Phantoms And The Great Solar Eclipse 2024

The Great Solar Eclipse of 2024 shone a light on some pretty fun activities in communities along its path. Phantoms of the Lewiston Opera Hall came out of another era just to celebrate.

Well, in Phantom-like style, what the characters of bygone days had to say was both unsettling and very comical at times during the play. It was a huge success, with a lot of laughter, oohs, ahhs, and gasps from the full-capacity audience. The Phantoms of the Opera Hall is a collaborative work of fiction. Claudia Carnes, Tim Henderson, Kathryn Serianni, and Eva Nicklas of Marble Orchard Ghost Walk Theater fame put their heads together to write this collection of stories of yesteryear at the Opera Hall.

Each of the spirit characters, in turn, told their stories. Stories of what it was like when we didn’t have dedicated telephones but instead had Party Lines. The absolute control that situation gave the telephone operator who heard and knew everything that was going on in town and “with whom!” Or the way in which some were treated as outcasts. The crazies under the full moon and what that meant to women declared as unfit in order to quietly dispose of them… and, in some cases, their fortunes.

What the world was like then sounds unusual to us now. We have come a long way in the direction of civilized behavior. With cell phones, everything is private, except perhaps to “Big Brother.” But at least we each can have our own phone. Now, I am sometimes not sure if that is a blessing or a curse! The only way to have an interrupted moment is in airplane mode.

The characters were, for the most part, based on actual people and historical accounts. For instance, the account given in the New York Times about a “Woman’s Endeavor to Secure Her Living Sister’s Estate” through having her declared incompetent. Then only to have herself committed.

The Good Templars, who were known for their pledge of abstinence, were represented, as well as The Resurrectionists, known for their body snatching from graveyards.

The finale was a rousing musical rendition of Amazing Grace written by John Newton (1725-1807), led by musician Tim Walton on the guitar, who also played Lorenzo Dow. The cast received a standing ovation for their performances.

Follow to see a short video of the finale on X

When, Where, and Who at the Phantoms of the Opera Hall Play

“The Opera Hall Players don’t think that history should be a thing for the past!”

THE OPERA HALL PLAYERS

The Characters were created from the lives of real people!

Rodney Dangerfield portrayed members of The Good Templars who took a pledge of sobriety.

E.M. Foot the Musician portrayed elements from the Rev. John Newton, who received a religious epiphany after praying that God save him from a terrible storm at sea. Newton had been a ship’s captain involved in the slave trade. After his epiphany, he gave up the slave trade and wrote a number of songs, including the much-loved hymn Amazing Grace.

Mortimer Bacon, Odd Fellow – portrayed members of the fraternity of Odd Fellows but with a twist as a Resurrectionist. These people made a practice of robbing bodies from graves and selling them as medical specimens. They considered themselves righteous since they did not take clothing or valuables from the coffins. The term, A Stiff Drink, arose from this time since Resurrectionists were known to place the corpses in barrels of alcohol on trains to avoid detection. Later, the infused alcohol was sold at a reduced price. That was indeed a “Stiff” Drink. Jane August Porter and Oliver Grace were in some way related to this period.

Mad Hattie portrayed an unfortunate woman who was declared insane and locked away.

Bessie Vanna was Lewiston’s only telephone switchboard operator and, as such, was the keeper of many secrets.

Macy Boswell portrayed Sonja Jonsson, a gypsy married to Lewistonite Lawrence. Macy regularly hitched her horse to a wagon and left to travel with her gypsy family but always returned to Lewiston and her husband. She is buried in Marble Orchard under a now-tilted stone.

Isadora Seville is a fictional character who plays the part of what might become of a young girl without hope. Fallen women are often referred to as fallen angels or fair belles.

Rev. Lorenzo Dow (1777-1834) was a well-known preacher who traveled to 17 States of the Union, as well as Canada, England, Wales, and Ireland. In his day, he was more widely known than Billy Graham and spoke the gospel to almost as many people. He was known for his eccentric attire, verbatious, and fearless preaching style. He called himself the Son of Thunder, according to his wife Peggy. He had a long white beard that is said to have remained so even when his body was exhumed for re-burial forty years later.

Special Thanks

• Patric D. Moyer, for lighting and stagecraft.
• Michelle Kratts, local history research specialist at Lewiston Public Library.
• Suzanne Raby for online ticket sales management.
• Lee Simonson, an honorary Phantom, for his generosity and friendship.
• Ray Lonsdale, show photographer …an artist with a camera!
• Irene Rykaszewski, for tirelessly working behind the scenes at performances.
• Amy Witryol, for portraying a banjo player during performances.
• Josh Maloni, Managing Editor at Niagara Frontier Publications, for media sponsorship and getting the word out about the production.
• Rob Creenan, Niagara Gazette, for a pre-show feature article.
• Trina Astor-Stewart of Astoria Magazine for a pre-show feature article.
• Richard Zapp and Tammie Lee Demler of Lockport Community Television (LCTV) have long supported the artistic, musical, and theatrical community in Western New York.
• Ken Johnson is the newest member of the Phantoms of the Lewiston Opera Hall musicians as a Bass player.
• Kathryn Serianni (Cataract Printing Service Niagara (716) 285-1161)
• Special thanks to all those who donated to the Phantoms of the Lewiston Opera Hall in any way. There are so many of you, and your support is most appreciated!

Did you know? “The moon even saved the explorer Christopher Columbus from starvation.”
After consulting his almanac, Columbus used the lunar eclipse of February 29, 1504, to frighten the native Arawak Indians on the island of Jamaica into giving him and his crew food. According to his son, Ferdinand, at the sight of the eclipse the Arawaks, “With great howling and lamentation came running from every direction to the ships laden with provisions.”

Robert massey
Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society

---

The Show Poster

About the Phantoms of the Opera Hall production and venue.

This new production features ‘spirits’ from Lewiston’s past, who will share music, stories, and tall tales about this architectural landmark. Given the awe-inspiring celestial event of the weekend, many tales are tied to the miseries and mysteries of the moon. Some of these spirits have not forgotten what this building once was, nor are they willing to let go even in death.

The Opera Hall housed the first telephone switchboard, library, and Masquerade Ball. Benevolent organizations such as Sacarissa Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Good Templars held meetings here, and it’s quite probable that many early Lewistonians were involved in secret activities of the Underground Railroad. Revival meetings were held after Sunday church services for poor families and the “River Rats” that lived at the river’s edge.

“Lewiston also had its share of bawdy inhabitants and was a gossipy little place..…  Still is.”

Local audiences will recognize the Phantom actors, who have shared stories in the graveyard for so many years! They include Don Batalaris, Claudia Carnes, Anna Frankovitch, Tim Henderson, Lynda LaGreca, Marc Melzer, Eva Nicklas, and Kathryn Serianni. Newcomers Will Howard and Tim Walton (Summer of ’69) will add music and a little crazy to the production!

Sponsors and cultural partners:  Opera Hall Events, LLC., Upward Niagara, Niagara Frontier Publications, Lewiston Public Library, and Cataract Printing and Photographer Ray Lonsdale.  

Local Celebrity Tim Walton Returns

The upcoming production of “Phantoms of the Opera Hall” will bring local celebrity Tim Walton back to his hometown when he takes on the role of the Reverend Lorenzo Dow. Dow was a fiery preacher whose eccentric dress, style of preaching, and fearless behavior attracted thousands of worshipers, including the faithful of Lewiston. Tim “jumped at the opportunity ” when offered the role,” and many say he was ‘typecast’! Locals know or recognize Tim as a “rock star” of the Summer of ’69, a popular event that’s been presented by Lewiston Council on the Arts since 2005.  

Tim grew up in Lewiston and was heavily influenced by his experiences during the 1960s. His maternal grandfather, Edwin, founded Wendt’s Dairy and taught him the value of hard work and the success that comes from owning your own business. After the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, he immediately went to Brando’s Music Store, purchased a guitar and amp, and, with some friends, started the County Orphanage. 

The band eventually included Grammy winner songwriter, musician, and vocalist Gary Baker and played local dances, the Peach Festival, parties, and pizza joints. He claims another influential 60’s experience was watching “Bonanza, “a popular TV show about Ben Cartwright and his sons living on a large ranch in the mountains of Nevada.

The show inspired Tim’s love of skiing,

“The allure and stark beauty of the American Rockies were strong, and I knew then, at age 12, that I would live my life in the mountains of the American West, where the mountains are huge, the powder skiing is deep, and the cattle outnumber the people.”

Tim Walton

True to his word, he subsequently attended law school in Idaho, where he eventually set up his private practice. For the last 44 years, Tim has represented “the Davids of the world against the world’s Goliaths.” Tim’s theatrical talents were polished over the years in courtrooms, and he will be ‘courting’ the audience with his musical acumen.

Every summer, Tim returns to the Lewiston area and spends his summers living on his sailboat in Wilson. Each year, he reunites with the guys he made music with in the 1960s for the Summer of ’69.

So, where in the world were you under the Eclipse?

A total solar eclipse – when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking out the Sun – is rare. However, many were treated to this once-in-a-lifetime event on Monday, April 8, 2024.

---

The Great Solar Eclipse