Background
James Hubert McVicker was born on February 14, 1822 in New York City. He was the son of James and Nancy McVicker.
( About the Book Satire is a genre of literature where vi...)
About the Book Satire is a genre of literature where vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings in humans and their institutions are held up to ridicule with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into reform. While satire is generally meant to be humorous, its greater purpose is generally constructive social criticism. Also in this Book Poetry is a literary form that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language (e.g. phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre) to enhance the prosaic ostensible meaning, or generate an alternative meaning. Poetry uses numerous devices such as assonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia and rhythm are sometimes used to achieve musical or incantatory effects. Poetry's long history dates back to prehistorical times ehen hunting poetry was created in Africa. And in this Book Drama texts refer to the mode of fiction represented in the performance of a play in a theater, on radio or on television. Drama is viewed as a genre of poetry, with the dramatic mode being contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since Aristotle's Poetics (335 BC). The term "drama" itself derives from the Greek word meaning "action”. In the English language the word "play" or "game" was a standard term used to describe drama until William Shakespeare's time. The enactment of drama in a theater, performed by actors on a stage before an audience is often combined with music and dance. In opera, the drama is generally sung throughout, whilst in musicals it includes both spoken dialogue and songs. About us Leopold Classic Library has the goal of making available to readers the classic books that have been out of print for decades. While these books may have occasional imperfections, we consider that only hand checking of every page ensures readable content without poor picture quality, blurred or missing text etc. That's why we: • republish only hand checked books; • that are high quality; • enabling readers to see classic books in original formats; that • are unlikely to have missing or blurred pages. You can search "Leopold Classic Library" in categories of your interest to find other books in our extensive collection. Happy reading!
https://www.amazon.com/Theatre-Chicago-Chicago-Historical-February/dp/B072ZW6XTJ?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B072ZW6XTJ
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work, maintaining the same format as the original work. While some publishers have opted to apply OCR (optical character recognition) technology to the process, we believe this leads to sub-optimal results (frequent typographical errors, strange characters and confusing formatting) and does not adequately preserve the historical character of the original artifact. We believe this work is culturally important in its original archival form. While we strive to adequately clean and digitally enhance the original work, there are occasionally instances where imperfections such as blurred or missing pages, poor pictures or errant marks may have been introduced due to either the quality of the original work or the scanning process itself. Despite these occasional imperfections, we have brought it back into print as part of our ongoing global book preservation commitment, providing customers with access to the best possible historical reprints. We appreciate your understanding of these occasional imperfections, and sincerely hope you enjoy seeing the book in a format as close as possible to that intended by the original publisher.
https://www.amazon.com/press-pulpit-stage-delivered-November/dp/B00B6ZOD3I?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00B6ZOD3I
(Excerpt from The Press, the Pulpit and the Stage: A Lectu...)
Excerpt from The Press, the Pulpit and the Stage: A Lecture Delivered at Central Music Hall, Chicago, November 28, 1882 To those who lack the courage to repel openly that which in secret they feel to be false, and so continue to sit under the preaching of men licensed by theology to cloud the teaching of Him they profess to follow, these thoughts are dedicated with the hope of aiding to break the darkness with which they surround themselves. Fur thermore the author desires to inspire a manhood which will enable them to see the light of the nineteenth cen tury brightening as -it approaches the twentieth, and which in time will so dazzle those who adhere to the remnants of bigotry as to lead them, against their own inclining, to the truth and purity of the new theology - the pro. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
https://www.amazon.com/Press-Pulpit-Stage-Delivered-November/dp/1331037301?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1331037301
James Hubert McVicker was born on February 14, 1822 in New York City. He was the son of James and Nancy McVicker.
With only the most elementary education, McVicker became an apprentice in a printing-shop.
