Friday, March 21, 2025

For World Poetry Day: The Poets of Travalanche by Trav S.D.

I don’t really need to rationalize the reasons why profiles of poets are a content stream on Travalanche, though it has has theatre and show business at its core. But I will. All poetry wa…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:32PM

Ziegfeld, A-Z (A Finding Aid for Flo) by Trav S.D.

Today is the birthday of the great showman Flo Ziegfeld! I thought I would use the occasion of to present you without a little finding aid to help you navigate our several post about the gre…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:18PM

For World Puppetry Day: Some Quality Time with the Flexitoon Folks by Trav S.D.

March 21 is World Puppetry Day and that seemed like the perfect time to realize my long standing ambition to get the full skinny on a pair of impressive folks I met about a year ago at Marxf…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:06AM
Thursday, March 20, 2025

Salute to Spike Lee by Trav S.D.

Spike Lee (b. 1957) has been a public figure for nearly 40 years now, at least since his first feature She’s Gotta Have It (1986), and he’s been making movies for longer than that. I was…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:12AM
Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Some Cool Movies in New York This Week by Trav S.D.

Just thought I’d give you a heads up about some film screenings in New York that got ME excited, at any rate: Tomorrow, March 20, 2015 at 7:30pm: Ben Model (preservationist, author, presen…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:03PM

Celebration of the Rooster by Trav S.D.

Well, it’s National Poultry Day, and I’m getting mighty sick of talk of the price of eggs, so I thought I’d skip the hens and give a shout-out to the place of roosters in pop culture. …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:54AM
Tuesday, March 18, 2025

50 Years of Brad Dourif by Trav S.D.

Today is actually Brad Dourif’s 75th birthday, but we’re coming up on 50 years since he first came to widespread public attention as Billy Bibbit in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (19…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:03PM

A Morsel on Maurice by Trav S.D.

His full name was Maurice Oscar Louis Mouvet (1889-1927), though professionally he was usually known simply as “Maurice”. Though he was an international trendsetter for nearly two decade…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM
Monday, March 17, 2025

Clara Morris: Passion’s Daughter by Trav S.D.

No one is quite certain of the birth date of Clara Morris, although IBDB informs us with great assurance that it was March 17, 1848, so we go with that — with the caveat that others tell u…

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

Happy St. Patrick’s, Harry Kelly by Trav S.D.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Given the importance of the Irish to the history of vaudeville, I annually feel I don’t do enough to celebrate this day, and perhaps someday I’ll get it togeth…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:06PM
Sunday, March 16, 2025

The Curious Corinna Mura by Trav S.D.

March 16 was the birthday of singer/guitarist Corinna Mura (Corrina Wall, 1910-1965). Mura’s career was brief but fascinating. Through only one quarter Spanish she made a career as a “La…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:48AM
Saturday, March 15, 2025

Ford Dabney and the Story of “Shine” by Trav S.D.

Ford Dabney (1883-1958) was an African American composer, pianist, and bandleader of the ragtime and early jazz eras, best known for writing the tune to the song “Shine” a.k.a. “That�…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:03AM
Friday, March 14, 2025

R.I.P. Quincy Jones by Trav S.D.

Quincy Jones (1933-2024) would have been 92 today; he passed away with much accompanying fanfare back in November. I saved this appreciation for today so it wouldn’t get lost in the flurry…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:12PM
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Recalling Robin Duke by Trav S.D.

Oh, the Duke ain’t Dead! Don’t ya fret on that score. It’s just that the 50th anniversary year of Saturday Night Live seemed the appropriate time to remember her peak years, when she w…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:06AM
Wednesday, March 12, 2025

The Weird Case of William Dudley Pelley by Trav S.D.

I wish to God this were not a timely story, but we are never masters of our own chronologies. In the interest of dramatic reveal, I will make you wait a bit for the astounding parts. William…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 01:24PM

Excavating Clay M. Greene by Trav S.D.

We all return to Clay. And by that I mean Clay M. Greene (1850-1933), playwright, critic, journalist, film-maker, and man of business. The phrase also happens to apply to Greene’s life. A …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:24AM
Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Three Cheers for Robert Prichard and Surf Reality! by Trav S.D.

