21m 10s
June 25, 2023
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In the late 19th century, New York City was booming. The first subway was just about to be built and there was an ever-increasing population. As a result, the opera houses in the city were thriving. One such house, the Metropolitan Opera House, had a new staging of Richard Wagner's "Tannhauser" for its opening night. On that fateful night, however, something was not quite right. The production was a spectacle to behold but the audience was restless. They weren't moved by the spectacle. As the curtain fell on the final act, the audience members had begun to disperse. The curtain did not rise again for nearly three hours. It would be the last night of "Tannhauser" at the Metropolitan Opera House.