The great African American soprano, Mme. Sissieretta Jones, also known as the “Black Patti,” performed in South Carolina with her troupe many times between 1889 and 1914. The first visit the 40-member Black Patti Troubadours made to the state was in Charleston on April 10, 1899, to a large audience at the 1,200-seat Owen’s Academy of Music on King Street. A review in the next day’s edition of the Charleston News and Courier, said many who attended the performance came out of “curiosity alone,” but left “well pleased.”

The newspaper noted that the operatic finale featured cast members in fancy costume who, along with Sissieretta, performed popular pieces from well-known operas. “Black Patti was, of course, the bright, particular star, and she sings well, except when attempting staccato passages or runs. She has a remarkable voice and sings with considerable expression,” the newspaper said. Sissieretta and her troupe returned to Charleston 14 times before she retired in 1915.

After her first appearance in Charleston, she added regular stops to Spartanburg and Columbia the following year. Her first visit to Spartanburg was November 28, 1900 at the Spartanburg Opera House. She played a total of 11 times in Spartanburg and Greenville during her career.

Sissieretta and her Troubadours made their Columbia debut on December 18, 1900 at the new 1,500-seat Columbia Theatre, shortly after the theater opened its doors. The theater shared the building with the new Columbia City Hall. It was located on the corner of Main and Gervais streets, across the street from the front of the South Carolina State House.

An article in The State newspaper December 15, 1900 explained the seating arrangements for this debut performance. It said, “Inasmuch as the better class of negroes are so anxious to hear this celebrated troupe it was deemed simple justice to allow them the privilege and hence the balcony has been set aside for them. The white people are no less anxious to see Black Patti and they can get down stairs seats at balcony prices for this attraction, which is said to be very fine.”

During the first few years the Troubadours (who late became the Black Patti Musical Comedy Company) performed at the Columbia Theatre, first floor seats and box seats were reserved for white patrons and the balcony or gallery for black theatergoers. However, for the April 13, 1905 performance, that policy was changed to accommodate the growing number of African Americans who wanted to see the show. For this performance, first floor seats were sold to blacks and seats for whites were reserved in the balcony. No whites attended the performance. There were various seating arrangements made between 1905 and 1913 to accommodate both races, particularly the growing number of African Americans who wanted to see the annual show.

The State reported in its September 20, 1907 edition that seats for African Americans who wanted to see the Black Patti show sold out two hours after tickets went on sale, causing disappointment to many blacks. In the balcony, which had been reserved for whites, only two tickets were sold. The newspaper reported that theater Manager Brown, “after seeing the genuine regret on the faces of the disappointed negroes and after conferring with some of the regular patrons of the theatre” decided to sell balcony seats as well to African Americans, “thus breaking all precedents.” Although whites would also like to see the show, the newspaper said, many objected to mixed audiences. The last sentence of the newspaper article said, “The white people will not begrudge the negroes their one show of the year.” Sissieretta performed in Columbia thirteen times between 1900 and 1913.

In all, Sissieretta Jones appeared in South Carolina ninety times between 1899 and 1914 and performed in eleven cities and towns in the state as the following list demonstrates.

Charleston — 15

Columbia — 13

Spartanburg — 11

Greenville — 11

Sumter — 8

Darlington — 7

Florence — 7

Orangeburg — 7

Anderson — 6

Chester — 4

Gaffney –1

 

Maureen D. Lee

August 13, 2013