Over the winter of 1890-1891 the theatre (as we know it today) was built and 1891 is considered the first year of performances in the building. The season was mostly vaudeville, but for six weeks starting in July, The Bostonians (originally known as Boston Ideal Opera Company) appeared for six weeks and presented a different light opera each week, starting with The Pirates of Penzance.
(Pictured above is one of the trains from Denver that stopped at the gardens — back when the gardens were in the town of Highland.)
Theatre Staff:
- Charles E. Schilling, Manager
- J. H. Carleton, Assistant Manager
- Louis McGowan, Stage Manager
Productions:
- Week of May 16: Brothers Leondor; DeWitt Cook; Basco and Roberts; Clivette; Mme. Zoe; Symonds, Hughes and Rastus; George H. Edwards; Charles W. Goodyear.
- Week of May 25: Eldora, juggler; Everette Sylvester, contortionist; Mme. Zoe, aerialist; Brothers Leon- The dor, athletes; Clivette, shadowgraphist; Kelly and wat Bertha, sketch artists; DeWitt Cook, club manipu- lator; Basco and Roberts, comedians; Eugene Everett.
- Week of June 1: Mazuz and Abacco, Arabian acrobats; Eldora; Al Newton, club manipulator; Hallett and Raymond, comedians; McPherson and Norris, sketch artists; Hopper and Hall, change artists; Everette Sylvester; Will H. Scranton’s band.
- Week of June 8: Emery and Russell; Mike Tracy, dancer; George E. Homer, comedian; Silbur, drill artist; Hallett and Raymond; Leondor and Rixford, acrobats; Mazuz and Abacco.
- Week of June 15: Oatley Sisters; Frank and Semmelman, strong men; Edwin Latell, comedian; Lynch Children, singers and dancers; Emery and Russell; George E. Homer; Mike Tracy; Mme. Zoe.
- Week of June 22: Pete Shaw; Golden and Quigg; George H. Edwards; Edwin Latell; Oatley Sisters; Semmelman.
- Week of June 29: Pete Shaw; Mazuz and Abacco; Charles Goodyear, George Edwards and John Symonds, in a sketch; Laura Ashby, Juggler; Gracie Sherwood and Meredith.
- Week of July 5: Powers Family, bicyclists; Dashington Brothers; “An Arabian Village.”
For the next six weeks the Boston Opera Company appeared in performances of light opera.
- Week of July 13: The Pirates of Penzance, by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.
- Week of July 20: The Chimes of Normandy, by Robert Planquette.
- Week of July 27: Billee Taylor, by Edward Solomon.
- Week of Aug. 3: Girofle-Girofla, by Alexandre-Charles Lecocq.
- Week of Aug. 10: Patience, by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.
- Week of Aug. 17: Iolanthe, by W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.
The engagement of the Boston Opera Company concluded August 23.
- Week of Aug. 24: Charles W. Goodyear and Charles E. Schilling; Mazuz and Abacco; E. M. Hall, banjoist; The Tycoon Quartette; Signor Garcia, salatario soloist; Symonds, Hughes and Rastus.
- Week of Aug. 31: Hughes and Oxford; Dare Brothers; Billy Kennedy; Charles Carter; Fannie Gorman; the Saunetts.
- Week of Sept. 7: California Musical Trio; Browne, Ramza and Browne; Coleman and Martin; Wiley Hamilton, humorist; Charles Carter, boy magician; Dare Brothers; the Saunetts.
- Week of Sept. 14: Dare Brothers; Martin and Lonsdale, sketches; Clever Carroll, ventriloquist; the Rainers, character changes; Dot Valentine (matinees only); Chic Kehoe, king of clubs.
- Week of Sept. 21: Royal Japanese Troup# of Specialties; Coleman and Martin; Dot Valentine and Nellie Sohlen.
- Week of Sept. 28: Royal Japanese Troupe; Clever Carroll.
