H.u.•io:.'-u.""·"' stage was active in New York i 918. It ceased a year after the United States declared war on in oertc>rnnaino~s were again in i 919, but several attempts at seasons operas, and plays were frustrated violent anti-German reaction. German American theater revived in the i 92os after anti-German dice had but it of decline and, ~·c,, ... ~L-~· ceased regular point, between I 1918, at least one professional troupe offered an extensive season each year as a resident company in a fixed theater in Manhattan.2 Between l and there were usually two and sometimes three 3 7 active there. Professional troupes also in '""..-'"'"' "'.,, Bronx at various times. German amateur dramatic groups existed 1 1 out the New York area. After World War I, German pr1oh~ss1011al rn.rn """' nu'" moved frequently between commercial theaters and German social clubs and union halls throughout New York and and cit­ ies. German-language sound films generally replaced live German theater in the 1930s, though during that decade and after World War II actors periodi- gave dramatic performances in German in New York City. A conservative estimate of the extent of the repertory and activ­ in Manhattan between and 1940 suggests 40,000 to 50,000 separate events of about 4,000 individual works, if not more.4 This includes Adolf Philipp's American works, which were given about 3,000 performances from 1893 to 1918 and in the i92os. However, it does not include German operas or operettas performed in German or English outside the German American community or context, or the more than 3,500 performances of eleven operas Richard Wagner given the Metropolitan between its establishment in i883 and 2009. Nor does it represent the huge number of concerts for the German American community, or concerts of German repertory m New York's principal concert venues such as Hall or Hall. Professional German stages existed in other American cities as well. For exam­ ple, Orlando Faulkland Lewis's 1900 work on the German drama in Philadel- 2 INTRODUCTION titles of individual works and 1 performances given during parallel operetta and dramatic ense: period between and i 898. The figure for Manhattan was some of the principal performers w much the longer time period covered and New York's huge German employed continental German touri American population. A estimate of all the German theatrical activity in sons and attract audiences. the United States approaches 200,000 performances; the true number might The influence of German music < been greater. This vast amount of theatrical is recognized in even longer-lasting than that of Gen literature outside of German American studies, and in that field it has theatrical life (other than Wagner'1 6 ~AA~ ..~,., viewed as peripheral. appendix man-speaking communities such as 1 of the German immigrant stage, audiences in New York's a new, American context. Througho Klein Deutschland (Little attended German-language performances cians championed the works of Gem '-''JAAH~""'"-''" musical revues, folk plays with music, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beetl acts, and tableaux vivants (living pictures) such as the New York Philharmonic German, Austrian, and local German American authors, as well as Ger­ Theodore Thomas Orchestra, the 1 7 man translations of American, French, and English works. The use of "Klein the Liederkranz and Arion Societie1 Deutschland" in the later nineteenth century to refer to the German American mance styles. The American system < ,..,.·mv~,,,.,,..,,,_.., in New York is somewhat ironic since at that time New York in music owes much to German cons was the third-largest German city (after Berlin and Vienna). Klein Deutschland ican musicological developments c;:: in this book refers to the German American community as an entity, as well as influences and individuals, or to tho to German residents and establishments in Manhattan's Lower East Side in the Sonneck, Otto Kinkeldey, and many second half of the nineteenth The term "German" to German- turn of the twentieth century onwar uv·~~·-'AA''"" H.Hi•CHJ"~UAH~'-' in the United or their American descendants. It also tions is not the focus here, however, 1 .:.-e1,man-sp,eaKn1g people and their culture. In addition to the several thousan German Americans' dramatic ""7 ~"'.,...,,,.,,,,~,," were as diverse as or even more European works in German translat varied than those of their neighbors. As part of a bilingual posers and librettists also wrote a m embraced both German and American theatrical traditions. Lokalstucke, populist plays and mus Klein Deutschland's theaters were not closed to outsiders, and non-German visi- gic, comic, or satirical popular songs there was not a consistent to attract them, tears and evoked were< except for of opera and operetta, Philipp's immigrant-themed an alien land, America's pror HH..