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
Coates Opera House Coates Opera House The Coates Opera House was a prominent performing arts venue and cultural landmark in Kansas City, Missouri from its founding in 1870 to its destruction in a fire in 1901. It was built by Kersey Coates, a local hotelier. The House was the first legitimate theater in Kansas City. It was located on the northwest corner of 10th and Broadway. "Heart and Sword", starring Walker Whiteside and Leilia Wolstan was the last performance in the theatre. Playwright and actor John A. Stevens managed the opera house for the 1871-72 and 1872-73 seasons (its second and third seasons).