11,870 stories by "Trav S.D."
Originally posted in 2009. This piece has special meaning for me — it’s actually the first vaudeville biography I ever wrote. I generated it as part of the book proposal for No A…
Well, the horse is already out of the barn, as they say (or do they?), since there’s only one performance left and that is unlikely not to be sold out — but I just wanted to than…
Today is the birthday of Frank “Fatty” Alexander (1879-1937). Originally from Washington State, Alexander had worked as a cowboy and a stagecoach driver until his enormous size a…
Filed under: Burlesk, Coney Island, Contemporary Variety, PLUGS Tagged: Angie Pontani, Burlesque-a-Pades, Coney Island
On March 24 of this year the Palace Theatre turned one hundred years old. In celebration of the event, me and my American Vaudeville Theatre are presenting a Special One-Time …
May 25 in Queens, New York  2:00 pm MEMORIAL CONCERT AT JOPLIN’S FINAL RESTING PLACE Featuring the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra St. Michael’s Cemetery, Queens, New York …
Rule, Britannia! Britannia, Rule the Waves! That’s not how I feel necessarily…it’s just the music that goes with this picture. Today is Queen Victoria’s Birthday (181…
Adapted from a 2011 post. Today is Bob Dylan’s 72nd birthday — a fitting time to celebrate his biggest triumph as a live showman, his 1975-76 medicine show inspired t…
Today is Tommy Chong’s birthday, yo. Don’t tell me how you plan to celebrate, I don’t want to know. At least, not in writing. This may surprise you (or maybe it won’t…
Usually, the zoological nickname of a sideshow anomaly bears some relation to the performers’ physical appearance. The Alligator Girl has scales; the Leopard Woman has spots; the Pengu…
Today is the birthday of Franz Mesmer (1734-1815). He’s someone I’ve been planning to write a play about for over a decade. One of the great charlatans of all time (the best kind…
Today is the birthday of beloved character actor Benjamin “Scatman” Crothers (1910-1986). Scatman’s cheerful, bald-headed visage seems just as indispensable as his husky, m…
Originally posted in 2010. The man whose name became synonymous with "swashbuckler" began his adult life in tame enough a fashion. After a brief stint at Harvard and a desultory early st…
Today is the birthday of Jose Collins (Charlotte Josephine Collins, 1887-1958). The daughter of Lottie Collins, she was second generation English music hall royalty, which enabled her to mak…
Today is the birthday of Henri Brustad (1844-1899). Born on the Island of Ytteroy, Norway, he was to grow to a height of seven and a half feet tall and travel with shows in his homeland befo…
Starting at 8pm tonight and going all the way into tomorrow at 6am, TCM will be showing Harold Lloyd films, including four features and 16 shorts. The menu will range from the well-known (su…
Originally posted in 2009. Today is the birthday of Harry Ritz. Back in the 20s and 30s when someone used the word "madcap" to describe certain comedians it actually made some sense. thi…
Originally posted in 2009. One of the great actresses of the early twentieth century, Nazimova was also one of vaudeville's great sensationalists. She was born Mariam Edez Adelaida "Alla…
Between 2000 and 2010 I wrote 30 different pieces for the Village Voice, a few of which I’m quite proud of. More than that — I was beyond proud to be associated with that legenda…
The Hall of Hams is my series on some of my favorite actors who have brought the art of melodramatic acting into the modern era. Today is the birthday of Laurence Olivier (1907-1989). Often …
Herb Williams’ (Herbert Schussler Billerbeck, 1884-1936) whole act revolved around a trick piano that fell apart like Harry Langdon’s automobile, but also was the source of many …
Today is the birthday of Dennis Day (Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, 1916-1988). Day came along too late for vaudeville; we celebrate him here today for his long, close professional association…
Originally posted in 2010. Best known as an incomparable jazz piano and organ player, a hilarious showman, and songwriter of such hits as “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, …
Today is the birthday of Richard Bennett (1870-1944). I quoted him in No Applause without really explaining who he was: a major New York stage star (and later film star) who sometimes deigne…
Today is the birthday of the original “human skeleton”, Isaac W. Sprague (1841-1887). His weight loss began at age twelve, although he wasn’t to join a sideshow until age 2…
