Tibbits Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tibbits Opera House |
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Tibbits Opera House after restoration
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
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Tibbits Opera House
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| NRHP reference No. | 100003577 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 2019 |
| Location | 14 S. Hanchett St., Coldwater, MI 49036 |
| Coordinates | 41°56′26″N 85°00′15″W / 41.94056°N 85.00411°W |
| Completed | 1882 |
The Tibbits Opera House is a very old and important performance hall. It is located on South Hanchett Street in downtown Coldwater, Michigan. Built in 1882, it is the second-oldest theater in Michigan. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. This means it is a special building worth protecting.
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Building a Grand Theater in Coldwater
Coldwater was a busy town because it was on the main railway between Detroit and Chicago. This meant that news and entertainment from big cities arrived there easily. Coldwater was also a popular vacation spot with many lakes and parks. In 1882, it was a day's trip from Detroit or Chicago. This made Coldwater a perfect stop for travelers and performers. Because of this, people in Coldwater became very interested in art and culture.
Who Built the Tibbits Opera House?
Barton S. Tibbits, who was the mayor of Coldwater, decided to build an opera house. An art gallery owner named H.C. Lewis first suggested the idea. He and Tibbits planned to fund it together. Each man raised $8,000 for the project. But Lewis soon changed his mind. Tibbits decided to go ahead alone. He said he would build the opera house even if it hurt his cigar business.
People described Barton Tibbits as a very energetic person. He was also kind and generous, always ready to help those in need. Barton was the son of Allen Tibbits, one of Coldwater's founders. After serving in the Civil War, Barton started his tobacco and cigar business. He also got involved in many local projects. These included a skating rink, a cart factory, and an oil stove industry. He even bought steamboats for the local lakes.
Tibbits said the opera house was one of his most expensive projects. He felt it led to his financial struggles later in life.
Designing the Opera House
Tibbits hired Mortimer Smith to design the building. Smith also designed the Detroit Grand Opera House. The local newspaper, The Coldwater Republican, said the new theater would be one of the best in the state. It would only be smaller than the very biggest ones.
The chosen spot was on S. Hanchett Street. This was just off Chicago Street, the city's busiest road. One of Tibbits' cigar factories was also nearby. Coldwater was known for making cigars and for horse breeding. Work on the theater began on November 23, 1881. It opened almost a year later, on September 21, 1882. The Coldwater Republican newspaper called Tibbits Opera House "one of the safest and most stable buildings in Southern Michigan."
At the opening, Tibbits explained why he built it. He wanted to create something special that everyone in Coldwater would enjoy. He also wanted to show that he cared about making the city beautiful. He said the old idea that Coldwater was behind the times was now gone. He was proud to present a theater unmatched in any city Coldwater's size.
The Coldwater Republican praised Tibbits' hard work. They said the city needed a good place for entertainment. They noted that Tibbits had the courage to take on such a big project. The newspaper called the building beautiful and an honor to Mr. Tibbits.
The first show at Tibbits Opera House was The Maid of Arran. It took place on September 21, 1882. The newspaper said the show itself was not as good as the opera house. They felt some parts of the performance could have been left out.
Who Managed the Tibbits Opera House?
Opera houses in the 1800s were important community places. They hosted town meetings, local performers, and traveling shows. Many were on the second or third floors of other buildings. They were called "opera houses" to sound grand, like theaters in Europe. But they didn't only show operas.
Performers and theater groups often traveled with many plays, musicians, and special acts. As touring became more organized, theater circuits grew. Performers moved from city to city. Shows would practice before going to Broadway in New York City. By the early 1900s, vaudeville theaters were built across the U.S. to host these shows.
The Tibbits Family Era
The opening night of Tibbits was very expensive, costing $25 a seat. This was a lot when eggs cost only a dime a dozen! But Tibbits Opera House had many great years. It hosted all sorts of different shows. During Tibbits' time as manager, 111 plays were performed. Most of these were comedies. Serious plays were also shown, like Shakespeare's Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Uncle Tom's Cabin was also popular.
