11,744 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #233: John Bunny, Filmdom’s First Funny Fat Man (for my full article on him go here). Here he is in the 1911 Vitagraph Film “Her Crown…
Sure, sure, the poster’s a little small. So go here, to Coneyislandfilmfestival.com! The got a full schedule, and everything!
Sorry, gang, I was asleep at the switch about this one! It opened a week ago, but it slipped through my net…it’s definitely the sort of thing we love to plug here. Hard Times is …
I was psyched to finally nab the ubiquitous actress/ musician/ clown Jennifer Harder for my recent Travesties of 2012. All the sudden her name was all over the place: she plays t…
Today is the birthday of the great actress/comedienne Anne Meara, best known as the female/ Irish/ tall half of Stiller and Meara. Stiller and Meara were part of the first generation of Seco…
“Mama” Cass Elliot (born today in 1941) is, to me, what it’s all about. There’s no doubt in my mind that if vaudeville had stayed around another 50 years, she’d…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #360, Lovey Austin. For my full article on her go here. And now here she is with her Serenaders, singing “Don’t Shake it No More…
Today is the birthday of cross-eyed comedian Ben Turpin (a.k.a Star of Vaudeville #232. For my full squib on him go here) Here’s one of his oldest extant clips from 1909′s Mr.…
Like some Cold War Russian mole, burlesque likes to play a dangerous double game. The ideal burlesque show (for most of us) is both classy and dangerous. (Seedy and dangerous is for people w…
I love nothing more than checking out revivals of once-successful but long forgotten plays. They are often as illuminating about the times in which they were first produced as the “sur…
Like all the rest of the suckers, the Countess and I tuned into the premiere of the new NBC show Revolution last night, attracted by the sexy lure of apocalypse promised in the relentless ad…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #231 Eddie “Rochester” Anderson (for my full squib on him go here). We all know about that voice; today we celebrate his feet: To find…
Tonight at The Morgan in Bushwick. BUSHWICK BURLESQUE’s ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW … Starring their special guests . . . GIN MINSKY LEFTY LUCY FEM APPEAL FANCY FEAST and Bushwick …
A brilliant bit of pre-Halloween season programming at the Barnum museum today, starring their mummy Pa-Ib! Step Right up, Grab Your Pith Helmet and Bullwhip! Your adventure awaits �…
Put That Wallet Away!  We have two tree-mendous events coming up for you this week, and they’re free, free, free! CHAIN OF FOOLS: HOW THE SILVER SCREEN WAS INVADED BY THE GREAT …
Well, his son may be a national disgrace but it just doesn’t get any better than Hank Williams, Sr (1923-53). I’ll definitely write a more in depth post at some future date…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #358: Winnie Lightner (for my full article on her go here). Now here she is singing a song I first heard sung by Bugs Bunny: To find out more abou…
The Wiere Brothers unfortunately came along too late for American vaudeville, hence we do not include them in our Stars of Vaudeville Series. Yet it would have been the perfect home for thei…
Sept 17, 20 & 21 American Opera Project, The Walt Whitman Project, and Angeli Rasbury present I HEAR AMERICA SINGING In association with Opera in Brownsville, the 1st Annual …
Today is the birthday of the great Broadway impresario Earl Carroll (1892-1948), best known for his series of revues Earl Carroll’s Vanities , which ran from 1923 through 1940. H…
The Life and Legacy of P.T. Barnum will be presented on tonight at the Trumbull Historical Society in Trumbull, CT Kathy Maher, Executive Director/Curator of The Barnum Museum will be presen…
Today is the birthday of magician David Copperfield, who is really only David Seth Kotkin of Metuchen, New Jersey — but thanks for making it harder for children to Google the Dickens&#…
I know what you’re saying…when ISN’T Molly Pope at the Duplex? True, but still and all, she is an amazing phenomenon and if you haven’t seen her, you should. Reservat…
Today is the birthday of the great American humorist Robert Benchley (1889-1945). A native of Worcester, Massachusetts (you can hear it in his accent), he later went to Harvard, where he wro…
