11,866 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the birthday of Jim “Roger” McGuinn (b. 1942). Originally a folk musician and banjo player in his native Chicago, he started out as a back up singer, guitar player and s…
Professor Wormwood’s Dog and Monkey act was a popular vaudeville act of the early 20th century. The act consisted of 31 Monkeys and 24 dogs that rode bicycles, turned somersaults, jugg…
Joey Faye’s birthday is the perfect occasion on which to make this announcement. Next week, Saturday July 20 at 7pm and 8:30 will be reviving Burlesque-a-pades as part of Horse T…
To be my age is to have grown up loving and admiring Bill Cosby (born this day in 1937). His public persona at least. Who knows what he’s like in real life? Well, nowadays a cranky old…
EXODUS CODE, ADVICE FOR WANDERERS a Jewish Vaudeville by Rob Hartmann, Laura Henry, Andrea Lepcio, Susan Tenneriello Music by Rob Hartmann Lyrics by Andrea Lepcio, Susan Tenneriello From an …
Filed under: Burlesk, Classical, Contemporary Variety, Dance, Music, PLUGS Tagged: baroque, burlesque, Classic Tassels, Cutting Room
Filed under: Burlesk, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: Angie Pontani, Brian Newman, Jade Hotel, Red Room Revue
Originally posted in 2010 This author's first exposure to Milton Berle was in the 1970s, when he was principally one of a seemingly limitless crop of septigenarian, cigar-smoking comedians t…
Originally posted in 2010 Joey Faye (b. Joseph Anthony Palladino on this day in 1909) started in amateur shows and small time vaudeville before enjoying an eight year stretch in the role pos…
Today is the birthday of Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009). I find I like the idea of him more than I like most of his paintings, but there are a handful that I love. I happen to love Christ…
Today is the birthday of Jean Hersholt (1886-1956). A graduate of the Copenhagen Art School, his first acting experience was with the Danish Folk Theatre. After a couple of early movies in G…
I chanced to see a charming and magical show yesterday that’s opening tomorrow in the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The Awakening of Angel Deluna goes the average excellent musica…
Graphic artist Marlene Weisman was a tremendous help to us in photo research for Chain of Fools. We went to a showing of her beautiful collages last night at Powerhouse on 8th in Park …
Originally posted in 2010 and adapted from my liner notes to Nat M. Wills: The Famous Tramp Comedian, available to purchase at Archeophone Records here Nat M. Wills was one of the most…
Today is the birthday of ventriloquist Jay Johnson , best known for his role on the ABC sitcom Soap. I had the honor of meeting him a couple of times in 2006, interviewing him…
Originally posted in 2009. Harry Kellar is still remembered fondly as the Dean of American Magicians, and he is also the first in a long line of Harrys. Born Heinrich Kellar on this day …
Today is the birthday of the conjoined twins Millie and Christine McCoy (1851-1912). Born into slavery in North Carolina, they changed hands several times in their early childhood, finally w…
The genius of Fred Gwynne, like the genius of Shakespeare is best appreciated in relief. If you only him know by his masterpiece, the supremely silly creation Herman Munster you cannot…
As we customarily write about old school pop culture here, and my theoretical next book (a couple of years away) is about westerns, we felt obligated to see the new Lone Ranger reboot, as di…
Today is the birthday of the great visionary inventor Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), the mind behind AC electrical distribution, radio (including remote control), radar, x-rays, and futuristic sc…
Today is the birthday of the awesome Arlo Guthrie (b. 1947). The son of Woody, friend of Bob Dylan, he had a few memorable hits of his own, the most epic of which is the unspeakably awesome …
Today is the birthday of Blind Boy Fuller (Fulton Allen, 1907-1941), pre-eminent exponent of the Piedmont style of country blues. His blindness began in his teenage years and was complete by…
Originally posted in 2009. (Today is the birthday of Noble Sissle). Apparently composing ragtime causes you to live to be a hundred. Like Irving Berlin, Eubie Blake also managed to hi…
 Today is the birthday of screen comedian and actor George “Slim” Summerville (1892-1946). A tall, lanky scarecrow of a character, Summerville was originally from New Me…
Today is the birthday of Adele Rowland (1883-1971). Born and raised in Washington DC, she was already appearing in musical comedies on Broadway by 1904 and was a near-annual fixture on the G…
