Sunday, February 5, 2012
Veloz and Yolanda were a husband wife ballroom dance team who specialized in Latin numbers. Frank Veloz was born today in 1906; Yolanda Casazza, March 21, 1908. The sleek and chic couple…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:53AM[SHARE]Saturday, February 4, 2012
Today is birthday of familiar Hollywood character actor Walter Catlett (1889-1960). He began to appear in operettas as a child (with a brief detour into pugilism) and graduated to a flourish…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:10AM[SHARE]Fay Marbe (born this day in 1899) was a Jazz Age siren who reportedly had “Society” origins. Discovered while dancing at a charity event, she was cast in the Broadway show Oh, Bo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM[SHARE]Friday, February 3, 2012
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. Johnson and Dean were a husband-wife dance team who bridged the era between minstrelsy and vaudeville, and are best known for devel…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:05AM[SHARE]Thursday, February 2, 2012
This post is one of a series honoring Black History Month. Earl “Snakehips” Tucker (1905-1937), was billed as “The Human Boa Constrictor” and “The Gelatinous Da…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:49AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of Benny Rubin. When I wrote No Applause and wrote his bio (here) all I knew about him came from books (but that was quite a bit — he was quite a legendary charac…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:38AM[SHARE]Wednesday, February 1, 2012
This post is one in a series that defines for the layman the various types of variety arts. For the full panoply go here. We present this edition in conjunction with Black History Month. Whi…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:21AM[SHARE]What, I ask you, could be more vaudevillian than a banjo-playing Harry Langdon impersonator? Answer: nothing! Born this day in 1908, Gene Sheldon’s act was that he would come out and c…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:47AM[SHARE]Ed Lowry (born today in 1896) is better known today than he might have otherwise been, because of his legacy. He left behind his trunk of sketches, jokes and gags, which was published as the…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:30AM[SHARE]February is Black History Month — every day this month look at Travalanche for short biographical articles on African American vaudevillians and related subjects. And please go here fo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:12AM[SHARE]Tuesday, January 31, 2012
And now, here’s the dynamite Princess Sunshine (Juliet Jeske) , the next installment in our Vaudephone series. Sunshine rocks the accordion and sings her signature number “Ba…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:26AM[SHARE]Today is the birthday of the great Eddie Cantor. (For my full biographical article go here). In honor of the day I attach what may well be my favorite musical number in the world, from the f…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:08AM[SHARE]Kara (born Michael Steiner on this day in 1867) was one of the first and most prominent of the “gentleman jugglers”. A native of Nuremburg, Germany he began by juggling stones as…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:51AM[SHARE]Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Today is the birthday of Will Marion Cook (1869-1944). He was emphatically not a vaudevillian, although there’s nothing about a serious musical training (he studied with Dvorak amo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:09AM[SHARE]Thursday, January 26, 2012
Desperate for a post today (prepare for an onslaught in February and March) I herewith present a little performance circa 1995-96 — me trying out some songs from my play House of Trash…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:50AM[SHARE]Wednesday, January 25, 2012
This 1904 Biograph film records the “Oriental” dance of one Princess Raja, whose wow finish has her swinging furniture around in her jaws. Good thing no one’s sitting on it…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:18PM[SHARE]Frank Cullen and Donald McNeilly are the co-authors of the indispensable Vaudeville Old and New and the previous Porridge Sisters mystery Murder at the Tremont Theatre. Here’…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:22AM[SHARE]Tuesday, January 24, 2012
And now, here’s a hilarious routine by funny man Bob Greenberg, the next installment in our Vaudephone series. Bob cuts up big time with his killer impressions of classic comics —…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:04AM[SHARE]Monday, January 23, 2012
Today is the birthday of possibly the coolest human being ever, Ernie Kovacs (1919-1962). I’ve already spilled a lot of ink over him, notably in this review of the recent DVD boxed set…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:38AM[SHARE]Mae Barnes (born on this day in 1907, according to some sources) was a popular singer and dancer who got her start at age 12 in the chorus of Harlem’s Plantation Club. After five years…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:29AM[SHARE]Sunday, January 22, 2012
 “Eva Taylor” was just one of many professional names used by this versatile performer, who could sing, dance, and cut up in musical comedy. At various times she was also kno…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:49AM[SHARE]Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tonight at 8:30 at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, a double bill of two of Buster Keaton’s most surreal films: Sherlock, Jr. ( a fanciful dream that has projectionist Buster …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:07AM[SHARE]Tonight is the last performance of the current edition of Cirque Off, Triskelion Arts regular festival of circus (mostly clown) acts. They promise “amazing” acts in their flyer, …
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:16AM[SHARE]Friday, January 20, 2012
On view January 20"September 2, 2012 International Center of Photography 1133 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street, NYC www.icp.org For an intense decade between 1935 and 1946, Weegee (1899…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:04AM[SHARE]Thursday, January 19, 2012
and now the albertina rasch dancers perform the hades ballet from the 1930 film the march of time: To find out more about the history of vaudeville, consult No Applause, Just Throw Mo…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:48AM[SHARE]Wednesday, January 18, 2012
And now, here’s a classic routine by the great Hilary Chaplain, the next installment in ourVaudephone series. Hilary is on my very short list of favorite clowns, so I am pleased as pun…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:06AM[SHARE]Â Brooklyn kid Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky on this day in 1913) started out in small time vaudeville and Catskills resorts at the tender age of 13. After many summers working a…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:47AM[SHARE]Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Roy Benson (born this day in 1914) was a much admired comedy magician equally superlative at both aspects of his act. He is still revered for his close magic and is the originator of seve…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:46AM[SHARE]Monday, January 16, 2012
Ethel Merman (born Ethel Zimmerman this day in 1908) was a middle class kid from Astoria Queens who grew up studying the styles of the great singing comediennes who played the local vaudevil…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:44AM[SHARE]Someone whose opinion I hold very highly recommends this record release concert at the Living Room tonight. To find out more about singer Nancy Margarill go here. Official Record Release:…
SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:20AM[SHARE]Loading more stories…