But theater was only one type of event at Tibbits. The stage was also used for public speeches and lectures. These talks covered many topics. They included talks about being kind to animals, and lectures on reformed outlaws. There were also talks about the arctic and spiritualism. Barton's father, Allen Tibbits, even gave a talk about the origin of Native Americans. The opera house was also a good place for political speeches.
The opera house hosted many other unique events. Audiences enjoyed trained dog shows and wrestling matches. There were also Humpty Dumpty Vaudeville and Variety shows. These included acrobatics, juggling, and funny plays called farces. The Boston Operatic Minstrels and stereopticon shows were also popular. Local people shared their talents in talent shows and poetry readings. The building was also used for community events. These included high school graduation ceremonies, dancing parties, and masquerade parties.
Despite all these different events, the opera house struggled financially. In 1885, due to low attendance and Barton S. Tibbits' own money problems, it almost became a roller mill. But the local community loved the theater too much to let it close. People saw Tibbits as a public place, even though it was privately owned. So, the community and local newspapers worked hard to save the theater. This was the first of many times they would try to save it.
The Henning Family Era
In 1885, Joseph Henning, a German saloon-keeper, bought the opera house for $13,000. This was just over half of its original cost of $25,000. Many people helped manage the theater during Henning's time. One surprising manager was his teenage daughter, Huldah Henning. By 1891, she was managing the theater by herself. She signed her father's name because many performers would not accept a female manager. Not only was a female opera house manager unusual, but the Courier newspaper said Huldah was "probably the youngest Opera House manager in the country and the only successful female one."
Henning tried new things to bring in business. He turned part of the basement into a restaurant and saloon. He even built an 85-foot (26 m)-long bowling alley. In 1891, the saloon became a tearoom. It offered ice cream, cold lunches, and lemonade. Henning's wife and daughters worked there. Henning also tried to bring better theater groups to perform. But frequent show cancellations and money problems again threatened to close Tibbits.
Many ideas were suggested for the theater. Some thought it should be a Town Hall. Others suggested a beer garden with variety shows. People who wanted to keep it as a theater wanted a special company to manage its money. None of these ideas worked out. Henning struggled year after year to keep the theater open.
The types of shows during the Henning years were even more varied than before. They included Irish comedies, drama, opera, and operetta. Comedies started to become more like vaudeville shows. In these, the performers were more important than the play itself. Reviews focused on the actors' songs, dances, and acrobatic skills. Uncle Tom's Cabin groups still toured. They tried to outdo each other with the most exciting stage effects. Set designers used special effects like real water for rainstorms. They even lit parts of the stage on fire for a show called "The Streets of New York." These efforts were part of a movement to make theater more "realistic." In "The Police Patrol," a scene showed the inside of a police barn with horses. When the alarm sounded, the horses were harnessed and rushed off stage in seconds.
More lectures were held at Tibbits during the Henning years. This was partly because the YMCA sponsored many lecture series. Topics included problems for working people and military life after the Civil War. There were also talks about Siberia, love and marriage, and prison life. One lecture was about prohibition. Another was about "Saul of Tarsus." There were also talks about different places in the world. Perhaps the most popular speaker was Robert G. Ingersoll. He gave a lecture on Abraham Lincoln. People came from nearby areas to hear his amazing speaking skills. These events made Tibbits a place for both entertainment and learning.
Speaking events were not just for information, but also to convince people. Many political speeches and rallies happened during the Henning years. These events were usually for Republican causes and candidates. They included rallies with bands, fireworks, and speeches. Two governors even spoke at Tibbits: Governor Alger in 1885 and Governor Luce in 1890.
But Tibbits was mainly an entertainment center. The Henning years tried to have even wilder shows than before. The opera house hosted everything from boxing matches with famous fighters like John L. Sullivan, to trained horses and mules. There was a show by women who said they could read minds, and even camel rides. A group called the "Fat Men's Club" entertained with "singing, dancing and acrobatic performance." The opera house even hosted a show called "The County Fair." It featured a horse race with three thoroughbred horses and jockeys. This race happened in full view of the audience. It's safe to say this event was not inside the theater itself! One comedy group even gave away a Jersey cow as a prize.