In 1837 McVicker went to St. Louis and served for a time as printer on the St. Louis Republican. His interest in the theatre, which had been aroused by visits to the local stock company managed by Noah Miller Ludlow and Solomon Franklin Smith, caused him to abandon his trade and go to New Orleans where there was an opening for him at the St. Charles, another Ludlow-Smith theatre. It was there he made his début as an actor, playing the role of the old servant in The Honeymoon, and it was also under these veteran Western producers that he served his theatrical apprenticeship, at both the St. Charles and the American theatres, in New Orleans. On May 2, 1848, he made his first appearance in Chicago as first low comedian under the management of James B. Rice, prominent political leader and theatrical pioneer of the growing city. For three years he remained a valuable member of Rice's company, becoming eventually stage manager. Having decided, however, to do a more specialized type of acting, McVicker bought from the widow of Danforth Marble the rich collection of original Yankee comedies which various authors had written especially for her husband during his lifetime. With a repertory made up of these roles McVicker built for himself a growing reputation in the Eastern theatres and in London, where with considerable success he opened at the Drury Lane Theatre in 1855. Although throughout his career McVicker continued to appear as an actor in varying rôles, his fame rests much more securely on his activities as manager and producer. Shortly after his return from England he was invited by George Wood, owner of the People's Theatre in St. Louis, to serve as his manager. McVicker had been in St. Louis but a short time when Wood suggested that they extend their joint activities by opening a theatre in Chicago in opposition to Rice. For most of the financing Wood was to be responsible, while his manager's role was that of superintending the construction of a theatre and the assembling of a company. In the midst of carrying out these responsibilities in Chicago, McVicker received word that the financier had withdrawn his support.
But overcoming the serious embarrassment which resulted, McVicker was able, with help from other sources, to carry through the original enterprise and in November 1857 to open the New Chicago Theatre with The Honeymoon and The Rough Diamond. In spite of the many excellent features of the new theatre, McVicker was forced for a number of years to struggle against an accumulation of financial difficulties arising from the panic of 1857 and against rather stiff competition from Rice and others. It was not until the unexpected boom of Chicago during the years after 1862 that the young manager was able to establish his theatre on a profitable basis. In 1864 the building was completely remodeled, and seven years later, thanks to the large receipts which various visiting stars had brought to the box office, McVicker was able to build a still more handsome theatre. Although this was almost immediately destroyed by the great fire of 1871, so firmly was his prestige established that within less than a year, the manager had built his third theatre, which for the next eighteen years, through various developments of the stock, the star, and the combination systems of production, maintained its leadership over its increasingly numerous rivals. This building, remodeled in 1885, was destroyed by fire in 1890, but the following year the final McVicker Theatre opened its doors with a brilliant performance of The Rivals. Owing to ill health, McVicker some years before his death surrendered the direction of this enterprise to the McVicker Company, of which he owned the controlling shares. In Chicago McVicker enjoyed the same prestige as the great New York managers, Lester Wallack, Augustin Daly, and Albert M. Palmer. According to Edward Freiberger, he was "an actor-manager in the fullest and best sense of the word. His stock companies were among the very best in the United States, some of the most accomplished and popular members being members of the same. . Mr. McVicker's productions left little to be desired either in the casting of the plays or in the scenic environment. His revivals of The School for Scandal, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Tempest were among the most elaborate and correct the American stage has ever known. "
In 1857 McVicker built the McVickers theater on Madison street in downtown Chicago. The cost of the theater was $85, 000 which at the time was a huge cost. It's opening was the crowning event of the drama scene in Chicago. The theater became the center of entertainment in Chicago, drawing some of the biggest stars to perform, including Sarah Bernhardt. In addition to the theater in Chicago he opened theaters in cities around the United States. In 1871 the theater burned in the great Chicago fire, but was rebuilt the following year in even grander style. The McVicker theater became a Chicago institution surviving until 1984 when it was shut down. McVicker is generally regarded by historians of the period as the dean of nineteenth century theater managers in Chicago, as well as the most "outstanding figure of theatrical life in the Middle W. "
(Excerpt from The Press, the Pulpit and the Stage: A Lectu...)
( About the Book Satire is a genre of literature where vi...)
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
Imbued with a high civic sense, McVicker was active in numerous phases of Chicago's life, and with outspoken aggressiveness maintained the lofty role played by the theatre in the life of society.
McVicker's first wife was Annie Levering; his second Mrs. Runnion, whose daughter Mary adopted the name of McVicker before her marriage to Edwin Booth.
