Articles on the effect of summer heat on theater attendance

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

10 Jul 1869
12 Jul 1869
17 Jul 1869
19 Jul 1869

Citations

1)
Article: New York Herald, 10 July 1869, 5.

“Matinées, despite the sultriness of the atmosphere, still flourish in this perspiring wilderness of brick and mortar. Although not quite so ‘thick as leaves in Vallambrosa,’ nor even quite so numerous as two months ago, they are nevertheless sufficient in number, variety and quality to satisfy the demands of our amusement loving citizens. The following matinées are announced for this afternoon:—[lists all matinee performances for 07/10/69].”

2)
Article: New York Herald, 12 July 1869, 5.

“The theatres, despite the hot weather and the total lack of everything smacking of dramatic novelty, have during the past week been exceedingly well attended; but in no single instance during that time has any one of them been able to rejoice in a full occupancy of the stalls or boxes. For the present week, with but three exceptions—the Museum, Bowery theatre [sic] and Thèatre [sic] Comique—the programmes of last week are announced for repetition, with a grano salus in the shape of an extra dramatic spurt at the Théâtre Français, for the benefit of Mr. Charles H. Morton, the original ‘hunchback’ in the centipedal ‘Black Crook.’ The present falling off in the attendance at the theatres is due more to the prevalence of hot weather than to actual lack of light and pleasant dramatic attractions. A good seat and a cool atmosphere are the requisite essentials absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of a play during these sultry, sweltering nights. Thanks to our managers, the ventilation of most of the theatres in this city has been materially improved this season, and the pieces now on the boards at the various establishments are, as a general thing, rendered quite enjoyable through the medium of cool and reviving currents of fresh air which, by means of various contrivances, are constantly kept passing through the buildings. Niblo’s, large and airy, is now all doors and windows, and Wallack’s has been made, so to speak, almost as cool as the Central Park Garden, by the addition of four large windows. The auditorium at the Olympic is now lighted solely by means of an artificial sunlight in the dome, the dome being so perforated that the heated air is sucked up through the apertures, while ‘Indian punkas’ at the rear of the house are kept in unceasing motion, fanning the heads of the audience and sending refreshing drafts of cool air to every part of the house. Nearly all of the other theatres in the city have been improved in various ways, and almost all of them are now quite cool and endurable during the progress of the performance.”

3)
Article: New York Post, 17 July 1869, 2.

“As a rule the attendance at all the houses has been good, in spite of the extreme heat of the last few days. The theatres, however, are cooler this summer than they have ever been before. New windows have been opened at Wallack’s and at Wood’s, and both houses are now cool and well ventilated. The bunkahs [sic] at the Olympic keep the air constantly in circulation; while Booth’s, Niblo’s Garden, and the Grand Opera House are among the coolest places in the city. It will be noticed that the houses which have the fewest means of ventilation—the Tammany, the Waverley, the Fifth Avenue and the French Theatre, are all closed; very fortunately for the lessees, inasmuch as none of these theatres could successfully compete with Wallack’s or Niblo’s with the thermometer at ninety degrees.

The fact that the Central Park Garden, in spite of its distance from the hotels, is better attended than any theatre in the city, is due in a great degree to the coolness of its airy hall and its large and breezy garden.”

4)
Article: New York Herald, 19 July 1869, 6.

“The theatres and the weather during the past week have been diametrically opposed the one to the other, and our duty as ‘faithful chroniclers of passing events’ compels us in truthful candor to admit that the theatres came off only ‘second best’ in the fiery tussle. The scorching heat, especially during the latter part of the week, proved too much for even old playgoers, who, after wrestling all day with the ‘red hot’ elements, were in no mood to face the enemy again in the evening, cooped up in a sweat box of a theatre. Some few of the theatres, however, despite the sultriness of the atmosphere, managed to have quite a respectable ‘show’ in the way of admiring audiences, but by far the larger number of plays were given to a ‘beggarly account of empty benches.’ The heat, in sending down historic talent so far below appreciation, took the vim out of actors, and gave enterprising managers quite enough to do in trying to keep cool, instead of dishing up dramatic novelties to their perspiring patrons. The present week certainly opens somewhat cooler, but in no other respect can it be regarded as an improvement upon the one which has just been consigned to the shades of ‘the time-honored past.’ With but three exceptions—Wood’s Museum, the Bowery and the Waverley theatres—the programmes of last week, at all of the other theatres now open in this city, are again announced for repetition.”