11,744 stories by "Trav S.D."
Tonight! Starring Wasabassco’s Performer Of the Month: Madame Rosebud, with Evelyn Vinyl, Go-Go Harder, Magdalena Fox, Marlo Marquise, Nasty Canasta, Special guests: Kristina Nekyia, L…
This is one in a series of posts on the hundreds of performers I have presented at the American Vaudeville Theatre . As imposing a physical presence as Bob Greenberg is, I heard hi…
The reason I have been frantic to get my new book Chain of Fools to market is that this month marks the Centennial of the first releases by Mack Sennett’s Keystone pictures. For …
Today is the birthday of Charles E. “Charlie” Evans (1856-1945). He got his start in the rough-and-tumble minstrel/ saloon variety scene of Lower Manhattan in the 1870s, playing …
Today is the birthday of the great songwriter and impresario Billy Rose (for my full article on him go here). Now here’s some very cool home movie footage of his contribution to the 19…
I’ve been kicking this around a bit….perhaps it can be added to. This a short list of horrible song lyrics that were by definition written to fulfill an assignment, namely the cr…
On Tuesday, September 4 at 7 p.m. The Barnum Museum will feature a fascinating program, Frauds, Myths and Mysteries presented by Central Connecticut State University Professor Kenneth Feder,…
I first encountered Mantan Moreland (born on this day in 1902) in the camp horror classic Spider Baby courtesy Mr. Pinnock. It wasn’t until much later that I learned about his history …
Well, the bad, bad men took away Jerry’s annual telethon, but the good nice people of Antenna TV have made things right by promising an all day  ”Jerry Lewis Labor Day Maratho…
“Don’t take any pictures of the burlesque dancers,” the Countess admonished last night as we settled in at our cafe table at the Triad last night to check out Gotham Burles…
One of my best buddies in high school Matt Cohen was the camera op for (and played the mayor in) in Assisted Fishing, a comedy that features banjo music, bird shit, babes in bikini…
A slice of New York busking magic. I caught this gentleman showboating with two trumpets in Washington Square Park last Friday: To find out more about the variety arts past and present, cons…
Today is the birthday of blues singer Edith Wilson (for more on her and her background in the black vaudeville circuits go here). Here she is laying down the “Rules and Regulations of …
Today is the birthday of Hollywood character actor Jack Norton (for more on him and his background in vaudeville go here). One of his most beloved turns is as the drunken film director in W.…
A multiplicity of uni’s! I caught a bunch of the grand unicycle parade on the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday (the opening leg of the NYC Unicycle Festival, now under way today and tomorrow …
Today is the birthday of the great Broadway star Marilyn Miller (for more on her and her early vaudeville career go here). The 1929Â clip below is from her stage and screen hit “Sall…
Today is the birthday of James J. “Gentlemean Jim” Corbett. To find out what he has to do with vaudeville go here. And now here he is in action during his heyday, in rare footage…
Today — by order of an official proclamation by Borough President Marty Markowitz — is Brooklyn Unicycle Day: Festivities begin with a mass ride over the Brooklyn Bridge (3pm) to…
It takes a spoonful of dopamine to make the medicine go down. Such is the case anyway with comedy writer and professor David Misch’s new tome Funny, The Book: Everything You Always …
Today is the birthday of operetta, musical and vaudeville star Fritzi Scheff (for my full article on her go here). The clip below is very rare — Ms. Scheff didn’t make any record…
Today is the birthday of the tough but adorable Joan Blondell (see my full article on her here). In commemoration of the day, we present this funny scene from the 1931 comedy Blonde Crazy…
Most people (over a certain age) know him as “Steve Douglas” from the tv show My Three Sons (1960-1972) and a star of silly Disney movies like The Shaggy Dog (1959),�…
Well, this has just been the slam-bangingest year. Having just come off a big play work-shop, the completion of my new book, and a big vaudeville production a few weeks ago I found myself in…
Today is the birthday of second generation vaudevillian Donald O’Connor (for more on him and his performing family go here). Here he is with recent (though deceased) centenarian Gene K…
