{"product_id":"2940157178642","title":"Account of the Terrific and Fatal Riot at the New-York Astor Place Opera House, with contemporary newspaper accounts","description":"On May 10, 1849, the Astor Place Riot set New Yorkers against each other and the police. At least 30 died, and scores more were injured. Apparently precipitated by a rivalry between actors Edwin Forrest and William Macready, the riot was built less on their rivalry than it was on a greater rivalry between the U. S. and England.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eForrest and Macready were the reigning tragedians in their respective countries: Forrest in the U. S. and Macready in England.  Each could be difficult; according to a popular comedian who worked with both men, they were volatile, with tempers that could flare quickly.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMacready may have begun it in 1827, making a remark seemingly derogatory to the U. S. when stage business went wrong during a performance in Baltimore. Forrest flared up when his British performances in the early 1840s were met with stinging criticism from a critic who Forrest assumed was influenced by Macready. So, when Forrest hissed Macready during a performance of \"Hamlet,\" the feud was on.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMacready's tour of the U. S. in 1848 and 1849 provided Forrest an opportunity to play up the rivalry between actors and nations. What no one anticipated was a riot inside and outside of the Astor Place Opera House--a riot that ended with the Opera House in shambles, dozens injured, and at least 30 dead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Account of the Terrific and Fatal Riot at the New-York Astor Place Opera House\" is a slightly tabloid-y investigation into what happened on May 10, 1849. It's vivid, slightly turgid, and unapologetically pro-Forrest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncluded in this edition are transcriptions of more than 80 contemporary news articles chronicling the riot and events leading up to it.","brand":"merrycoz books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47071087034608,"sku":"2940157178642","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940157178642_p0.jpg?v=1764103400","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940157178642","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}