Italian opera it reached the republic of Venice. It was here that the first public opera house, the Teatro di San Cassiano, was opened in 1637 by Benedetto Ferrari and Francesco Manelli. Its success moved opera away from aristocratic patronage and into the commercial world. In Venice, musical drama was no longer aimed at an elite of aristocrats and intellectuals and acquired the character of entertainment. Soon many other opera houses had sprung up in the city, performing works for a paying public during the Carnival season. The opera houses employed a very small orchestra to save money. A large part of
Lexington Opera House The Lexington Opera House is one of 14 theatres in the country built before 1900 with less than 1,000 seats that is still in operation as a live performance venue. The Lexington Opera House officially opened on July 19, 1887, with a concert by the Cincinnati Symphony, and in August hosted its first production of Our Angel by the Lizzie Evans Stock Company. Following the production, the Opera House quickly received widespread attention throughout the region. Over the years, the Opera House hosted a variety of notable performances with famous acts including Al Jolson, W.C. Fields, Will Rogers, Harry Houdini,