All stories by Trav S.d. on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

George Washington on Stage and Screen by Trav S.D.

Presidents Day notwithstanding, February 22 is the actual birthday of George Washington. Washington (like Lincoln) was once once worshipped in this country with a fervor 21st century people …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:44PM[SHARE]

Ted Annemann: The Enigma by Trav S.D.

A wink and a nod today on behalf of magician and mentalist Theodore "Ted" Annemann (Theodore Squires, 1907-1942). Like many of his era, Annemann continues to exert an influence upon the worl…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:14AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Your Daly Devotional: Of James, Tyne and Timothy Daly by Trav S.D.

It takes being a biographical blogger to know how common some surnames are in certain fields, and there are a LOT of actors named Daly, Daily or Daley: Augustin Daly, Arnold Daly, Dan Daly (…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:58AM[SHARE]

The World of Wheeler Oakman by Trav S.D.

A few words of acknowledgment today on screen actor actor Wheeler Oakman (Vivian Eichelberger, 1890-1949), who appeared in nearly 300 films over a veritable half-century. Based upon his give…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 20, 2023

20 Years Ago Today: The Station Night Club Fire by Trav S.D.

20 years ago today (February 20, 2003) there occurred one of the worst nightclub fires in American history. It's relatively recent history for me to be covering on this blog, but it's always…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:04AM[SHARE]

Marian Spitzer and "The Palace" by Trav S.D.

February 20 was the natal day of writer Marian Spitzer Thomas (1899-1983). Spitzer was someone I really wish I'd gotten to meet, and I was thrilled to learn that my friend Mari Lyn Henry act…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:56AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 19, 2023

Of Paul Terry and Terrytoons by Trav S.D.

We already talked a bit about Paul Terry (1887-1971) with respect to his studio's creations Mighty Mouse and The Mighty Heroes; this brief post will fill out the rest of the portrait. Terry …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:40AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 18, 2023

Yoko Ono Turns 90 by Trav S.D.

When I was a kid and just learning about the Beatles, I thought Yoko Ono (b. 1933) was strictly cool, for I was just discovering art at the same time. I didn't understand why she was hated. …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:29AM[SHARE]
Friday, February 17, 2023

The Silents of the Lambs: My First "Trav Talk" in Three Years by Trav S.D.

If Ted can have Ted Talks, Trav can have Trav talks. The title of this post and the atmospheric lighting in the photo above may cause you to believe something creepy is afoot, but I'm deligh…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:40PM[SHARE]

Deep Thoughts on Larry the Cable Guy by Trav S.D.

There were four show business folks I had ID'd for potentially writing about today. I decided to kick three of them down the road 'til next year, and to give all of today's attention to Dan …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:49AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 16, 2023

The Drums of Gus Moeller by Trav S.D.

Just a brief roll on the snare for Sanford Augustus "Gus" Moeller (1878-1960). When I was a kid I was in a regional drum and bugle corps with my brother (a trumpet player) and learned what i…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:33AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Of Sax Rohmer, Fu Manchu and Beyond by Trav S.D.

Having investigated many pulp and mystery authors here before, it's likely that I would have written about Sax Rohmer (Arthur Henry "Sarsfield" Ward, 1883-1959) anyway, but we had adde…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:34AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 14, 2023

A Century of Burns and Allen: A Valentine's Day Podcast by Trav S.D.

As we promised here back on George Burns' birthday, the multi-talented Burns and Allen maven Lauren Milberger and myself have recorded a special podcast conversation in celebration of the fu…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:21PM[SHARE]

The Final Epstein and Hassan Show by Trav S.D.

We begin this Valentine's Day with a salute to BlackJewLove! Back in October, I reported on the sad passing of Naimah Hassan, one half of the truth telling comedy duo of Epstein and Hassan. …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:30AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 13, 2023

Hey, Ho, Way to Go, Ohio by Trav S.D.

By my house is a wooded area where I do my walking when the weather is good. It's a nice little amenity my community offers but it does have this one little quirk. It seems like every time I…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:21PM[SHARE]

R.I.P. Richard Anobile by Trav S.D.