Tibbits also hosted many musical performances. These included "The Royal Spanish Troubadours" and the "Boston Symphony Orchestral Club." The "Michigan University Glee and Banjo Club" and the "Swedish National Octet" also performed. The "Harvard Quartette" was another popular act. Minstrel groups also performed. These groups felt more like a circus than just music. They included bike acts, juggling, and cornet playing. One show, "Duncan Clark's Lady Minstrels and New Arabian Nights," caused a stir. A reviewer said the women were "scantily dressed" and called the show "the vilest show that ever appeared in Coldwater."
Other events included art exhibits, high school graduations, and reunions. There was a marionette show and even a Sanitary Convention.
The Jackson Family Era
Joseph Henning eventually faced money problems. He gave the theater's management to John T. Jackson in 1894. John married Joseph's daughter, Huldah Henning. Together, they managed the theater. Henning eventually gave ownership to John and Huldah in 1904. They owned and ran the theater until Dennis Vanes bought it in 1920. Huldah's younger sister, Josephine Henning Beyer, later said that under John T. Jackson's great management, Coldwater saw the best dramas, operas, bands, and other shows.
Jackson was the first "theatrical man" to manage Tibbits. He had knowledge and experience that previous managers lacked. He made the opera house financially successful for the first time. This happened when other opera houses were struggling. He was better at booking groups to perform. In the 1890s, he also made improvements to the theater. Jackson updated how scenery moved. He also moved girders to add more space backstage. He made ticket sales faster. He installed electric fans for audience comfort. He added a sprinkler system and a steel fire curtain. He also updated the electricity. He might be why the theater lasted so long, as many others were destroyed by fire.
Jackson had to raise ticket prices for the first time. This was because performance companies wanted higher prices to come to Coldwater. Local newspapers, The Courier and The Republican, strongly opposed this. Even though they couldn't deny Jackson's success, the newspapers and Tibbits grew apart. A new newspaper, The Daily Reporter, defended Jackson. The only paper that survived was the one that supported the historic opera house.
Tibbits Opera House continued to host many of the same types of shows. But it also brought new variety to the stage. Theater types included melodramas, pastoral plays, Irish dramas, and funny plays. Charles Hoyt and Clyde Fitch were the most popular playwrights. The funny plays often focused on special comic acts rather than a strong story. One reviewer said about a play called At the French Ball: "The play is one of those kind of creations that one enjoys when he has had a good dinner and has nothing else to do but to gaze and laugh." Comedy during this time also included more vaudeville elements. It became hard to tell the difference between pure comedy and variety shows. Famous melodramas included The Convict's Daughter. The number of Uncle Tom's Cabin shows decreased. These shows had changed from serious stories to more funny ones. But the opera Faust became popular. It focused on amazing scenery and electrical effects. The funny opera Wang had a very strange stunt. It featured an elephant that drank a four-gallon glass of beer! From 1894 to 1904 alone, 376 plays were performed on the Tibbits stage. This was a big increase from Barton S. Tibbits' time.
Musical performances were still popular. Groups like the "Chicago Marine Band" and "the Mexican Troubadours" performed. The "Boston Ladies Symphony Orchestra" and the very famous "Sousa Band" with John Philip Sousa also played. Sousa's band performed twice, in 1897 and 1900. One musician got upset when his luggage didn't arrive and a child in the audience was noisy. He left the stage. In 1898, there was even an outdoor concert from the Tibbits balcony. This balcony was part of the original building design.
Speeches and lectures continued to be regular events. These included talks like "Philosophy of Wit and Humor" and "Hard Times, Their Cause and Cure." Robert G. Ingersoll also gave a lecture called "Liberty of Man, Woman and Child." The Weekly Courier described Judge Yaple's lecture "Personality" as a "flowing crystal of words." It painted a picture of beautiful sunsets, mountains, flowers, and the sounds of nature. Many political speeches were also given. Speakers included Governor Rich, Senator J. C. Burrows, Governor Shaw of Iowa, and Adeli Stevenson, a vice presidential candidate.
