This story is about a famous old Opera House and the beautiful ghost of a
long-deceased, though still most beloved, opera diva.
The old Opera House, known as City Theater, is located
adjacent to City Hall on Main Street in Biddeford, Maine. It was originally
built in 1860. The first performance was on the eve of the Civil War
in 1860, and was a play about slavery. Tragically, the theater burnt
to the ground on New Year’s Eve, 1894. It was totally rebuilt
in 1896. The theater’s spacious interior design by noted Maine
Architect, John Calvin Stevens, and the skilled craftsmanship in its
elegant construction, are clearly reminiscent of a time when only
the best of everything was expected. This theater has hosted many
great performers, such as Mae West, Laurel & Hardy, W.C. Fields
and Fred Astaire. Today, the theater is still very active with various
shows performed by talented artists both native and from far away.
For a wonderful night out at the theater, City Theater is a great
place to go.
According to folklore, the beautiful ghost of an opera
singer in residence at City Theater is believed to be Eva Gray. She
was a thirty-year-old solo soprano, traveling with the Dot Karroll
Repertoire Company from New York. While performing on the night of
October 31, 1904, soon after she finished her third encore, she suddenly
and unexpectedly collapsed in her dressing room from a fatal cardiac
seizure. She left behind her husband and her little daughter of three
years, whom she loved dearly. It is eerily strange, that by coincidence,
the last song she would sing that night was “Good-Bye, Little
Girl, Good-Bye”.
Eva’s ghost has been seen and heard throughout
the years by stagehands and other members. They say she shows her
approval of various performers by causing the overhead work lights
to swing back and forth. It has been noted that whenever Eva makes
her presence known, it means . . . “she really likes the show.”
Other paranormal activities encountered by witnesses were the sounds
of whispering, soft footsteps, and the angelic voice of a woman singing.
A bright orb has been seen moving across the upper balcony. Also the
silhouette of a woman dressed in a long gown with her hair done up
in a bun was seen hovering near the public restrooms by two local
students working on a school research project.
Perhaps, Eva’s spirit is still present within
the City Theater. Maybe she is preparing to perform another encore
from a time and place we can only imagine.
