11,832 stories by "Trav S.D."
Filed under: BROOKLYN, Coney Island, Dime Museum and Side Show, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: BROOKLYN, Coney Island USA, Coral Jubilee, Mermaid Parade, Spring Gala
February 25 is International Commedia dell’Arte Day! Commedia is the root of everything, and I’m thinking it’s no accident the planners hold this annual event so close to C…
I saw this bar graph on social media this morning and found it very telling. It explains a lot. Â The chart shows Democrats and Republicans differing wildly in their perceptions of whether…
In recent days we’ve been seeing footage of Town Hall meetings across the country as congresspeople meet with their constituents to hear what they have to say about our first month of …
In November, 2016 America elected a reality television star and periodically bankrupt heir to a real estate fortune to the most powerful office in the world, purportedly on the strength of h…
No one is happier than this commentator to see actor/director Charles Lane re-emerging from wherever he’s been for the past 20 years. Lane’s day in the sun was 1989-1993, when he…
There’s only one way to spend Presidents Day in the age of Drumpf — that’s by rejecting the present office holder utterly and vociferously, and refusing to include him in a…
Filed under: African American Interest, British Music Hall, BROOKLYN, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS, SOCIAL EVENTS Tagged: benefit, Black History Through Our Eyes, Black Lives Matter, BROOKLYN…
Today was the “Day of Remembrance”, the 75th anniversary of the day FDR signed an executive order that resulted in the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. IR…
Filed under: American Folk/ Country/ Western, Music, PLUGS Tagged: ACLU, Guitar Bar Jr, Hoboken, Songs of Liberty and Justice
Today is the birthday of tv character actor and voice-over artist Allan Melvin (1923-2008). Don’t shout out just yet where you know him from — the odds are quite good that you kn…
Today is the birthday of stage and screen Renaissance man Hugo Haas (1901-1968). Haas is an intriguing cinematic figure whom I am only just now discovering for myself, and the process …
Theoretically today was a day of a general strike, which normally means a day when no one works or buys anything or conducts any business, but looking around the busy city I got the feeling …
Today is the birthday of the brilliant British comic actress Dame Patricia Routledge (b. 1929). What a testament to the importance of luck in the creation of performance magic is Routledg…
Filed under: BROOKLYN, Contemporary Variety Tagged: BROOKLYN, Freddy's Bar, Granny's Bluemers
Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: Bunny Buxom, burlesque, Slipper Room, Up the Rabbit Hole
Filed under: Art Stars, Indie Theatre, PLUGS Tagged: Austin Pendleton, David Mamet, Not My President, Penny Arcade, Tammy Faye Starlite, The Anarchist, theatre, WOW Cafe
Today is the birthday of Jose Escobar “Pepito” Perez (1896-1975). Originally from Barcelona, Pepito got his start as a clown in Spain in 1914. He came to the U.S. in 1922 and per…
So much circus and variety news lately, this may have to become a regular feature! As we reported in our earlier bulletin, but may have gotten lost in the list of items, the theme of this…
“There’s someone for everybody” goes the old matchmaker’s expression, and perhaps no words rang truer on February 9, 1863, the day that professional little person Tom…
Today is the birthday of actor Stuart Erwin (1903-1967). Originally from Squaw Valley, California, Erwin had a little stage experience before being cast in a small role in his feature featur…
Today is the birthday of Florence Roberts (1871-1927). This is yet another Florence Roberts, quite a different one from the professional old lady we wrote about here. This Florence Rob…
Today is the birthday of Aida Overton Walker (1880-1914). singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, comedienne and “Queen of the Cakewalk”. Born Ada Overton (she later embellished th…
Today is the birthday of actress Helen Dauvray (1859-1923). A prominent stage actress of her day (and one of the few female actor-managers), today she is best remembered for her private life…
This new series of posts came out of the realization that I have relatives and roots in all 50 U.S. states. My ancestors lived in 14 of them (all on the eastern seaboard or adjacent), and I …
