Piper's Opera House

Piper's Opera House is an historic performing arts venue in Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada, United States. Piper's served as a training facility in 1897 for heavyweight boxing champion Gentleman Jim Corbett, in preparation for his title bout with Bob Fitzsimmons. The current structure was built by entrepreneur John Piper in 1885 to replace his 1878 opera house that had burned down. The 1878 venue, in turn, had been to replace Piper's 1863 venue which was destroyed by the 1875 Great Fire in Virginia City. Mark Twain spoke from the original Piper's stage in 1866, and again a century later in the third venue, as portrayed by Hal Holbrook in his one-man play Mark Twain Tonight! A lynch mob hung a victim from the first venue's rafters in 1871. American theatrical producer David Belasco was stage manager at the second opera house before moving to New York City. Piper's opera houses played host to Shakespearean thespians such as Edwin Booth. Musical performers Lilly Langtry, Al Jolson and John Philip Sousa once performed here. In 1940, Errol Flynn auctioned off historic Piper memorabilia from the opera house stage, during a live NBC broadcast that coincided with the premiere of Flynn's new movie Virginia City.

German immigrant John Piper arrived in Virginia City as part of the 1860 Comstock Lode rush, after several years in San Francisco operating a liquor and seasonal fruit stand near San Francisco's theaters.

Through business acumen and a political career, Piper would become one of the richest men in 1870s Virginia City. Piper sat on the City Council in 1865, and was mayor of Virginia City in 1867. In 1874, Piper represented Storey County in the Nevada Senate. In an effort to raise money for Storey County to pay for railroad bonds, Piper managed to get the state senate to unanimously pass a bill that became law, removing the taxation limits on bullion in the county.

As a pioneer of western combination companies, touring actors who brought plays and variety shows from an originating theater to other regional venues, Piper became one the foremost theatrical impresarios of the region. Piper utilized a chain of venues to accommodate touring companies. Among these were McKissick's Opera House in Reno and the Carson Opera House in Carson City. As early as 1867, Piper toured his Piper's Opera House company to regional theaters following a pattern established by San Francisco's Thomas Maguire and later utilized by the California Theatre. The California Theater brought their stock company and numerous established stars to Virginia City on tour through numerous engagements. By 1874, every major player at Piper's Opera House was on their to or from San Francisco's California Theatre, the West's foremost theater. Those players included Lotta Crabtree, W.J. Florence, Agnes Booth, Dion Boucicault, and Frank Mayo.

When Piper died in San Francisco at age 63, on January 3, 1897, he had spent more than 30 years in the theater business.

An 1861 illustration by African American artist Grafton T. Brown depicts the John Piper Old Corner Bar at the southwest corner of B and Union Streets, which became the financial support of John and his brothers Henry and Joseph. In 1863, Piper expanded his holdings with the purchase of an entire block of additional property at the northwest corner of B and Union Streets, which came to be known as the multi-story Piper Business Block. The saloon lasted from 1861 to 1897 becoming one of the longest continually operating saloons in Virginia City. The second story of the building was rented out.

San Francisco theater impresario Thomas Maguire and partner John Burns opened Maguire's Opera House in 1863. Opening in July 1863, the Opera House was built on imported sandstone and emulated Maguire's San Francisco properties. Maguire's greatest achievement was the 29 day engagement of Adah Isaacs Menken. Adah Isaacs Menken appeared in the sensational, semi-nude character of Mazeppa, riding a live horse onstage over painted ramps simulating mountains. Piper took over the ownership of the theater in late February, 1867, leasing it to Max Walter. On October 9, 1867, Piper and his financial sponsor John William Mackay completed the sale of the theater. On October 30, 1866, Mark Twain delivered a lecture from its stage, returning on a speaking tour also in 1868. The opera house played host to Shakespearean thespians Junius Brutus Booth Jr brother of Edwin Booth, Thomas R. Keene, Lawrence Barrett and John Edward McCullough.

Through partnerships and agreements with San Francisco's California Theatre Piper's original D Street Opera House came to be recognized as one of the best American Theaters. 1868 was a banner year for theatricalities as Piper's hosted Elizabeth Crocker Bowers performing as Mrs. D. P. Bowers, the Queen of the American Stage, in a twenty-day run as well as two engagements by Charles Wheatleigh, a regional favorite well-versed in plays by Dion Boucicault, and others.