All stories by Trav S.d. on BroadwayStars

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 25, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 25, 2025 are about The Wiz (just turned 50); Johann Strauss II (for his 200th birthday) along with some other Strausses; and silent screen comedian …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:31PM[SHARE]

A Bit on Eddie Barry by Trav S.D.

Brief acknowledgment of the career of silent screen comedian Eddie Barry (Edward Burns, 1887-1966). Not to be confused with Eddie Lyons, and no relation to Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Barry, Eddie Ba…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:31PM[SHARE]

The Strauss Bicentennial, and How to Keep Your Strausses Straight by Trav S.D.

Today marks the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) " and not coincidentally it's also World Opera Day. Folks of Strauss's day would be distressed to learn that Strauss would com…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM[SHARE]

"The Wiz" Turns 50 by Trav S.D.

October 23 was the birthday of Charlie Smalls (1943-1987), best remembered as the composer of the songs in The Wiz. Smalls was a child piano prodigy (or "whiz", if you prefer) who was alread…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:06AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 24, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 24, 2024 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 24, 2025 are about Several Stars Who Had Polio, and Grass, the first film made by Merian C. Cooper, creator of King Kong. Earlier Travalanche posts …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM[SHARE]

For World Polio Day: Several Stars Who Had the Disease by Trav S.D.

October 24 was the birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk (1914-2995), who literally gave the world the polio vaccine. By literally, I mean, he didn't patent it. He chose not to profit from his discover…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:18AM[SHARE]

A Century Ago: Grass! (1925) by Trav S.D.

A century ago: the world premier of Grass (1925)! That's right! Grass was invented in 1925! Prior to that, nothing but sand pits, gravel banks, mud holes! Once grass arrived, there could be …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:02AM[SHARE]
Thursday, October 23, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 23, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 23, 2025 are about Warhol Superstar Baby Jane Holzer, and burlesque dancer (and much more) Jennie Lee. Johnny Carson (born 100 years ago today) Also…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:31AM[SHARE]

The Legacy of Jennie Lee by Trav S.D.

October 23 was the birthday of burlesque dancer, pin-up model, actress, labor organizer and entrepreneur Jennie Lee (Virginia Lee Hicks, 1928-1990). A Kansas City native, Lee was billed as "…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:31AM[SHARE]

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Holzer? by Trav S.D.

Today marks the 85th birthday of Baby Jane Holzer (Jane Brukenfeld, b. 1940), on of the first of the Warhol Superstars and one of the few not to have self-destructed in some spectacular way.…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:24AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 22, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 22, 2025 are about John Reed and the movie Reds, Dory Previn, Parker Fennelly (The Fred Allen Show) and Sidney Miller. I have also done a complete o…

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

Parker Fennelly: From Allen's Alley to Pepperidge Farm by Trav S.D.

Comic actor Parker Fennelly (1891-1988) has to rank among the last performers with a vaudeville background to have a prominent place in American pop culture, though most Americans never knew…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:54PM[SHARE]

Salute to Sidney Miller by Trav S.D.

Wow! Just wow. I am so floored by the credits of actor/director/songwriter Sidney Miller (1916-2004) and shocked myself that I'm just now getting around to him. Miller started out as a juven…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:48PM[SHARE]

Of John Reed, Reds, and The Relevance of Both by Trav S.D.

October 22 was the birthday of journalist John Reed (1887-1920) and October was the month of the Russian Revolution (by the old calendar; it took place in November according to the modern on…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:36AM[SHARE]

The Dory Previn Centennial by Trav S.D.

Born 100 years ago today, Dorothy Langdon Previn Shannon (1925-2012), commonly known as Dory Previn, through her marriage to composer/conductor Andre Previn, to whom she was married from 195…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:12AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 21, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche post for October 21, 2025 is a menu of recommendations for some cool new things you might want to check out! Earlier Travalanche posts for October 21 (in no particula…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PM[SHARE]

Five Timely Recommendations For the Discerning Variety Lover by Trav S.D.

