Halsted Street Opera House

Halsted Street Opera House,
Life Span: 1872-1892
Location: Halsted, NW cor. Harrison
Architect: TBD

Edwards’ Annual Directory in the City of Chicago, for 1873

Halsted Street Opera House

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1876
Halsted Street Opera House, 255 S. Halsted

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1877
Halsted Street Opera House, 255 S. Halsted

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1880
Halsted Street Opera House 255 S. Halsted

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1884
Halsted Street Opera House, Edward Horan, prop. 253 S. Halsted

Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1892
Halsted Street Opera House, 255 S. Halsted

Chicago Evening Mail, May 28, 1872

HALSTED STREET OPERA HOUSE.
A fine house greeted the opening of the new place of amusement, corner of Halsted and Harrison streets, last night, with “Toby. the Conjurer,” by the Selden Irwin Combination and John Dillon. It is a really beautiful resort, spick-and-span new, well ventilated, comfortably seated, and possesses fine acoustic properties. This company has evidently “struck a good lead,” and will doubtless play to appreciative and paying houses. The play last night was a good one, and was heartily received. Dillon was in his best vein, while Mrs. Selden Irwin appeared to good advantage as Martha Gibbs, the factory girl. Mr. Frank Weston (hist appearance here) made a good impression. Harry Richmond, as Stephen Plum, fairly exceeded himself.

Chicago Tribune, May 28, 1872

THE NEW HALSTED STREET OPERA HOUSE
is the somewhat spacious title by which a new place of amusement, at the corner of Halsted and Harrison, is to be known to the public. The upper story has been fitted up as a temple of art, what kind of art remains to be seen. There are eight hundred chairs, besides a gallery at the rear, where the “gods” take their recreation and hold familiar intercourse with the stage and the orchestra as they did last night.

Inter Ocean, March 4, 1882

Messrs. O’Connor and Horan, proprietors and lessees of the Halsted Street Opera House, have purchased the opera house property, corner of Harrison and Halsted streets, for $40,000. Under their management the house has prospered, and maintained full audiences throughout the past season.

Standard Guide to Chicago for the Year 1891, John Flinn

Halsted Street Opera House.—Located at the corner of Halsted and Harrison streets. Take South Halsted or Blue Island avenue car. This theatre is generally occupied by a stock company in sensational drama.

Chicago Tribune, March 19, 1892

LOOTED THE THEATER BURGLARS MAKE A CLEAN SWEEP IN A WEST SIDE HOUSE.
They Got Away with Practically All the Furnishings of the Halsted Street Theater.
West Side thieves have stolen the furnishings of the Halsted Street Opera-House.
Manager F. J. Sullivan reported the theft at Desplaines Street Station, complaining bitterly that the house had been closed for the last fortnight, and that now when they were ready to open the theater they found the house stripped of its furnishings.

The Halsted Street Opera-House is situated on Halsted and Congress streets, and had been open and running continuously until two weeks ago, when Manager Sullivan closed up the house and went East to secure new attractions. Not knowing how long he might be absent the manager and lessee let out his assistants and employés, and closed, locked, and double barred the doors. When he returned yesterday and entered the theater through the box office he found only the bare walls and some few chairs screwed to the floor remaining. Everything movable had been carted away. Entrance was effected by the burglars through the rear stage door which is used for bringing in and out the scenery. The door looks out upon a narrow alleyway with room for a single wagon to drive through.

From the amount of goods taken the thieves evidently took plenty of time at their work and carted away the opera-house on the installment plan. Thirty chairs were uascrewed from the parquet and carried away and the box hangings torn down. Around the galleries and in front of the boxes even the brass railings had been stolen. A number of cane-bottomed chairs used by the orchestra and as stage properties figured in the list of missing articles, as well as numerous beards, wigs, make-up outfits, and looking-glasses from the dressing-rooms.

Chicago Chronicle, October 6, 1895

A THEATER OF THE PAST.
The Halsted Street opera-house will be remembered. It was at the corner of Halsted and Harrison streets. Frank R. Wallace, who had been a member of McVicker’s stock company, leased this house early in the ‘8Os, and opened it, if Manager Jacobs please. first, perhaps, of all other houses in America, at popular prices of admission, or 10, 20 and 30 cents only to the different sections. It was opened by George De Haven, F. R. Wallace and James Nixon as proprietors in the fall of 1877. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was the initial attraction. This proprietorship continued in charge for several years, during which time quite prominent theatrical people appeared at the Halsted. Among them were R. J. Gunning, John W. Jennings, J. W. Ransom, C. A. Gardner, Horace Lewis, Hernandez Foster, Alice Placide, N. S. Wood and Miss Lole Fuller (at this house she made her debut). Grace Ruth Henderson made here her frst appearance in this city. Victoria Ritchiee, the German actress, played here an engagement in English. Mr. Wallace in the meantime visited New York and other eastern cities, where his acting was greatly liked, and in course of time he totally abandoned the Halsted.

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