in 1923, one of the improvements was the removal of the pillars. ²²

Though no picture showing the auditorium prior to the remodeling is known, there is a good description of the interior in the opening night programme:

The gallery rails, running with a graceful sweep from one side of the proscenium arch to the other, are faced with scroll ornaments, a World's Fair staff, tinted in gold with a cream back ground. The front of the boxes and the top of the proscenium arch are also relieved with staff ornaments of quiet tints with a pure white back ground. These and the very pretty decorative work done around the arch in plaster paris impart an appearance of quiet elegance more grave and pleasing than the tinsel and gauze which so often constitute the gorgeous raiment of the modern theatre. ²³

Stage fittings and scenery were done by Messrs Sosman and Landis of Chicago, who were hired 'to make everything as complete and "up to date" as possible with fly galleries, scene painter's bridge and gridiron floor.' ²⁴

As can be seen from the illustrations, the building was an odd shape, dictated in part by the street corner on which it stood. The interior was over 100 feet long and more than 57 feet wide. The distance from the stage floor to the ceiling was 44 feet, ²⁵ while the proscenium arch was 32 feet high and 28 feet wide, with the stage running the full width of the building and extending 28 feet back from the curtain line. The auditorium was 62 feet deep and the orchestra pit and forestage another 15 feet. ²⁶ The total cost for the Royal Opera house, including land, was $38,000. ²⁷

The theatre sat 1,222 people with 212 in the parquet, 224 in the parquet circle, 294 in the balcony, 450 in the gallery, and 42 in the four boxes. ²⁸ In addition the theatre boasted a beautiful stage curtain with a picture of bedouins riding on Arabian horses. Fortunately a picture of the curtain has survived, giving us an indication of what the audience saw when it came into the theatre.

In the theatre on opening was Albert Tavernier, the new lessee and manager who had arranged to bring Athenia to Guelph. For those in the audience wondering what the new manager was likely to bring, they could have their curiosity satisfied by looking at the souvenir programme. Tavernier gave a brief explanation of his plans:

My long connection with the theatrical profession - covering a period of seventeen years - as actor and manager, gives me a knowledge of the wants of the theatre-going public, and an acquaintance with the greater number of theatrical organizations of the country, to enable me to supply that want. With the beautiful theatre so lavishly furnished by the Opera House Company, there is no reason why Guelph should not enjoy the best the theatrical market affords, and it will be my earnest endeavor to provide only that which is good. No man is infallible; but I trust and believe that I will be able to win the confidence of the theatre-goers of Guelph and vicinity, so that the opera house will be thoroughly well patronized. I promise you that every attraction appearing on the Guelph stage will, to the best of my knowledge and belief be worthy; and if by mischance something not just up to the mark should creep in, please impute it to an error of judgement solely, and 'let the exception prove the rule.' ²⁹

Tavernier, who had been born in 1859, had indeed spent seventeen years in the theatrical profession. ³⁰ He had come from a theatrical family and dropped out of university in 1877 to become an actor. By auditioning for C.W. Couldock while Couldock was playing in Toronto, Tavernier secured a position with a stock company in Cleveland. By 1879 Tavernier had returned to Canada and was playing with the E.A. McDowell Touring Company. In September of that year Tavernier was performing with W. Nannery and his company, then resident in St John's, Newfoundland. There he met Ida Van Cortland, who was also acting with Nannery. The following summer they were married in New York.

The Nannery company was forced to disband, and for the next few years Tavernier and Van Cortland worked for various stock and touring companies. Though successful and employed, the Taverniers were not happy with their working arrangements. By 1882 they formed their own touring company, and from then until the company folded in the late 1890s, they toured throughout the smaller cities and towns in Canada and some of the adjacent areas of the United States. Ida Van Cortland was the star of the company with Tavernier taking character parts and serving as manager for the company. In June of 1894 the Taverniers' touring company played in Guelph, and Tavernier could not have failed to notice the new opera house then being built. ³¹ Perhaps it was then that Tavernier made his arrangements to take over the Royal Opera House for five years as lessee and manager.

