11,745 stories by "Trav S.D."
When I was about ten years old, inspired by the 1953 Houdini bio-pic I’d watched on tv, I went to the library to find a book on the great escape artist. What I found looked a little cl…
A contortionist and acrobat Harley Mankin was known for “[Doing} What No Other Man Kin”, i.e., acting like a frog. Dressed in a frog costume, he’d leap and bound around…
This lady is high-sterical! Her holiday show opens tonight…
This post is one in a series that defines for the layman the various types of variety arts. For the full panoply go here. New Vaudeville is a term that nearly everyone ever associated with i…
Today is the birthday of one of the best straight men in history, Jay Brennan (1881-1961). While he had many partners over the years, only one was legendary: Bert Savoy. Bert Savoy was the f…
Not sure how I missed the fact that this had opened on November 22, but at any rate you have many weeks to catch it. It’s open through January. The Birth of Promotion: Inventing Film P…
One of the most enjoyable parts of working on No Applause and this blog has been watching Hollywood bio-pics of the great vaudevillians. There are more of these movies than you know, scores …
Don’t miss some of New York’s top illustrators and comics artists in this free event at the Brick Theater today! The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival  presents a unique p…
Tonight! For more info go to http://www.TheAnachronismNYC.com
Today is the birthday of Lillian Russell (full bio here). Here’s an extremely cool COLOR clip of her from 1913! She’s well past her prime but that hardly diminishes the other…
Today is the birthday of Connee Boswell, who, along with her sisters Martha (1905-58), and Helvetia (1909-88) made up one of the most innovative and popular vocal groups of the 1930s. The…
The Beat Rats (whom I rave about here) don’t go on til 11:30 (which means after midnight in rock and roll time), by which time I’ve normally been asleep for hours. Still, I may t…
Tonight at Coney Island USA… Coney Artland Productions presents A CONEY ISLAND OF THE BEHIND, an evening of poetry, storytelling, comedy, dance, burlesque, music and mayhem about Coney…
This is a cause of which I approve HIGHLY. Bibioball is an annual event that raises money for literacy for incarcerated teens. Books have straightened many a confused person out, and inspire…
Esther Crow as Johnny Guitar illustrates the hazard of rock and roll singing in this rehearsal of my show Beach Blanket Bluebeard, which we’re presenting at Coney Island USA on Decembe…
I endorse nor encourage nothing. I merely state that from 6pm tonight until some time tomorrow (or such time as they are busted), a bevy of renegade theatre folks promise to stage an Occupyi…
Bai Xi, the world famous acrobats of Cirque Shanghai open at the New Victory tonight. The run is through New Year’s. More info can be found here. And here’s a video teaser!
Get it? “Revives” Snow White? Because, she’s — oh, never mind. The Countess and I love the magical Company XIV. I profiled them here a couple of years ago, and review…
Today is the birthday of the much loved Ruth Draper (full bio here). The home movie below doesnt depict the art she’s best loved for (vocal characterizations) but does convey her playf…
Today is the birthday of Broadway star William Gaxton (full bio here). See him in action in this 1945 clip with Beatrice Kay: To find out more about the history of vaudeville, consult…
Today is the birthday of Harry Rose, the Broadway Jester (for a full bio go here). You can see his vaudeville hosting skills in this Fox Movietone, along with the notorious song “Frank…
Pauline Des Landes, a.k.a “Bonita” was born this day in 1886. A dancer from age 12, she began performing in Atlanta and St. Louis before coming to New York to play Koster & B…
I keep wanting to catch the Chinese Opera when it plays Pace University. We’ll probably miss this go-round too, but I share the info with you for your intercultural delectation:
