Central City Opera House Association
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Case Code: BSTR442 Case Length: 10 Pages Period: 2009-2010 Pub Date: 2013 Teaching Note: Available |
Price: Rs.300 Organization: Central City Opera House Association Industry: Non-profit Countries: US; Global Themes: Strategic Management, Non-profit Management |
Abstract Case Intro 1 Case Intro 2 Excerpts
The History of Central City and the Opera House
The City of Central (Central City) started as a boom town in 1859 with the Colorado gold rush. Eager gold miners had a zest for amateur theater, especially those with strong Cornish, German, and Irish cultural traditions. Within a year of striking gold, theater emerged as an important element of life in the town widely known as "The Richest Square Mile on Earth". In 1878, Welsh and Cornish miners pooled in $25,000 and built the Opera House on the site of an old livery stable. This Opera House was the most renowned among Central City Opera's Historic Properties within Central City / Blackhawk National Landmark Historic District. An exquisite establishment, it was constructed with thick stone masonry exterior walls.
The rugged exterior of the Opera House was complemented by brilliant frescoes, diamond dust mirrors, and crystal chandeliers inside and perfect acoustics. The style was typical of historical structures in the United States built during this era. While gold was king, opera was queen. Opera productions of the 1870's included "East Lynne," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Our American Cousin", and "Rip Van Winkle."
When the county announced plans to transform the Opera House into a courthouse, the community objected strongly. Several individuals had devoted much of their lives to the Opera House. Manager Peter McFarlane kept the Opera House going in the worst of times, eventually converting it to a more profitable movie house in the 1900's. McFarlane's daughter inherited the Opera House in 1929 but did not provide the leadership required to keep the house from hard times.
In 1930, a University of Denver professor, another heir to the Opera House, assumed its debts and donated the building to the University. Recognizing the distinct possibilities of the theater, the University, in 1932, formed the Central City Opera House Association (CCOHA,) a non-profit body intended to direct annual summer festivals. The Opera House was held in trust by the University and leased to the Central City Opera House Commission for a nominal amount. This marked the beginning of the first and one of the best known summer music festivals in the country...
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