Opera Memory: Edwin Austin
by Syd
Here are a few memories from Ed Austin: 1951-1954, during which time I sang 4 seasons in the opera chorus; square danced in Williams Stable 3 seasons; and drove jeep tours in surrounding mining area for a Denver Mortician who owned the Jeep Tour business. During this time I was a student in the Business School at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
At this time, the chorus was made up of college students from area colleges who won their places through auditions with Florence Lamont Hinman at the U of Denver. I had studied voice since High School days in Ft. Collins and further with Warner Imig, Dean of the CU music school. And had the good fortune to be a 6’5” tenor!
My first season I rented a room in a house behind St. James Church. There after I lived in a house on the Cassey with other chorus members- the gals on the main floor and the men on the lower level. Some of the amenities included an outhouse and a hot water tank heated by a wood stove. One small tank of water had to serve all! So pity the person who did not follow the rule of “water on to wet”, ‘off to soap’, and ‘on to rinse!’
On Sundays a number of us from the chorus volunteered and formed a choir for the St. James church service was before the church was reconditioned and brought up to its current, original glory!
The best breakfast in CC was one of “Mert’s” Cinnamon rolls in the “Olde Fashioned” coffee shop across from the Teller House. It filled a plate with its delicious goodness- and it often filled my stomach, too! Later Mert would marry Howard Knoll, a local CC stalwart citizen. In 1954 Howard’s daughter Gerry was a senior in High School and worked the soda fountain in CC’s drug store. Gerry and I became summer friends, though Howard thought I was much too old for Gerry- and he did his best to keep us apart (unsuccessfully)! While Gerry (Sheldon) who no lives in Denver, and I each went our own family ways, still, 50+years later, we are still friends!
In 1951 Eleanor Steber starred in “Amelia Goes to the Ball.” The story was told that she did not even see the score until she boarded her plane for Colorado. But the consummate artists that she was, as she sang one line, prompters in the box and in the stage wings fed her the line to follow. I don’t recall her ever missing a beat! Perhaps the split of champagne delivered to her dressing room before every performance helped! I especially wanted to include a Louise Pote picture of Ms. Steber, but it’s missing from my files. In my scrapbook I noted that the seat prices in 1952 ranged from $3.55 in the balcony to $7.50, downstairs, on opening night.
It was necessary in the summers for me to make money to help pay for my university expenses. Sadly, no one job in Central City paid very much! As a “union” chorus member I believe I was paid $50 a week! But once the performance season was underway, as a chorister, I had much free time. Therefore I added 2 additional jobs!
The Williams stable was then used as a venue for square dance exhibitions presented both before and after all productions in the opera house. Dr. Lloyd Shaw and his Cheyenne Mountain Dancers was the first group to perform during the earliest days of the Association. Later, the Dudes and Dames square dance club from the U of Denver provided the dancers. Their last year was 1951. That year I befriended the dancers since I was also an active square dancer at CU. When there was a sickness or absence among the men, I filled in for them. A sliver dollar was inlaid into the center of the dance floor to help the dancers remain centered.
Then in 1952 the Association decided to take over the Square Dance Activity themselves- and they held tryouts in Denver. The 4 women were chosen, among other attributes, by the color of their hair! The Association person in charge wanted a gal of each hair color! Since no redhead applied, the caller’s daughter dyed her hair for the summer and became our token “redhead”! This job was a natural for me, since I was already in the chorus. I was accepted, and now had a very busy performance day! After the pre-performance exhibition in Williams Stable, I had to rush to the Opera House to get into costume and makeup for my own stage appearance with the chorus.
Usually I had to forego the closing, on-stage curtain call, because I had to clean off my makeup and change into my square dance clothes. As soon as the Opera House doors opened and the patrons started streaming out, we dancers, positioned in the street in from of St. James, would start whooping it up as we ran down the street and into the stable. A photo of this action, with me in the lead couple is attached to this email. The fiddler and piano player would be at the ready, as was the caller, Ray Smith, an outstanding caller from Dallas, TX. Opera patrons would fill all the bleachers on 3 sides of the dance floor and we would give an exhibition of the tradition of the traditional dances of the mining days-with a few modern additions!
On days when there was no matinee, and on Monday’s when there was no performance, I assumed my role as a Jeep Tour Driver. Because we worked strictly on commission, we did our own promotion to assure a full load! I would go down the street enticing folks to come see the interesting sights that lay beyond the confines of Central City. When we had a Jeep load, off we would go up to the Glory Hole and the surrounding area.
One season, probably 1953 or 1954 the owner of the Jeep Tours decided to take the opera starts on an outing to the top of James Peak. My offer to drive one of the Jeeps was turned down because he had enough drivers, but since there was extra space (riding over a rear wheel well!), I was welcome to come. We took the back road through Apex toward Rollinsville- then cut off toward James Peak. At one spot on the mountain’s slope it because so steep that the passengers were asked to walk. With one of us drivers sitting on each of the front fenders to hold the front of the Jeep down, we inched our way over this very steep section.
Then the passengers again boarded while we drivers walked back to get the next Jeep. Suddenly there was a scream! The first Jeep, loaded with Opera Stars, was starting to roll backward down the mountain! All of us rushed to the Jeep, and with the sheer strength of numbers were able to stop it! The not so experienced driver had only left the Jeep in gear-and had failed to put on the brake. It had slipped out of gear. My, what anxiety! Needless to say, a pall settled over the event, and we immediately turned around and returned to Central City. The errant driver became a passenger, and I was asked to drive back.
When the performance season was over, and the many students employed by the Association returned to college, the fall still enticed visitors to Central City! Since most of the college students in the usher corps attended Ivy League schools, and were not available in the fall weekends, tour of the world famous Central City Opera House beginning in just 10 minutes”. I often had 50 to 100 tourists in tow when I unlocked the door and led them into the lobby. There I collected the fee before taking them into the House- ½ of which was my pay! Probably only about 50 cents! For this student, it was a worthwhile trip up from Boulder!
I continue as an avid supporter of the CCOHA. A bit of my heart remains in Central City! Because I still have family in Colorado, I return each summer from my home in Rochester, NY. Depending on my Colorado schedule, I see at least one opera; through I have seen all 3 in 2 days! This summer, on July 2nd, I’m looking forward to seeing the “Ballad of Baby Doe.” I missed it the first time around, but not now!
I continue a family tradition. My parents attended Central City productions prior to WWII, when the only road into town was the Virginia Canyon Rd, and on the sidewalks were slot machines! Even in the 50’s the spirit of the mining days was still in evidence it! Even a bit admit that I miss what once was – but I thank God I was able to experience it! Even a bit of the past is still present! I note that in your Central City ticket office you still sell the Louise Pote photograph of the Lace House in Black Hawk as a post card. On the porch are 2 couples of the Central City Square dancers- I am the dancer in black, part of the couple on the left side! Thanks for letting me share some of my Central City memories.