Many years later, Tavernier still held to the ideals of the Royal Opera House. In response to a questionnaire, he replied:

My greatest ambition never now to be realized has been to manage a theatre on my own along original lines - not in a metropolitan city but in one of the larger provincial cities where I would have sufficient leisure to ornament and embellish it as one does his private home with pictures and works of art pertaining to stage and drama. And where the best plays would be permitted to be presented. ³²

Tavernier had arrived in Guelph two weeks before opening night with hopes of opening the house within a week. Although he had already booked an attraction for 7 November, The Burglar by Augustus Thomas, he had not yet found a suitable company for opening the new theatre. As well, there were problems because the electrical light fixtures had not yet arrived. ³³ Tavernier eventually settled on John O'Keefe and Leonard Wales' new comic opera Athenia, an attraction that had only been on the road a few months, and was probably seen for the first time in Canada that night. At considerable expense Tavernier had arranged to bring the opera company directly from Detroit. ³⁴

In Detroit, Athenia played to one of the largest audiences of the year at the Lyceum. The reviewer for The Detroit Free Press felt that 'The company is well organized, the voices are good, the chorus is effective and well-looking and there is in the work ample material with which to build a success.' The reviewer also felt that some of the dialogue was commonplace and tiresome but that 'one stroke of the blue pencil were enough to relieve the dialogue of its dragginess . . . . ' ³⁵

In Guelph, The Globe described the plot as '... a remarkable mixture of classical and modern matters, the central figure being Alcibiades Gunn, delegate from Utah in Macedonia, whose twenty Mrs Cunns indulge in flirtations with the Senators.' ³⁶ The Herald dismissed it as 'distinctively American' and 'tenuous and absurd even beyond the limits of comic opera absurdity.' ³⁷ Nevertheless, both newspapers thought the opera had positive qualities as well, allowing for 'sparkles of genuine merit' ³⁸ and asserting that 'the opera and the company that presented it left nothing to be desired.' ³⁹ Whatever the merits of the opera and performance may have been, the company was certainly attuned to its audience with attempts made to put in local references. One of the songs contained a verse, written by a Guelph man, ⁴⁰ that alluded to earlier theatrical troubles in the city:

If in the city hall I tried to sing this song to you,
I'd have to drown the music of a Grand Trunk Train or two;
And if I hadn't steam power lungs and throat well lined with brass,
The audience might sing to me the chorus, let it pass. ⁴¹

Tavernier brought a wide selection of shows to his new theatre, mostly touring shows which came for one night or perhaps two, and then went on. Mixed in with these were groups that stayed longer, such as the Holden Comedy Company, who were in town from 3 to 8 December 1894, and the Townsend Shakespearean Company who were there with a largely classical repertoire of such plays as Merchant of Venice, Richard III and Othello. ⁴² Chief amongst the touring groups were Ida Van Cortland and her company. She played mostly in slightly elevated melodramas such as Forget Me Not, and a show in which Tavernier had been a success, The Mighty Dollar, by Benjamin E. Woolf. Ida Van Cortland's company was the only one to make two extensive visits to Guelph, coming In May of 1895 and again the following September.

While he was lessee and manager, Tavernier was not idle as an actor. During the off season in Guelph he toured with the Van Cortland company, and during the season he acted as well. Certainly when the Van Cortland Company was in town, he joined them on the stage. The Mercury reported that Tavernier 'was accorded an ovation only exceeded by Miss Van Cortland's'. ⁴³ When he played Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet he 'was dignified and kindly. He bore his office well.' ⁴⁴ In addition, when local groups put on performances, he would sometimes join them on stage. He played Sgt Meryll in Yeoman of the Guard, and received good notices. Perhaps his most significant work, though, was for the part of Miles McKenna in Rosedale by Lester Wallack. This was given as a benefit performance for Tavernier, and was certainly welcome as the entire $194.61 in gate receipts went to the theatre. ⁴⁵ This was the single most lucrative night the theatre had, because no money went to a touring professional. The prices were considerably lower than normal for this performance, being only 25, 35, and 50 cents.