Variety and Vaudeville shows became even more popular. There were repeat performances by Humpty Dumpty companies, pantomime, and even magic shows. Some shows took a spooky turn. Anna Eva Fay performed spiritualism. Mysterious Oneida held a séance. Hermann the Great's show focused on occult phenomena.
As technology improved, Tibbits could put on more innovative shows. Early moving picture technologies like cinematoscopes and luminere cinematographs were shown. Kleine's Lumiere Cinematograph promised families they could see their sons from the Spanish–American War march towards the camera. Thomas Edison's Animotoscope also came to Coldwater. The Lyman H. Howe Company offered real moving pictures with its Vivograph Graphophone. It showed a train ride through the Rocky Mountains' Frazer River Canyon. These early moving pictures were not high quality. But they were important steps toward modern cinema.
Barton S. Tibbits faced hard times financially. But he lived long enough to see his dream survive and do well. It was fitting that his memorial service was held on the very stage he built. He made this sacrifice for the people of Coldwater and the wider community. His funeral was on August 27, 1889. The opera house also held memorial services for President McKinley.
The Cinema Era
In 1919, Dennis and Estella Vanes bought Tibbits. They started showing movies. William J. Schulte bought the opera house in 1934. He changed its physical appearance to make it a modern movie theater.
The Modern Era
Today, Tibbits offers many chances for children and teens to get involved in the arts. Its youth and education programs include plays where local children are the actors. There are also touring art shows and Popcorn Theatre. Shows for children feature professional actors from Tibbits Summer Theatre.
Concerts also bring many different touring performers. The Tibbits Art Gallery on the lower level shows art by professional artists, local groups, and children. It also holds a yearly show for high school students. Tibbits also has an annual benefit auction. This is a big social event and a way to raise money. Besides programs from the Tibbits Opera Foundation, community groups use the theater a lot. They put on plays, musicals, concerts, dance shows, travelogues, pageants, and variety shows.
During the rest of the year, Tibbits presents an entertainment series. It features different artists and styles. Recent performers include Jeff Daniels, Melissa Manchester, and John Corbett. The goal is to bring high-quality arts performances and famous entertainers to Branch County's rural community.
Funding for the Tibbits Opera House mainly comes from memberships. These memberships are open to individuals and companies who support the Tibbits Opera Foundation.
Tibbits Summer Theatre: Professional Shows
Tibbits has always aimed to present the best possible theater for Branch County and nearby areas. Since 1966, Tibbits Summer Theatre (TST) has brought professional theater to Southwest Michigan. USA Today even called Tibbits one of "10 great places to see the lights way off Broadway."
The first two years of summer stock at the newly restored Tibbits were in 1964 and 1965. They were produced by the American Theatre Festival. This group was mostly theater professionals from Indiana. They presented many shows, with a new one opening every week. The comedy "The Solid Gold Cadillac" was the first show. Nine other plays and one musical followed.
By 1966, Tibbits' director, Larry Carrico, decided that Tibbits itself would produce the season. Musicals became the main type of show. They are still a key part of the Tibbits season today. Tibbits has produced famous musicals like "Show Boat", "South Pacific", and "Fiddler on the Roof". It has also introduced audiences to lesser-known but great shows. These include "Lucky Stiff", "Hi-Hat Hattie", "Baby", and "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change."
The Amazing Architecture of Tibbits
Original Design and Features
A newspaper from September 19, 1882, The Coldwater Republican, has a very detailed description of the building. From old photos and these valuable accounts, we can imagine what it was like for someone visiting the theater when it first opened. When Tibbits Opera House first opened, it was an amazing architectural masterpiece.
The first thing a visitor would see was the building's front. It had a French "Second Empire" architectural style. The building had a 24-foot (7.3 m)-tall, slate-covered dome called a cupola. On top of it was a flag pole with a golden eagle statue. The very top of the dome was 76 feet (23 m) above the street. At the bottom of the cupola, there was an elegant bronze statue of Shakespeare's head. Below that, above the front window, was "Tibbits Opera-House, 1882" written in gold leaf. The front of the building had ironwork, red and black bricks, and cut stone. These were all put together in a very tasteful way. Three large windows let sunlight into the lobby. Below the middle window was an iron balcony with glass globe lanterns.
