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Guide to the Jules H. Houston Collection of Civic Light Opera Programs and Ticket Stubs 1947-1987

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Jules H. Houston Collection of Civic Light Opera Programs and Ticket Stubs
Creator
Houston, Jules H.
Collection Number
MSS 251
Extent
1 linear foot (2 boxes)
Date
1947-1987
Abstract
The Civic Light Opera Association of Greater Pittsburgh (later the Civic Light Opera) was founded in 1946 by Edgar J. Kaufmann (founder of Kaufmann's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh, Pa.) and City Councilman Abraham L. Wolk. The roots of the CLO can be traced to the efforts of these two individuals to establish a summer light opera.The Jules H. Houston Collection of Civic Light Opera Programs and Ticket Stubs is housed in two archival boxes. The programs and ticket stubs are arranged chronologically by year with miscellaneous material arranged to the rear. These records include programs, ticket stubs, and a Pittsburgh Opera program collected by Jules H. Houston.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Sierra Green.
Sponsor
This collection has been made accessible as part of an NHPRC-funded Basic Processing grant.
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

The Civic Light Opera Association of Greater Pittsburgh (later the Civic Light Opera) was founded in 1946 by Edgar J. Kaufmann (founder of Kaufmann's Department Store in Pittsburgh, Pa.) and City Councilman Abraham L. Wolk. At the close of World War II, Wolk advocated for the creation of a civic light opera in Pittsburgh in order to help foster the city's post-war renaissance. Wolk partnered with Kaufmann, who donated $50,000 to fund the CLO's first season. As early as 1939, Councilman Wolk had been able to attain $5,000 from the Pittsburgh City Council in order to coordinate summer concerts in Schenley Park in the spirit of the St. Louis Municipal Opera. In September 1945, Wolk ascertained Max Koenigsberg of the St. Louis Municipal Opera to help launch the CLO in Pittsburgh. Koenigsberg served as the CLO's first managing director.

Gathering business and civic leaders in the region, Wolk spearheaded a board that negotiated the usage of the University of Pittsburgh's Pitt Stadium rent-free for CLO performances. At the time of its founding, H. Edgar Lewis, president of Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation, stated that the "light opera will open a new era in the cultural life of the entire Tri-State area." Lewis served as the first president of the CLO, with Wolk and Vira I. Heinz (wife of Clifford Heinz) as vice presidents. Throughout its early existence, the administrative offices of the CLO were located in Kaufmann's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh.

On February 20, 1946, the CLO's first season of operettas was announced for the summer of 1946. Ticket prices for CLO performances ranged from 60 cents to $3 and were sold at Kaufmann's Department Store. As a professional theater company, the CLO staged productions of musical theater classics during its annual summer seasons. The CLO's premiere performance in the summer of 1946 was Victor Herbert's Naughty Marietta. Under Koenigsberg's direction, performers Mimi Benzell, Morton Bowe, Rosemarie Brancato, Mack Harrell, Lansing Hatfield, Ralph Herbert, Bill Johnson, Lucille Manners, Richard Manning, Ruby Mercer, Muriel O'Malley, Wilma Spence, and Margaret Spencer were among the CLO's inaugural cast. Serving alongside Koenigsberg was choral director J. Albert Hurley. In its first season, the CLO attracted 270,000 people to watch its performances in Pitt Stadium.

Beginning in 1947, William Wymetal became the managing director of the CLO and would serve for the next 22 seasons until 1968. Wymetal is credited with bringing names such as Allan Jones, Jackie Gleason, Irene Manning, and Harry Stockwell to perform with the CLO. Karl Kritz served as conductor of the CLO from 1948 until 1968.

Despite the success of its first two seasons, the CLO found itself in need of funds to annually support development and operating costs. The CLO Board demonstrated these needs to the city's civic community and on December 8, 1948, the board announced that 75 prominent Pittsburgh residents had pledged to support the CLO. The financial interests of the CLO were further shored up with the establishment of the Civic Light Opera Guild in 1955 under the leadership of Constance T. Rockwell. The Guild, comprised of women invested in the CLO, organized special educational, promotional, and social events annually. The Guild's first event was a dinner dance at the Pittsburgh Field Club. Beginning in 1956, the Pink Frolic was established as the Guild's benefit ball to raise money for the association. It was held in the old Schenley Hotel. Since its founding, the Guild has raised millions of dollars in support of the CLO and its mission.

