282 stories by "Trav S. D."
In this charming 1911 clip cartoonist Winsor McKay (whose birthday is today) and his creations enter the fourth dimension — time. The animation at the finish is gorgeous. And yes that&…
Today is the birthday of comedy magician Carl Ballantine. Best known for his role of McHale’s Navy, here’s a clip from the 197os of him doing what he did best. The video quality&…
Today’s George Raft’s birthday. Before becoming famous, one of his many jobs (he seemed to have many jobs that involved as little work as possible) was as a taxi dancer. He recre…
Fritzi Scheff, in the act of making herself, vaudeville and opera obsolete all at the same time Great news! I’m appearing at the Hudson Opera House this coming Saturday (October 1)…
Ella Shields (born this day in 1879) was a male impersonator and a rare American export to the British music halls. A Baltimore native she started out in a sister act in American vaudeville …
Opening tonight at the Laurie Beechman Theatre: Busted: The Musical starring transgendered triple threat Bianca Leigh, directed by Tim Cusack of Theatre Askew. I reviewed its earlier worksho…
Opening tonight and playing through mid-October is the well-curated, nicely focused New York Musical Theatre Festival. Emphasizing quality over quantity the six year old festival presents 30…
This post resumes my series profiling the hundreds of performers I've presented through my American Vaudeville Theatre , initiated in conjunction with American Vaudeville Theatre's 15th Anni…
If I wasn’t already performing today at the FAB! Festival, here’s just where I’d be: the Paley Center is having a 2pm showing of the 1978 television movie Ziegfeld: The Man…
An awesome double header at Jalopy in Brooklyn tonight: The Ukuladies and Sweet Soubrette! THE UKULADIES, a perpetually-touring, twin-sister, aunt, and one tap-dancing-cousin act from…
Please come see me and several talented friends in this swell show tomorrow. It’s FREE! FAB! Festival  Saturday, September 24th E. 4th St between Bowery & 2nd Ave. FREE Outd…
Today is Mickey Rooney’s birthday. Despite the kid glove treatment I gave him in my thumbnail bio at this time last year, I must now confess to being one of the millions of Americans (…
Sometimes when you’re relentlessly researching a particular topic, odd little sub-themes will start to emerge, accumulations of facts that you don’t quite know what to do with. A…
PROGRAM TONIGHT! The Making of a 19th Century Spectacle: Artist Talk at The Coney Island Museum Date: Thursday, September 22 Time: 7:30 PM Admission: $5 Presented by Morbid Anatomy and The C…
Here’s one I definitely plan on seeing! Horizon Theatre Rep is opening its version of Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno tonight at the Flea, in an adaptation by the poet Robert Low…
Oh, my my. Here’s one of those rare occasions when a regional theatre production makes me wish I was there instead of New York. Mink Stole and Everett Quinton are starring in a product…
Bessie McCoy (1888-1931) is best known today (if at all) for her hit 1908 song “Yama Yama Man”. It was Irene Castle’s childhood impersonation of McCoy singing this tune in …
Today is the birthday of John Bunny, who is not only Hollywood’s first overweight comedian (I do him an injustice in order to get your attention) but Hollywood’s first comedy sta…
Charlie Case (ca. 1860-1916) is one of those oft-told vaudeville legends, mostly because he is so well remembered by those fortunate enough to have seen him — and because so little rec…
The only person in my family even remotely “famous” in the last century or so (apart from a great aunt who dated Jerry Van Dyke — true story) is someone you’ve STILL …
The Countess keeps threatening to start a “Blog of Unpopular Opinions”; she has been gleefully making a list of her own — it’s a long and fierce one, and I’ll b…
Today is silent film comedian Ben Turpin’s birthday. See below for a loving montage tribute put together by a die-hard fan, and go here for my own backgrounder. To find out more about …
Lovey Austin (born this day in 1887) was a college-trained blues piano player and band leader who worked in black vaudeville, night clubs, movie theatres and record albums. Her salad days we…
Ben Welch, brother of Joe Welch, had the same kind of “Hebe” act, only with a character less distinctly morose and pessimistic. Born around 1877 in New York’s Lower East Si…
Today is Eddie “Rochester” Anderson’s birthday. In honor thereof, we post this classic scene from the Jack Benny Show. If you can ride out the non-verbal opener, some…