Having no planned essay for today, and an ungodly number planned for tomorrow, I thought I'd share this little goody bag of plugs for things I am excited about at the moment. Together they m…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM[SHARE]
Monday, October 20, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 20, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche post for October 20, 2025 is about "alien abductees" Betty and Barney Hill and the telefilm about same, entitled The U.F.O. Incident (1975). Earlier Travalanche posts…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM[SHARE]

50 Years Ago Today: "The U.F.O. Incident" by Trav S.D.

October 20, 1975 was the premiere air date of the made-for-tv movie The UFO Incident. Right away you may find yourself asking, "THE incident?" Well, yes, that was a simpler time, before the …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM[SHARE]
Sunday, October 19, 2025

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 19, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 19, 2025 are about Samantha Eggar, Bob Sweeney, Kate Manx, and Louis John Bartels. And also an account of yesterday's No Kings march in NYC with a t…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:42PM[SHARE]

Impressions of the Second No Kings by Trav S.D.

Well, the results are in, and it looks like yesterday's No Kings rally was the biggest one-day nationwide protest event in American history, beating out the previous No Kings protest by a co…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 04:31PM[SHARE]

R.I.P. Samantha Eggar by Trav S.D.

Samantha Eggar (b. 1939) passed away earlier this week. The British beauty wasn't a hugely memorable actress, but the fact that it's the Halloween season made me note the great proportion of…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:12PM[SHARE]

A Kitten Named Kate Manx by Trav S.D.

A few words on a pretty spectacular footnote, starlet Kate Manx (Kathryne Barbara Mylroie, 1930-1964). Mylroie is a pretty exotic surname, and I always look this up. Most sources give Irish …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:12PM[SHARE]

Bob Sweeney: Bio of a Box Brother by Trav S.D.

Here's a somewhat major if unsung figure in American comedy I stumbled upon surprisingly recently. Bob Sweeney (1918-1992) was successful in live performance, radio, films, and television. I…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM[SHARE]

Louis John Bartels: The Traveling Man by Trav S.D.

Louis John Bartels (1895-1931) was a man comedy fans at least would have likely known a lot better if he'd lived a few more years. As it is, he did make quite a significant mark, but his han…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:48AM[SHARE]
Saturday, October 18, 2025

R.I.P. Scott Baker by Trav S.D.

Well, today we bid a sad farewell to a sideshow Renaissance man. I had the honor of working with Scott Baker (1948-2025) eleven years ago in Dick Zigun's play Dead End Dummy at Coney Island …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:02AM[SHARE]

Your Travalanche Daily Digest for October 18, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche post for October 18, 2025 is about the passing of the late Scott Baker. Earlier Travalanche posts for October 18 (in no particular order) include ones on: BBC Formed …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:02AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 17, 2025

You Travalanche Daily Digest for October 17, 2025 by Trav S.D.

Today's new Travalanche posts for October 17, 2025 are about Captain Midnight, the late George Wendt, and a new play about Saturday Night Live. Earlier Travalanche posts for October 17 (in n…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:06PM[SHARE]

A New Play About "Saturday Night Live" by Trav S.D.

I truly wanted to like Not Ready For Time, a new play about the first five seasons of Saturday Night Live (1975-80) which is now playing at the very-complicated to say Newman Mills Theater a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:54PM[SHARE]

Weighing George Wendt by Trav S.D.

Universally beloved character actor George Wendt (1948-2025) passed away in May of this year, from a number of conditions related to his enormous girth (over 450 pounds at the max, although …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:24PM[SHARE]

The Many Shades of Captain Midnight by Trav S.D.

October 17, 1938 marked the debut of the radio adventure series Captain Midnight. Like The Shadow, The Green Hornet, and others, Captain Midnight is an interesting for being what is essentia…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AM[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