The Salt Lake Opera Company Records, 1897-1906

Letters received by Horace G. Whitney (1857-1921), manager of the Salt Lake Opera Company between 1897 and 1906 from costumers, music companies, actors and theatres in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. The letters reveal the complicated logistics (securing permissions, booking a theatre, agreeing on the division profits, costumes, props, the orchestra, etc.) Of taking an opera on the road at the turn-of-the-century. Roughly half of the letters were written by managers of theatres in Evanston, Rock Springs, Pocatello, Park City, Provo, Ogden and Logan in order to entice Whitney to bring the company to their town. The other large group of letters are from costumers, and the Whitmark Music Company of New York. The letters from Whitmark are especially interesting because of their discussion of copyright issues and the payment of royalties. These letters reveal that Whitney sometimes paid hundreds of dollars less in royalties than other theatres to perform copyrighted plays and music. The third, and smallest group of letters are from actors and discuss their availability for roles in upcoming productions.