Entertainment from German singers, to the Sturgeon Bay Silver Cornet Band, debates, a traveling production of Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1877, lecturers and more filled the stage. At a time when political correctness was unheard of, Tom Osborne, Mike McDonald and Billy Dingman were doing minstrel shows featuring the popular "black faces."
It surely must have been a coup when local actors presented HMS Pinafore at the Music Hall in July 1882. When it was all over, it was said that if the ability of the troupe had been understood, the Music Hall would never accommodated all those who would have wished to come. HMS Pinafore was the fourth collaboration by the team of Gilbert and Sullivan. Following its opening in London in May 1878, it became an international hit. Within four years, Libbie Crane of Green Bay was directing it on the Ahnapee stage.
Ahnapee had a number of talented people, or at least they thought they were. Their names ranked among the leaders of the community - Boalt, McDonald, Youngs, Pies, Perry, Dudley, Ross and Manville. Acting groups formed in other places called themselves Thespians, while musicians often referred to themselves as the Philharmonic or Choral. There were no false pretenses in Ahnapee and when the actors' group was founded in 1870, they chose the generic Dramatic Club as a name. A few years later that group took an hiatus and a German group took over, keeping the name. By the time the club was offering Pinafore, one wag opined that Ahnapee was fortunate in the numbers of residents who declined stage or concert careers for a less exacting life in commerce or other pursuits. When plans for the Pinafore went forward, there were more than a few who raised their eyebrows. A doctor, a merchant, a lawyer? On a stage? For an admission? Doing justice to a work that was sweeping professional theater?
In general, the community felt a lifeless, colorless production was a sure thing. Opening night and the audience with no expectations was amazed. None other than Michael McDonald played the captain. Phenie LeClair's singing and acting ability as Josephine earned much applause. Judge Boat was Sir Joseph Porter and was considered one of the hits. Druggist James Dudley's portrayal of Dick Deadeye could not have been better. Some said his performance would probably not be equaled on a professional stage. Ahnapee's star baseball player Abisha Perry played the Boatswain. Mrs. Harris was Buttercup and Myra Ross was Hebe. Pianist and chorus director was a Miss Schuette from Green Bay. It was said she performed her duties admirably. The only problem anybody had with the whole thing was that there were so many good sets that the small stage didn't have enough room to display them effectively. Articles in the paper seemed to suggest that the high standards' bar reached by HMS Pinafore would be maintained. And, maintained it was.
Music in all its forms was especially important among the ethnic groups of Kewaunee County. Bohemian priest Father Adalbert Cipin was instrumental in Joseph Swoboda's altars and in the beginnings of his company. Cipin was a carver himself, however his biggest contribution was to sacred music in Catholic parishes, a point long forgotten. Cipin's musical ear and demand for excellence didn't always make him popular with his congregations. Bohemian dance bands sprung up in a number of places, but those in the Town of Franklin were considered the finest. A Turn Versin society was organized in 1866 and the Ahnapee Maennechor, another musical group, was organized in 1869. John Sonderegger and William Bastar organized a Liederkranz in 1871. It performed around the area. Kewaunee's Vincent Stepan began offering music classes in Ahnapee in 1873.
Music and performance remained important in the community. Algoma schools continue to delight. David Looze put Algoma High School on the state map with one act plays and forensics. Algoma FFA was recognized nationally after a quartet consisting of Hans Feld, Martin Heuer, Don Tebon and Dick Cornette was named state champions in 1952. A few weeks later the quartet won national honors at the 1952 National FFA Convention and were featured performing for an audience of 35,000 at the Civic Music Hall. Barber Russ Zimmermann and his Polka Dots, The Penquins and the Rhythm Boys played dance music throughout the area. Barbershop singing came to Algoma in the 1940's, apparently with a quartet formed by Arnie Meyer, Harold Mraz, Scott Canney and Ray Marquardt. A number of Barbershop quartets followed. Not to be outdone, Gertrude Heuer, Enid Schabow, Collette Bohman and Mrs. Graff organized a women's barbershop group called the Melodears.
Ahnapee's dancing and love of music brought comment from the Enterprise in the 1880s when it said that "those Ahnapee folks for wind and bottom can beat the world at dancing and hot weather don't bother them a bit." There are not so many dances today, but there are the city band, the schools and a heritage of meeting the high standard set so long ago in 1882 when there were no expectations. Meredith Wilson could have been talking about Ahnapee and Algoma, rather Iowa, when he wrote, "There's music, my friend. Right here in River City."
AND THE BAND PLAYED ON! Delightful.
ReplyDelete