Maretzek Italian Opera: Les Huguenots – Opening Night: CANCELLED

DIRECTOR.......................................................MAX MARETZEK

                                    NOTICE.

    The director respectfully informs the public that the Academy of Music will reopen for opera productions,

                             Monday 2 May--

    This will be a

 FAREWELL SEASON OF EIGHT PERFORMANCES among which, in addition to other interesting revivals, Meyerbeer's sublime opera

                          LES HUGUENOTS

will be given in a most perfect way. In regard to this, the director desires to call attention to the fact that, during preceding years, other directors have found it necessary to raise the price of admission and of reserved seats, when they were giving important compositions or introducting some new renowned artist. If the current administration had made a slight increase in the entrance price when it presented the current company of celebrated artists in New York, or when it gave Gounod's opera "Faust", it would only have followed the preceding examples completely. The director, nevertheless, believes he ought to remind the public that, during many seasons, for about ten years, he has engaged the greatest artists in Europe, and presented the newest lyric dramas almost simultaneously with the principal European theaters, without resorting to  raising prices that were established a long time ago, relying on the growing public taste for opera and musical art. Even more: he hopes  to be in a position to continue  thus for an indefinite period; but circumstances relative to the financial situation of the country, during these past five months, have conspired in such a way as to render the costs of the opera about five times more expensive than they were ten years ago. The demands for higher wages for the artists, musicians, painters, costumers, mechanics, carpenters, as well as the more expensive prices for advertising and printing, have been promptly accepted by the director, and the productions have no less followed their course, without any other change except for a sacrifice on the director's part.

    The 1863--64 season followed its course calmly, in spite of the growing pressure of adverse circumstances listed above, and repertory of more than twenty different operas was brought off in the interest of the friends of lyric art. In the current state of things, there isn't need of other reasons to announce that, with the reopening next week of the Academy of Music, a slight increase in prices will take place.

                ADMISSION PRICES ARE FIXED THUS.

Parterre and balcony...............................................$1.25

Reserved seats (depending on location).........75c or 50c

Second gallery.....................................................................................70c

Amphitheater.......................................................................................35c

                              NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS

    Former subscribers whi desire to retain their loges or other seats to the coming series of eight performances are respectfully requested to inform the box-office, Wednesday 27 or Thursday 28 of this month. Subscribers for this farewell season will have the privilege of choosing their seats for the autumn season next October.

The NYT supports Maretzek’s decision to raise prices.

"The opera season is definitely over, M. Maretzeck [sic] having been unable to agree with his chorus members and some of the orchestra musicians. It's done then, we won't have any more opera until next October, and the fans who would have enjoyed hearing Mme Medori in the Huguenots have nothing to look forward to. They should have patience, M. Lincoln has been waiting three years for the taking of Richmond . . . . ."