March 11 is the birthday of downtown impresario Robert Prichard, co-founder and bull goose looney of the much missed performance space known as Surf Reality (or, by the full title, Surf Real…

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

Still Shilling for Shemp by Trav S.D.

Today happens to be a notable comedy history day for two reasons: 1) it is the centennial anniversary of the released of the Buster Keaton comedy Seven Chances (1925). But I wrote about that…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:32AM
Monday, March 10, 2025

Losing Luba Lisa by Trav S.D.

Had she lived a bit longer, Luba Lisa (Luba Lisa Gootnick, 1941-1972) would almost certainly be well known and associated with the other show bizzy chicks of her generation: Barbra Streisand…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:48AM

New Yorkers! Don’t Miss Your Chance to See “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” on the Big Screen! by Trav S.D.

This one is strictly for New York area hardcore comedy freaks. Tomorrow, March 11, 2025, at 7:30pm — a rare chance to see what many feel is the comedy to end all comedies, It’s a Mad, Ma…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:48AM

The 600 Screen Credits of Stuart Holmes by Trav S.D.

Actor Stuart Holmes (Joseph Liebschen, 1884-1971) may have appeared in as many as 600 movies from the years 1909 through 1964. Throughout his career he was mostly a supporting player, often …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:36AM
Sunday, March 9, 2025

Later This Month: Help us Celebrate the “Sally of the Sawdust” Centennial by Trav S.D.

This one goes out to all W.C. Fields fans, silent movie fans, circus fans, and fans of the Borough of Queens and its history! I sure hope that covers everyone! My old friends at the Greater …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:48AM
Saturday, March 8, 2025

A Sidelong Look at Sue Ane Langdon by Trav S.D.

First off, that’s not a typo: Sue Ane Langdon (b. 1936) spells the second part of her first name with a single “n” — as in “Nything to stand out in show business.” In her heyday,…

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

On the Weeks Sisters (As Opposed to the Weak Sisters) by Trav S.D.

March 8 was the birthday of stage and screen performer Ada May (Ada May Weeks, 1896-1978.) She was the most successful of four performing sisters from Oyster Bay, Long Island named Weeks. Of…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:06AM
Friday, March 7, 2025

The Willard Scott Story by Trav S.D.

I had been creating Travalanche for many years before I began taking note of centennials and other major anniversary benchmarks here (I think 500 may be the oldest I’ve observed). I didn�…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:06AM
Thursday, March 6, 2025

You’ll Never Guess About Gus Meins: A Little Known Hal Roach Scandal by Trav S.D.

This is a mind blower of a story; I’m astounded that it’s not more widely known. I wasn’t aware of it myself until I sat down to write this post. And for once I won’t bury the lede: …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:24AM
Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Three Cheers for Penn Jillette by Trav S.D.

The Happiest of birthdays to Penn Jillette (b. 1955) who enters his seventh decade today. My previous Penn and Teller post was published on Teller’s birthday, because he was the one I got …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:36AM

Gladys Leslie: The Girl With the Million Dollar Smile by Trav S.D.

I first encountered Gladys Leslie (Gladys Leslie Moore, 1899-1976) as Houdini’s leading lady in Haldane of the Secret Service (1923). Though she was a star in her own day, Haldane was to b…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:24AM

Suzy Wandas: The Lady with the Fairy Fingers by Trav S.D.

March 5 is the birthday of lady magician Suzy Wandas (Jeanne Van Dyke, 1896-1986). Suzy was a second generation conjurer, born and raised in Belgium to a husband-wife variety team. Her initi…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:54AM
Tuesday, March 4, 2025

The Mysterious End of Washington Irving Bishop by Trav S.D.

I first learned about mentalist Washington Irving Bishop (1855-1889) many decades ago from Ricky Jay’s indispensable Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women. Born in New York City (plainly to fan…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:03AM
Monday, March 3, 2025

Catching Up with Kazurinsky by Trav S.D.

On the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special the other night, one participant you might not have noticed (for he was seated in the audience, and at 5’2″ is easy to miss) was forme…

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

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum 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