When a visitor entered the front doors, they would be in a lobby. It had two stairwells leading up to the balcony. There was also a manager's office and a smoking room. After walking through the wooden doors, covered in terracotta leather and gold trim, they would enter the auditorium. The room would be softly lit by the shimmering glow of 94 gas lights. These lights were made of polished brass with etched glass globes. The stage itself had 174 gas lights. All the lights in the theater could be controlled from the stage. A pipe system allowed the stage manager to turn any or all of them on or off instantly. Under a dome painted with cherubs, a large chandelier called an "Opal glass reflector" scattered sparkling light. Elegant red Brussels' carpet made steps soft. Grand opera chairs, upholstered in dark Cardinal plush, waited for guests. These chairs had the initials B.S.T. (Barton S. Tibbits) engraved on them. Many chairs also had footrests and hat and umbrella racks. Amazingly, the auditorium originally held 1,000 seats. The seating area was divided into the parquet and the parquet circle. These were two separate areas on the floor in front of the orchestra pit. The walls of the auditorium were colored in soft tints with touches of cardinal, green, and gold. They had "conventional figures" that created a "warm, sunny effect." This made the auditorium look bright and airy. The main feature was a grand and fancy 34-foot (10 m)-wide by 53-foot (16 m)-long proscenium stage. Elegant opera boxes were placed within its huge arch made of tin and plaster.
The stage itself had all the newest technology. Scenery and curtains were moved using the rigging loft. The stage also had a "paint-bridge and movable frame, five sets of grooves, trapdoors, and every modern convenience for producing all kinds of scenic effects." Also, speaking tubes and bell signals connected the stage manager to the box office, orchestra, and people who moved scenery and traps. The stage had a huge collection of high-quality scenic backdrops. This collection was a third larger than the Kalamazoo Opera House's.
The opera boxes were draped with cardinal silk plush curtains. They were lined with gold and trimmed with lace. In the center of the stage arch, there was a portrait of William Shakespeare. Above this portrait, against a light-blue background, was "a group of cherubs, gracefully posed, representing music and the drama." Around the main chandelier in the auditorium were more "cunning little cherubs" holding garlands of flowers. The Coldwater Republican said, "The delicate coloring of the background brings out the figures in strong relief so one may almost imagine them floating in space and inhale the odor of their fragrant burden." The curved area around the auditorium was also decorated with "vases of flowers, bouquets and conventional vines and figures." L. B. Chevelier, who painted many of the stage's backdrops, was the artist behind these creations.
Carolyn Gillespie noted that "Tibbits was easily as elegant as the Second Olympic Theatre which was completed in St. Louis that same year." The stage and auditorium were not only elegant but also had excellent sound quality. The Republican newspaper said it best: "It is impossible to give a description of the decorations which will convey an adequate idea of their beauty. They must be seen in order to be appreciated." Sadly, modern visitors cannot see it exactly as it was then.
Bringing the Tibbits Back to Life
After many years, the Tibbits Opera House was almost destroyed. By the end of the 1950s, it was boarded up and scheduled to be torn down. But local supporters gathered help and raised money to save the theater. Many other theaters were not so lucky and were torn down for city improvements. But Tibbits Opera House was saved. This was thanks to caring citizens who restored the inside to its Victorian style. The Tibbits Opera Foundation and Arts Council was started in 1963. It now runs the building all year as a community arts center.
Around the year 2000, the Tibbits Opera Foundation started another big restoration project. Fundraising and design work began in 2002. The 1960s renovation saved the theater. But this latest effort aimed to bring Tibbits back to its original grand look. In spring 2006, a new entrance and elevator were added to the side of the theater. This made it easier for all customers to access the building. In February 2009, another part of the restoration was finished. The newly built cupola was lifted onto the theater. With enough money raised, Phase III began in 2011. This phase involved restoring the 1960s front of the building to its original French "Second Empire" design. This work was completed in 2013.
