All stories by Trav S.D. on BroadwayStars

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Don’t Miss the Coney Island Marx Brothers Weekend! by Trav S.D.

We’re now less than two weeks out from our 2025 Marx Brothers Weekend, which will take place at Coney Island USA. By “our” I refer to members of the indomitable Marxfest Committee. For…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:48AM
Saturday, May 10, 2025

The Loss of Larry Williams by Trav S.D.

Larry Williams (1935-1980) would have been 90 years old today if things had played out differently. A cousin and former employee of Lloyd Price, Williams is best remembered as both a rival a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM

250 Years Ago Today: The Lesson of Fort Ticonderoga by Trav S.D.

250 years ago today there occurred another in a series of miracles that led to America’s independence from Great Britain. In one of the first offensive actions of the war, jointly led by l…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:32AM

The Sue Hastings Marionettes by Trav S.D.

We have been exploring puppetry lately (as a researcher, not as a performer) and there are certainly worse things! As it happens May 10 was the birthday of influential marionette impresario …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:12AM
Friday, May 9, 2025

On James L. Brooks and the Significance of Gracie Films by Trav S.D.

James L. Brooks was born on May 9, 1940. Brooks’ career in comedy entertainment was born around the same time I was, thus I most certainly grew up watching his television shows and movies.…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:06PM
Thursday, May 8, 2025

I’m Just Wild About Harry Truman by Trav S.D.

A new edition to the Travalanche Hall of Presidents — today we tip our hat to Harry S. Truman (1884-1972). Controversial in his own time, Truman has ranked high among both the public and P…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM

Bob Clampett: From Bugs to Beany by Trav S.D.

In my book Chain of Fools, I wrote about how animated cartoon shorts took over where live action silent comedy films left off — they were the natural successor, in a way. I left it as vagu…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM

80 Years Ago Today: The Nazis Surrender by Trav S.D.

80 years ago today: VE Day. Victory in Europe: what a great birthday present for Harry Truman! It seems like it was only a week ago when we observed that it was the 80th anniversary of Adolp…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

The Bowery Book Launch by Trav S.D.

Note to new readers: I have been producing this blog for over 17 years and only noticed yesterday that I could import my whole contact list into the subscriber base. As I used to blast out a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:02PM
Tuesday, May 6, 2025

R.I.P. Lulu from “Hee Haw” by Trav S.D.

We learned of the passing of country comedienne Lulu Roman (Bertha Louise Hable, 1946-2025) a couple of weeks ago and decided to hold our tribute for her natal day. To my mind, there are at …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:48AM
Monday, May 5, 2025

Some Timely Odd and Ends by Trav S.D.

These are just some little scraps I collected over the weekend and wanted to impart…to whom it may concern. Dutiful readers will recall that I reviewed a show called The Whole of Time at T…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:32PM

The Wonderful World of W.W. Denslow, First Illustrator of “The Wizard of Oz” by Trav S.D.

It’s a heresy, I reckon, that we wrote first here about John R. Neill, the second illustrator of Oz books before treating of the founder W.W. Denslow (1856-1915). The W.W. stands for “Wi…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:54AM
Sunday, May 4, 2025

For International Firefighters Day: The Story of Mose the Fireman by Trav S.D.

I don’t even know if children are introduced to the traditional American legendary folk heroes any more, so perhaps I can’t assume that some readers know the stories of Paul Bunyan, Mike…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM

The Limited Legacy of Harold B. Franklin by Trav S.D.

This one goes out to my Texas friend Jennifer B. Hargis! Harold B. Franklin (1889-1941) was a New York kid who started out as a vaudeville booking agent, then worked his way up to managing t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:24AM

James Ellison: Another Invisible Man by Trav S.D.

This is not to slight black author Ralph Ellison, it’s just that I wouldn’t know JAMES Ellison (1910-1993) if I tripped over him — in spite of having seen him in at least a couple of d…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:24AM
Saturday, May 3, 2025

150 Years Ago Today: The Birth of Bohumir Kryl, Caruso of the Cornet by Trav S.D.

Born 150 years ago today, the remarkable Czech-American musician, bandmaster, composer, circus performer, sculptor, art collector, and banker Bohumir Kryl (1875-1961). With his leonine mane …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PM

For Derby Day: A Selective History of Horse Racing by Trav S.D.

The Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs were founded in 1875, 150 years ago. We thought we’d mark the day with some historic background on horse racing in the U.S. First, though I want to r…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM
Friday, May 2, 2025

The Roscoe Lee Browne Pseudo-Centennial by Trav S.D.

If some reputable sources (The New York Times, the Associated Press, Variety, the U.S. Congress, et al.) are to be credited today would be the 100th birthday of Roscoe Lee Browne. However, …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AM
Thursday, May 1, 2025

This Year Bronx Week Lasts All Month by Trav S.D.

Three cheers for the Bronx — and I don’t mean Bronx cheers! I am amused to see that this year “Bronx Week” lasts from May 5 to May 18, which is two weeks, and consists of events that…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:02PM

Born May 1: Two Women from the World of Ed Wood by Trav S.D.

Your correspondent left off bundling biographical posts a long time ago, but in this case it just made so much sense because both of our subjects, both born of the same day, were both member…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:42AM

For May Day and Lower East Side History Month, a New Book on the Bowery by Trav S.D.

My friend David Mulkins of the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors (who gave us the Windows on the Bowery project) has come out with a new pictorial history of the Bowery, just in time for May Day …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:32AM
Wednesday, April 30, 2025

The Marx Brothers in Great Neck and More by Trav S.D.

Well, my talk at the Great Neck Historical Society about the Marx Brothers in Great Neck was many months ago but I only just noticed that the show we made out of it for our local public acce…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:18PM

For National Bugs Bunny Day: Bugs Bunny vs. The Nazis by Trav S.D.

Having mentioned Bugs Bunny some 50 times on Travalanche, I wanted to finally do a post on the rascally rabbit for Bugs Bunny Day (April 30, in honor of the anniversary of his appearance, so…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:18PM

80 Years Ago Today: Hitler Does the World a Favor by Trav S.D.

Well now. We certainly live in interesting times. The world seems to have slipped its moral gears. I can remember a time when there were certain political facts that seemed as well establish…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM
Tuesday, April 29, 2025

The Dead Outlaw Round-up by Trav S.D.

Third time’s a charm and this is my third piece on Dead Outlaw which, just opened at the Longacre Theatre. The first one, on the off-Broadway opening and some background on the show, is he…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:36PM

Nora Dunn and Kevin Dunn Are Siblings! by Trav S.D.

It’s true! I’ve been fans of them both for about 40 years, and never knew until recently that Nora Dunn (b. 1952) and Kevin Dunn (b. 1956) are sister and brother. And of course once you …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:36PM

150 Years Ago Today: La Natale di Rafael Sabatini by Trav S.D.

It’s odd that most Americans don’t know the name Rafael Sabatini (1875-1950), given that plenty of people (movie fans at any rate) know several of his works, as they often have been adap…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:18AM

For International Dance Day: The Master Juba Bicentennial by Trav S.D.

Originally posted on Travalanche in 2010. Updated for this bicentennial occasion. William Henry Lane (a.k.a Master Juba) came along way too early to be in my “Stars of Vaudeville” series…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:18AM

A Date with Dolly Haas by Trav S.D.

Unless time has embellished memory, I’m pretty sure I met German-American actress Dolly Haas (1910-1994) in the early ’90s, not long before she died. It would have been on the same occas…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 05:03AM
Monday, April 28, 2025

Cabaret in Captivity Redux by Trav S.D.

We were privileged yesterday to attend the 2025 edition of Cabaret in Captivity: Songs and Sketches from Terezin, now in its 12th year. I saw it for the first time and reviewed it here back …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:54PM

Gatsby, Great Neck, Fitzgerald and Fitzpatrick on CBS Sunday Morning by Trav S.D.

We may soon reach the point where posts about The Great Gatsby will require their own section here on Travalanche, which is funny because it is not my favorite novel by a long way. I certain…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:24AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre