1492 Up to Date or Very Near It (sometimes titled 1492[1]) is a burlesque extravaganza created in 1892 in observance of the quadricentennial of Columbus's expedition to the New World.
[4] The show has been described as "a musical, historical, mellow drama [sic] that threw together bits of opera comique, comic opera, stereopticon projections, extravaganza, farce-comedy, vaudeville, local comedy, burlesque, and even minstrelsy.
[4] The show opened in New York City on May 15, 1893, at Palmer's Theatre, to a sold-out and overflowing audience, produced by Rice's Surprise Party.
The New York Times called the show "wild nonsense" that provoked "wholesome laughter" with "manifest intelligence and abundant humor" and noted that, by the end, the audience was calling for half a dozen encores of each song.
When Columbus returns to Spain, the royal family is living in poverty, doing their own washing.