I only just got the memo that Richard J. Anobile (1947-1923) passed away a few days ago. Classic comedy fans all know Anobile's name for a couple of reasons. The broader reason is that he au…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:59AM[SHARE]

Hazel Howell's Greatest Hits by Trav S.D.

We became curious about Hazel Howell (1898-1965) after enjoying her prominent turn in Laurel and Hardy's The Music Box (1932), her last proper screen role. Surprisingly, she was apparently n…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:23AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 12, 2023

The Zeffirelli Centennial by Trav S.D.

Born 100 years ago today, Italian designer, director and politician Franco Zeffirelli (1923-2019). When Zeffirelli passed, only four years ago, it dawned on me that his hit 1968 screen adapt…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:34AM[SHARE]
Saturday, February 11, 2023

Chevalier Ira Paine: Master Shot of the World by Trav S.D.

Strange but true, but I learned about American music hall sharpshooter Ira Paine (1837-1889) from researching the famed Folies Bergère in Paris. Born in Hebronville, Massachustetts, Paine w…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:47AM[SHARE]

The Other Side of Sidney Sheldon by Trav S.D.

When I was a kid I associated the name Sidney Sheldon (Sidney Schechtel, 1917-2007) exclusively with cheesy paperback novels my mother read, and the soapy TV movies they made out of them. At…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:13AM[SHARE]
Friday, February 10, 2023

R.I.P. Burt Bachrach by Trav S.D.

I'd been planning a post on Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) for his birthday in May but his passing on February 8 makes an appreciation here and now more urgent. I'll be frank with you in a way m…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:56AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 9, 2023

Monument to Meyerhold by Trav S.D.

I can't recall how I first learned about Soviet theatre visionary Vsevolod Meyerhold (1874-1940) as a young person. Perhaps by way of Brecht? For quite a while I was enthralled with reading …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:32PM[SHARE]

R.I.P. Melinda Dillon by Trav S.D.

Do you ever have those moments (I frequently do) when you catch an actor you haven't seen in a while in a film or a tv show, and then the next day they die? It's coincidence, but creates an …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:41AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 8, 2023

For National Molasses Day: Great Moments in Molasses by Trav S.D.

February 8 is National Molasses Day! And you mightn't think that that blog would have anything to say on this topic, but there you'd be wrong. For molasses happens to be the stuff of comedy …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:10PM[SHARE]

Alejandro Rey: Of Carlos, Casinos and "Cuba" by Trav S.D.

Alejandro Rey (1930-1987) was likely the first Latin-American screen actor I was ever aware of. The handsome Argentine played Carlos on The Flying Nun and is by no means to be confused with …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:34AM[SHARE]

50 Years Ago: The NBC Follies by Trav S.D.

February 8, 1973 was the air date of the pilot of an interesting TV variety experiment called The NBC Follies. The show was subsequently picked up and ran for a single season, from September…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:53AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Wilbur Sweatman: Lived Up To His Name by Trav S.D.

When Wilbur Sweatman (1882-1961) played big time vaudeville in the early nineteen tens, for his big finish he played three clarinets simultaneously. He was one of the very few African Americ…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:01AM[SHARE]

Hjalmar Peterson and The Swedish Vaudeville Circuits by Trav S.D.

Well, here's a new slice of information about which I was not previously aware. I'd long been aware that America had Yiddish and Italian vaudeville circuits for immigrant audiences where onl…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:25AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 6, 2023

R.I.P. Eugene Lee by Trav S.D.

I've seldom ventured to write appreciations of set designers on this blog, it falling outside my purview and expertise. Among the few have been Tony Walton, and Erté, But the death today of…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:54PM[SHARE]

Macking on Mamie Van Doren by Trav S.D.

Celebration today of nonagenarian sex symbol Mamie Van Doren (Joan Lucille Olander, b. 1931). She shared a birthday with Zsa Zsa Gabor! Van Doren is best remembered for being third in rank a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:27AM[SHARE]
Sunday, February 5, 2023

The Oeuvre of Leslie Zemeckis by Trav S.D.

In the spirit of our recent post on Marion Meade, we thought you'd use the occasion of Leslie Zemeckis's natal day for a brief appreciation of, like, everything she's ever done (with fervent…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:39AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off