|
Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer, in 1843,〔Or possibly in 1842: In 1855 the New York Times reported a law case in which Christy took out an injunction against the troupe continuing to call themselves "Christy's Minstrels" even though he no longer had a connection with them; in it the 1842 date is given. "In 1842 Edwin P. Christy established in this city the band, which since has become so celebrated as "Christy's Minstrels".''New York Times'' September 14, 1855.〕 in Buffalo, New York. They were instrumental in the solidification of the minstrel show into a fixed three-act form.〔''New York Times'', September 14, 1855: during a legal dispute about the continuing use of the name 'Christy's Minstrels' after the departure of E.P.Christie, the surviving members of the troupe admitted to giving a performance at the Athenaeum hall, Brooklyn, on September 10, 1855 which "consisted of musical, terpsichorean and humorous exhibitions of an Ethiopian character."〕 The troupe also invented or popularized "the line", the structured grouping that constituted the first act of the standardized 3-act minstrel show, with the interlocutor in the middle and "Mr. Tambo" and "Mr. Bones" on the ends. == Early years == In 1846 they first performed in Polmer's Opera House in New York City. From March 1847, they ran for a seven-year stint at New York City's Mechanics' Hall (until July 1854). After performing at a benefit performance for Stephen Foster in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 25, 1847, the group specialized in performances of Foster's works. Foster sold his song, ''Old Folks at Home'', to Christy for his exclusive use. The troupe's commercial success was phenomenal: Christy paid Foster $15,000 for the exclusive rights to the song.〔(Lott, 1993, 267 )〕 Besides Christy himself, the troupe originally included Christy's stepson George Christy, often considered the greatest blackface comic of the era. When by September 1855 George and Edwin Christy had retired from the group, the company continued under the name of 'Christy's Minstrels', until Edwin Christy took out an injunction to prevent them.〔According to the New York Times report, Edwin Christy took out an injunction against the troupe calling themselves 'Christy's Minstrels' "though there was no person among them by the name of Christy." The troupe, then headed by a Joseph Murphy, did perform on September 10th as 'Christy's Minstrels' and were sued for contempt of court. The judge, Mr Justice Clerke, dismissed the contempt charge after the defendants claimed they had announced to the audience prior to the performance that they were not now 'Christy's Minstrels' and had expressed an intention of continuing under a different name. ''New York Times'' September 14, 1855:'LAW INTELLIGENCE: MINSTRELS IN COURT'〕 Christy was emotionally affected by the American Civil War, and committed suicide in 1862. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Christy's Minstrels」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|