For the first 13 years of its existence, the CLO performed every summer at Pitt Stadium. Despite its long tenure at this location, weather was a perennial threat to productions. Particularly debilitating was the 1958 season in which nine performances were cancelled due to inclement weather. This would be the CLO's last season at Pitt Stadium. Prior to the 1958 season, the Edgar J. Kaufmann Charitable Trust proposed to make funds available for an arena to be owned and maintained by the city. The proposal called for a venue that would be outfitted with a retractable roof that could open or close depending on the weather. City planners broke ground on the Civic Arena on March 12, 1958.

While construction continued on the Civic Arena, the CLO ascertained permission to build a tent in which to perform its 1959 season. This second home for the CLO was a tangerine and green "Melody Tent" that was constructed in the lower Hill District, a neighborhood east of downtown Pittsburgh and adjacent to the future location of the Civic Arena. The CLO performed in this venue for three years until construction of the retractable, domed Civic Arena was complete.

The CLO performed in the Civic Arena from 1961 until 1969. By 1963, many production problems had surfaced for the CLO at the Civic Arena: the sound system was inadequate, it was expensive to open and close the roof, and the CLO was competing with various sporting events. In addition, when racial unrest erupted in the Hill District following the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., attendance declined sharply. Following only three performances in 1969, Board President Emerson G. Hess announced that the CLO would temporarily cease performing.

Once again, the civic leaders of Pittsburgh invested in the CLO to sustain its existence. Henry John Heinz II and his family funded the renovation of the old Penn Theatre on 6th Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. The new Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, the fourth home for the CLO, would also house the Pittsburgh Opera, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With Williard F. Rockwell serving as the CLO's president and chairman of the board and the Guild's fundraising efforts, the CLO was able to perform once again beginning in 1972 under managing director W.L. Thurnhurst, Jr. The CLO grew and prospered during these years, naming Elke Sommer an ambassador for the CLO and Gene Kelly an honorary chairman.

In 1984, the Howard Heinz Endowment called for a cultural district in downtown Pittsburgh. As a facet of this plan, the Stanley Theatre on 7th Avenue one block from Heinz Hall was renovated and rechristened as the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. The Benedum Center was named for Michael L. Benedum, a founding board member of the Civic Light Opera, whose foundation, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, gave money to start the restoration of the Stanley Theatre. Once complete, the Civic Light Opera moved to its current home at the Benedum Center in 1988.

In addition to its annual productions, the CLO has also initiated a number of programs that support the preservation, creation and promotion of live musical theater. Programs include the Academy, Mini Stars, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Gene Kelly Awards, the Gallery of Heroes, the First Nighter's Club, and the Construction Center for the Arts.

Scope and Content Notes

The Jules H. Houston Collection of Civic Light Opera Programs and Ticket Stubs is housed in two archival boxes. The CLO programs and ticket stubs are arranged chronologically by year with miscellaneous material arranged to the rear. These records include programs, ticket stubs, and a Pittsburgh Opera program collected by Jules H. Houston. The records are not comprehensive. The researcher will find listed in the programs the various CLO leaders who have served as board members and directors of the CLO. Also noteworthy are the profiles of the top performers and cast members of the various companies.

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift from Jules H. Houston in 1988.

Archives accession # 1988.0015

Preferred Citation

Jules H. Houston Collection of Civic Light Opera Programs and Ticket Stubs, 1947-1987, MSS 251, Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center

Processing Information

Preliminary processing by Sierra Green on 06/07/2013.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Related Materials

Civic Light Opera Records, 1946-1996, MSS 955, Detre Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center.

Civic Light Opera memories [videorecording], VIDEO 0066.

Civic Light Opera promotional video [videorecording], VIDEO 67.

Brignano, Mary. Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera: How the Dreams Came True. Pittsburgh: Civic Light Opera, 1996. ML 1711.8 .P6 C582.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Civic Light Opera (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Pittsburgh Opera (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    Personal Names

    • Wymetal, William
    • Koenigsberg, Max
    • Wolk, Abraham L.
    • Kaufmann, Edgar J.
    • Heinz, Vira I.

    Geographic Names

    • Pitt Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Civic Arena (Pittsburgh, Pa.)--Construction
    • Benedum Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Heinz Hall (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Hill District (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • Oakland (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    Other Subjects

    • Musical theater--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh--History
    • Theater -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh.
    • Civic improvement--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
    • Arenas--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
    • Urban renewal--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh
    • Music Halls--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh

Container List