In his Account Book for the Royal Opera House, Tavernier kept a debit and credit list, a receipt summary for the shows brought to the theatre, an estimate of expenses each night the house was open, and a pay list for the regular employees. The receipt summary is reproduced in Appendix A and the estimate of expenses in Appendix C. The receipt summary lists the Opera House's share of the gate receipts. In the debit and credit listings Tavernier frequently, but not always, gave the total gate receipts and the percentage that made up the Opera House's share: for instance, the $167.46 that the Van Cortland company brought in during May 1895 represents 40% of the gate receipts. ⁴⁶ The house got 30 to 40 % from most companies, but did get as little as 20% ⁴⁷ and as high as 50%. ⁴⁸ For some events there was a flat fee. On 2 October 1895 Alexander Salvini got a straight $300. ⁴⁹ Rose Coghlan evidently had a fee in excess of the $316 she brought in on 11 April 1895, for she is listed as bringing in no share for the Royal Opera House. ⁵⁰

During Tavernier's management, none of the really great stars of the era came to Guelph, but a number of second and third rank touring professionals did, actors such as Robert Mantell and Walker Whiteside. Probably Tavernier could not have afforded to pay for an Irving or a Tree to come to Guelph, even if he could have enticed them there. The regular ticket prices, well within the average for the time, ⁵¹ were $ .75, $ .50, $ .35, and $ .25. ⁵² If one associates these prices with the various sections of the theatre, they only bring in a total of $517.90. Tavernier intended to raise the prices for extraordinary attractions, as he did for Athenia, but even doubling them it is unlikely that there would have been enough return. The more important stars who came could demand larger percentages of the gate, or larger reserve fees, so that the increased patronage they might bring did not materially decrease Tavernier's fiscal difficulties. Stars simply could not bring in enough money to offset the losses on other shows. At this time Guelph had a population of about 12,000 and it was probably unrealistic to expect it to support a theatre that sat 10% of the population.

Tavernier was somewhat adventurous in his selection of plays in that he did bring Julia Stuart, who was then touring with A Doll's House. She played in Guelph on Christmas Day, 1895 and the house share was $27.95, representing 40 % of the gate. ⁵³ The reviewer in the Mercury thought highly of Julia Stuart, but less so of Ibsen:

"A Doll's House"

Under the above caption, which is a most misleading title by the way, a Guelph audience was introduced to Ibsen, the Danish Shakespeare as he is called. Miss Julia Stewart appeared as Nora and showed marked ability. We can fully understand that in a play which appeals to the sympathies of an audience she would be most captivating, and we are sorry that a "Doll's House" was selected to introduce Miss Stewart to a Guelph audience. Mr. Hogan as Helmar showed himself to be an actor of experience, and Mr. Houghton deserves a word of commendation for his rendition of the heavy part. Ibsen is said to have had an influence in the drama, and there may be a sufficient number of lbsenites in large centres to appreciate his work, but here in Guelph we want no more of him. With the exception of the last scene between husband and wife and a portion of the brightness of the first act, the audience would have left the theatre in disgust at the play, and were only restrained from doing so by their recognition of Miss Stewart's ability, which they respected and applauded when opportunities offered.

⁵⁴

When Julia Stuart returned a few nights later with Camille and East Lynne, her reviewer was happier with her choice of plays, but she was no better patronized at the box office. ⁵⁵ Tavernier made some attempt to bring back successful one night stands, such as Dan McCarthy, who brought in a gate of $431.00 when he played The Pride of Mayo on 9 November 1894. The House share was 40%, or $172.40. ⁵⁶ But when McCarthy returned on 14 May 1895, the house share was only $32.70. ⁵⁷

Although Albert Tavernier had intended to stay five years, he lasted only two as lessee and manager of the Royal Opera House. Athenia lost money, as did nearly every show he brought to the theatre. Tavernier had estimated that he needed to clear $65 a night to make the theatre profitable. ⁵⁸ Even if one were to discount some of the expenses he listed, such as the fee for himself, and the $2.91 he listed for incidentals, he never came very close to meeting his projected overhead. The average house share for the first season was $34.56 over sixty one nights ⁵⁹ and 46.33 over forty one nights for the second season. ⁶⁰ Clearly Tavernier was having trouble both with the amount of money each show was bringing in, and, by the second season, with the number of attractions he was bringing to the Royal Opera House.

