An American jukebox musical ... Cincinnati, 1878.

 

Oh yes. 

The days when the latest hits of the international musical theatre could be pillaged by American 'writers' ...

Of course, the pasticcio musical play had existed forever, but pieces like The Beggar's Opera and La Biche au bois helped themselves largely to ponts neufs, traditional music or elderly tunes ... pieces like this one 'borrowed, the songs from the the latest, still-running hits.

So who was Mr H J Wetherell? Well, I burrowed and I've found him.

Horace Jackson WETHERELL (b Worcester, Mass 29 May 1845; d Oxford, Ohio 22 October 1884). Son of Horace and Sarah Wetherell.  He was in the Cincinatti area by 1864, when he enrolled in the militia at the quoted age of 18, giving his occupation as 'farmer'. By 1873 he was a 'clerk'. But around this time he got involved in local amateur dramatics and music with the local Davenport Dramatic Club. I see him performing in The Contrabandista (1875) and Maritana (1876). 

He became the bass in the choir of the Second Presbyterian Church, and later the 7th Street Congregational, took part in amateur charity and club concerts, played with the Tabernacle Musical Society (The Haymakers), sang with the Cincinnati Choral Society, and in 1878 turned out the four-handed 'operetta' The Admiral's Daughter.

The piece was launched at Riverside, Ohio 4 April 1878 with Wetherell supported by Irish railway agent-tenor John Frank Dunnie who had once been a minstrel, Mrs Robert W (Clara Isabella) Richey (née Hubbell) and Nettie Gordon comprising the cast. It was well-enought liked to be repeated at Avondale 1 May, and then at Cincinnati's Melodeon Hall 7 May. 

Church's published something called 'The Toast' and then, as we see, the whole shebang.

Horace dipped once or thrice into professional theatre. In 1879 he took a turn at playing Dick Deadeye (HMS Pinafore) in a touring company, I see him announced for something called Love's Trials which hogges the music from Pinafore and .. Trovatore!, and again for 'Sheppard's Dramatic Co', but the experiment didnt last. Soon he was back, and set up as a teacher of singing and elocution in Walnut Hills. That didn't last either. Horace died 'aged 38' in 1884.

His wife, Harriet Francelia née Thayer carried on the music-teaching, and died in 1929.

And The Admiral's Daughter? I see it at Lebanon, O in November 1878, Ludlow Ky, 4 February 1879 by the Galaxy Opera at Armory Hall with a Mrs J L Bowman of the place teamed with three original cast members, again with Mrs Richey (now three-acts!), for the Harry Lewis Testimonial at Cincinnati's Grand Opera House ... 

I imagine they all had fun. I hope they did.

Poor Dunnie suffered a stroke in 1884. It seems he died of it. Mrs Amelia Dunnie is listed as 'widow' in 1887.

Mrs Richey (sic) (b Eaton 30 December 1843; d Cincinnati 21 November 1898) lies in Spring Grove Cemetery along with the Wetherells.

I don't know about Miss Gordon. There were lots of Netties.  Contralto and pianist. I wonder what happened to her.