<•H·~<.u..,, and some of the Place Theater's productions. and playwrights combined German 1 German opera was a part of the repertory of New York major references in order to create a theatr houses and theaters such as the of Music and the Metropoli- audiences and profitable to artists an New York's theaters such as the Stadttheater in had moved away from the Lower and i 86os offered individual performances or seasons of returned to Klein Deutschland's sta. German opera or French and Italian opera in German translation. their children in the traditions of the But and comic German works and translations of French New York was not the only city wi bouffe-and German Possen and Volksstucke and folk with tradition, though it was the principal German American stage than More than 80 American cities with l costs and the musi- Chicago, New Orleans. To put on regular (to name a all had active of opera, operetta, and theater separate of these disappeared or after ,. ....,,,.,...q,_,,,.. and theatrical ensembles an expense that most a on a basis. in the between i918 and about i920-wer1 some German American managers maintained traditions for more than a decade 3 INTRO N IJUU.UH.,.J. operetta and dramatic vH.c.>v.<H~H-...c.>' as many theaters, )8. some of the were skilled in both genres. Sometimes >vered and New York's huge German to fill out their all the German theatrical sons and attract audiences. formances; the true number The influence of German music and musicians on American musical life was ltrical is even than that of dramatic forms on American rican studies, and in that field it has than . In the ern:ht1eer1th tppendix n1;:1n-sp1ea1zmg communities such as the Moravians """'~.i-,,~r~ari stage, audiences in New York's a new, American context. Throughout the nineteenth American musi- led German-language cians championed the works of German and Austrian composers, u,.~ ... u, ................ usical revues, folk plays with music, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann. Musical uic,u•"u.L.1.v1,.1.;,, d tableaux vivants (living such as the New York Philharmonic, Boston's Handel and American authors, as well as Ger­ Theodore Thomas Orchestra, the Mason-Thomas chamber music series, and d works. 7 The use of "Klein the Liederkranz and Arion Societies, German repertory and iry to refer to the German American mance styles. The American system of conservatory and · ironic since at that time New York in music owes much to German conservatories and academic institutions. Amer- rlin and Vienna). Klein Deutschland ican musicological developments can be traced in measure to German an community as an entity, as well as influences and individuals, or to those trained in and Austria-Oscar 1 Manhattan's Lower East Side in the ~,_,,,,.._,-.,,~,Otto and many others active in the United States from the e term "German" applies to German­ turn of the twentieth century onward. The influence of German musical tradi­ )r their American descendants. It also tions is not the focus here, however, though it is woven into the narrative. 1ple and their culture. In addition to the several thousand continental German theatrical and tees were as diverse as or even more works in German translation performed in the United com- ng neighbors. As part of a bilingual posers and librettists also wrote a much smaller number of German American L and American theatrical traditions. Lokalstucke, populist and musicals with local themes. These used nostal­ ,ed to outsiders, and non-German visi­ gic, comic, or satirical popular songs to describe the immigrant experience. The t a consistent attempt to attract them, tears and laughter they evoked were a release from the cares of daily existence in >peretta, Philipp's immigrant-themed an alien land, despite America's promise of freedom and r>~.~~v,~v·;,_., LC)mDc1sers eater's productions. and playwrights combined German humor, folklore, and music with New World te repertory of New York City's major references in order to create a theatrical experience that was both meaningful to ,cademy of Music and the Metropoli­ audiences and profitable to artists and managers. Even after German Americans ~ theaters such as the Stadttheater in had moved away from the Lower Side, the first generation of ·~.rn·•~r·~~h individual performances or seasons of returned to Klein Deutschland's stages to remember their and instruct ~ra performed in German translation. their children in the traditions of the homeland (Heimat). ·man works and translations of French New York was not the only with a strong German theatrical and musical volksstucke (farces and folk plays with tradition, though it was the principal one. Milwaukee was second in importance. )n the German American stage than More than So American cities with large German American such roduction costs and the special musi­ as Chicago, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and St.