Oscar Hammerstein I American theater personality, impresario and composer Date of Birth: 08.05.1847 Country: USA

Biography of Oscar Hammerstein I

Oscar Hammerstein I was born in 1847 in the Prussian city of Stettin, which is now part of modern-day Poland. He was born into a German-Jewish family, with Abraham and Berthe Hammerstein as his parents. When Oscar was 15 years old, his mother passed away, and he fled to the United States to escape his father's cruel treatment. He arrived in New York in 1864.

From a young age, Oscar had a passion for music and was drawn to theaters. However, he had to earn a living by working as a janitor and floor cleaner at a cigarette factory. After ten years, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to become the founder of the 'U.S. Tobacco Journal'. The profits from his tobacco business went towards funding his theatrical endeavors.

In 1889, Oscar built his first theater, the Harlem Opera House, located on 125th Street. Just a year later, he opened another theater, the Columbus Theatre, also on 125th Street. Throughout his career, Oscar went on to build several more theaters, including the Manhattan Opera House on 34th Street, the Olympia Theatre, the Santa Maria Theatre, and the Victoria Theatre.

In 1906, dissatisfied with the repertoire and work of the famous Metropolitan Opera, Oscar constructed the Manhattan Opera House, which became a worthy competitor to the Metropolitan. He also opened the Philadelphia Opera House in 1908, but sold it by 1910.

Oscar's theaters hosted opera premieres such as 'Louise', 'Pelleas et Melisande', 'Elektra', and 'Salome'. It was also on his stages that opera stars Mary Garden and Luisa Tetrazzini made their debuts. However, running an opera house proved to be a challenging and expensive endeavor, and Oscar's main rival, the Metropolitan Opera, set a high standard. After four seasons, his theater went bankrupt, and his son, Arthur Hammerstein, made a deal with the Metropolitan not to stage opera in their theater for ten years in exchange for $1.2 million.

With the money, Oscar built the renowned London Opera House, which soon became a competitor to London's Covent Garden's Royal Opera company. He returned to America a few years later. His final theater, the Lexington Opera House, eventually became a cinema and was later sold.

In 1919, Oscar planned to open another opera house, but unfortunately, he passed away on August 1, 1919. To honor his memory, the opera theater on 34th Street was renamed the Hammerstein Ballroom.

In addition to owning theaters, Oscar was also known as a composer, author, and producer. He was involved in Broadway productions such as 'Santa Maria', 'Sweet Marie', 'Resurrection', 'Punch, Judy & Co.', 'Hans, the Flute Player', and 'Naughty Marietta'.

Oscar's sons, Arthur and Willie, continued his legacy. Arthur became known as a theater owner, producer, director, and songwriter, while Willie gained fame as an author, writer, and director.