Minnesota Centennial Showboat facts for kids
The Minnesota Centennial Showboat was a special kind of theater. It was a traditional riverboat that floated on the Mississippi River in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Imagine a theater right on the water! This unique showboat had a cozy theater inside. It could seat 225 people. The inside looked like something from the Victorian Era. This was a popular style for showboats back then.
The showboat was a team effort. It was run by the University of Minnesota Theatre Department. They worked with the Padelford Boat Company. The showboat was a long-standing tradition for the University. It started way back in 1958. Students from the University's theater program used the showboat. It gave them a chance to learn about professional theater. The Minnesota Centennial Showboat had its very last show in 2016.
History of the Showboat
In 1956, people in Minnesota started planning. They wanted to celebrate the state's 100th birthday in 1958. Frank Whiting was in charge of the University of Minnesota's theater program. He had a big dream. He wanted to create a showboat theater on the Mississippi River. He suggested the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. The planners liked his idea. So, they began looking for the perfect boat.
Finding an old paddleboat was not easy. Building a new one on a barge was too expensive. In 1957, Frank Whiting and Tom Swain learned something interesting. The United States Army Corps of Engineers was getting rid of a boat. It was called the General John Newton. This was a 175-foot-long towboat. It was built way back in 1899. A Minnesota Senator named Edward John Thye helped out. He arranged for the University to get the boat. They paid only one dollar for it!
The old paddleboat arrived in Saint Paul on April 3, 1958. The University had less than three months. They needed to get it ready for opening night. That was on June 26. University students worked hard. They helped make the boat look like an 1890s showboat. They painted walls and sewed curtains. They fixed old theater seats. Students also built scenery and made costumes.
The first show opened with a play called Under the Gaslight. It was a melodrama from 1867. Miss Minnesota Diane Albers helped open the boat. She broke a bottle of champagne on the front. This is called christening a boat. Important people cut a ribbon to open the walkway. The Mayor of Saint Paul, Joseph E. Dillon, rang the boat's original bell. This invited the first audience members aboard.
In its early years, the showboat traveled a lot. It went up and down the river. It stopped for shows in many towns. These included Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Stillwater, and Winona. About fifteen students were in the cast. They performed one or two plays each season. Each show also had lively song-and-dance numbers. These were called olios. They were performed between acts. Besides acting, the students did many other jobs. They cleaned the boat and greeted visitors. They also took tickets.
The year 1969 was the last time the boat toured. After that season, it appeared in a Swedish movie. The movie was called The Emigrants. Then, the showboat stayed in one spot. It was docked on the river's east bank. This was below Coffman Memorial Union.
In 1995, the old paddleboat was 96 years old. It moved to Saint Paul for repairs. These repairs cost $2 million. But something terrible happened. Sparks from a welder started a fire. The fire destroyed the boat on January 27, 2000. This was just months before it was supposed to reopen. Only the paddlewheel and the burned-out hull were left.
A university theater professor, C. Lance Brockman, led a project. He wanted to get a new showboat. In December 2000, the University made a deal. They partnered with the City of Saint Paul. They also worked with the Saint Paul Riverfront Development Corporation. And the Padelford Packet Boat Company. Together, they decided to build a new showboat. Construction began the next spring. It started in Greenville, Mississippi.
The new Minnesota Centennial Showboat arrived on April 17, 2002. It was named the Frank M. Whiting. It opened on July 4 with a play. The play was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
The showboat program gave students a special theater experience. Student actors learned the fun, over-the-top style of melodrama. Designers and student crews faced challenges. They had to work in a small performance space. Audiences loved joining in the fun. They would boo and hiss at the villain. And they cheered for the hero!
The showboat program won an award in 2004. It was the Tourism Partner of the Year Award. This was from the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau. Later that year, a scholarship was created. It was called the C. Lance Brockman Showboat Scholarship.
The final show for the Minnesota Centennial Showboat was in 2016. The University's agreement with the City of Saint Paul ended. The University also cut the program. This was due to budget reasons. The very last season featured a play. It was a new performance of Under the Gaslight.
In 2018, a group tried to save the boat. They raised money to buy it. They wanted to move it to Winona, Minnesota. The university sold the boat to the City of Saint Paul for one dollar. The showboat was being fixed up in St. Paul. But it caught fire again and burned down.
The Showboat Players
The Showboat Players were a group of actors. They were chosen only from students at the University of Minnesota. They performed many different kinds of plays. These included melodramas and comedies. These types of plays were very popular in the 1800s. The Showboat Players were most famous for their fun olios. Many famous actors today got their start on the showboat. Some of them include Loni Anderson, Linda Kelsey, Peter MacNicol, and Peter Michael Goetz.
Olios
Olios were musical performances. They were done between scenes of a play. Or sometimes they were a short show after the main play. Their job was to lighten the mood. Melodramas often had serious stories. University of Minnesota Professor Robert Darrell Moulton created many of these olios. He believed the olios should be different from the play. But they should still fit the style and theme.
Olios often depended on what the performers were good at. They might also use a clever "gimmick" or surprise. It was important for olios to show romance and nostalgia. They also needed to be colorful, fancy, and fun. Olios were a favorite part of the show for audiences. This was largely thanks to Bob Moulton's talents. He was a great dancer, costumer, choreographer, and director.
Shows Performed on the Showboat
- 1958: Under the Gaslight
- 1959: Billy the Kid and She Stoops to Conquer
- 1960: Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway
- 1961: Bloomer Girl
- 1962: Rip van Winkle and The Merry Wives of Windsor
- 1963: Camille and Under the Gaslight
- 1964: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Zoey, or Life in Louisiana
- 1965: Because I Love You and Arms and the Man
- 1966: The Great Git-Away and Fashion
- 1967: Romeo and Juliet and Charley's Aunt
- 1968: The Rivals and Trelawny of the "Wells"
- 1969: The School for Scandal and The Birds
- 1970: Lady of Lyons and Tartuffe
- 1971: The Matchmaker and The Devil's Disciple
- 1972: Show Boat and The Madwoman of Chaillot
- 1973: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Stephen Foster
- 1974: The Importance of Being Earnest and The Tavern and Trial By Jury
- 1975: An Ideal Husband and The Magistrate
- 1976: The Streets of New York
- 1977: The Black Crook
- 1978: Dracula
- 1979: Dandy Dick
- 1980: Charley's Aunt
- 1981: Hazel Kirke
- 1982: The Belle of New York
- 1983: Florodora
- 1984: The Count of Monte Cristo
- 1985: The Girl of Golden West
- 1986: Sherlock Holmes
- 1987: The Bat
- 1988: Down River Ramble: A Mississippi Panorama
- 1989: Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines
- 1990: The Moonstone
- 1991: Dracula
- 1992: Angel Street and The Mystery of Irma Vep
- 1993: The Mousetrap
- 1994: Charley's Aunt
- 1995: Peg O' My Heart
- 1996: The Matchmaker
- 2002: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 2003: Dracula
- 2004: The Mousetrap
- 2005: Importance of Being Earnest
- 2006: Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway
- 2007: Sherlock's Last Case
- 2008: Count of Monte Cristo
- 2009: Is There a Doctor in the House?
- 2010: Triumph of Love
- 2011: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: The Melodrama of Sweeney Todd
- 2012: The Vampire!
- 2013: Sweet Revenge!
- 2014: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
- 2016: Under the Gaslight