ALBERT TAVERNIER AND THE GUELPH ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Wayne Fulks

1 Guelph Herald, 6 November 1894. The only known copy of this newspaper is a cutting on page 120 of Albert Tavernier's scrapbook, 277, box 10, Taverner Collection, Metropolitan Central Library, Toronto, Ontario.
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2 Herald 6 November 1894
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3 The Guelph Daily Mercury and Advertiser 6 November 1894, p 2, c 1
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4 Herald Souvenir Edition, December 1895, p 12
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5 Herald December 1895, p 12
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6 Herald December 1895, p 11
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7 Herald December 1895, p 6
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8 The Globe Toronto, 6 November 1894, p 1, c 6
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9 The Globe 6 November 1894, p 1, c 6
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10 Mercury 10 May 1893, p 1, c 4
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11 Mercury 25 May 1893, p 1, c 6
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12 Mercury 3 June 1893, p 1, c 4
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13 Mercury 7 June 1893, p 1, c 5
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14 Mercury 14 July 1893, p 1, c 7
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15 Instrument No 2559, Mtg. No. 5830 Wellington South Land Registry Office
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16 Mercury 21 October 1893, p 1, c 6
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17 Record Group 55, Company Charterbook 34, Folio 18, Archives of Ontario, p 1
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18 R.G. 55, C.C. 34, F. 18, p 1
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19 Mercury 15 July 1893, p 1, c 7
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20 MARY ELIZABETH SMITH, Too Soon The Curtain Fell Fredericton: Brunswick Press, 1981, pp 171-179. I m indebted to Professor Smith for all my omments on the Saint John Opera House.
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21 Herald 6 November 1894
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22 Mercury 14 April 1923, p 9, c 3
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23 Mercury 6 November 1894, p 2, c 1
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24 Mercury 18 October 1894, p 1, c 7
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25 Herald December 1895, p 16
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26 Herald 6 November 1894
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27 Herald December 1895, p 16
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28 Herald December 1895, p 1
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29 Herald 6 November 1894
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30 MURRAY EDWARDS, A Stage in our Past, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 48-56. I am indebted to Professor Edwards for the next two paragraphs of information on Albert Tavernier.
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31 Mercury 17 April 1894, p 1, c 5
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32 Answers to a Small Questionnaire, Box 8, Taverner Collection, Metropolitan Central Library
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33 Herald 22 October 1894
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34 The accounts for this show are listed on the last pages of Tavernier's Account Book.
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35 The Detroit Free Press 26 October 1894, p 4, c 4
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36 The Globe 6 November 1894
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37 Herald 6 November 1894
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38 Herald 6 November 1894
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39 The Globe 6 November 1894
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40 Mercury 6 November 1894, p 2, c 1
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41 Herald 6 November 1894
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42 Account book, p 24
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43 Mercury 7 May 1894, p 1, c 7
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44 Mercury 11 May 1895, p 1, c 8
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45 Account book, p 39
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46 Account Book, p 24, p 58, p 60
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47 Account Book, p 86. This was for Faust.
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48 Account Book, p 12
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49 Account Book, p 64
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50 Account Book, p 24
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51 Edwards, pp 179-185
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52 Mercury 6 November 1894, p 2, c 2
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53 Account Book, p 100
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54 Mercury 26 December 1895, p 1, c 6
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55 Mercury 2 January 1896, p 1, c 5
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56 Account Book, p 4
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57 Account Book, p 38
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58 Account Book, p xx. See also Appendix C.
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59 Account Book, p 38
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60 Account Book, p 40
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APPENDIX A
 

Appendix A is transcribed from pages 37-40 of Albert Tavernier's Account Book for the Royal Opera House.
 
 

APPENDIX B
 

Included in the general receipts of the Royal Opera House are notations of shows that Tavernier brought to Guelph that are not listed in his Receipt Summary.

APPENDIX C
 

On page 51 of the account book, Tavernier made an estimate of the expenses he would have for each night the house was open. It was a rare evening when he managed to clear his expenses.