11,878 stories by "Trav S.D."
If done properly the Scottish Play already is a gorefest. The Crook Theatre Company promises to dial that aspect up a notch in this “horror-inspired” production…and to do s…
Today is the birthday of Margaret Wycherly (1881-1956). Born in London, she began her stage career in 1898. She made her vaudeveville debut in 1906 in a Protean act called “In Self …
I’d like to go out on a limb and say that life without Minnie Pearl is not worth living, but I’m 16 years too late. But you know what I mean. I miss the world of human beings, wh…
Today is the birthday of Stars of Vaudeville #67: The Dolly Sisters (for full article go here). Here is a clip from the preposterous, ahistorical film George Jessell made about their live…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #251: Billy Barty (for a complete squib on him go here). Â In honor of the day (and in honor of the Halloween season) we present a clip f…
I only alert you to this now because it starts at dawn tomorrow. In honor of Jackie Coogan’s birthday (tomorrow) TCM is showing a bunch of his earliest pictures. The line up is: 6:00am…
Menotti’s THE MEDIUM starring Jeffery Roberson aka Varla Jean Merman October 25 – November 11 The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater 10 West 64th Street New York, NY Presented by P…
If you look through the circus sub-category on this blog you will find much kveching over the years about the art of modern circus, and some praise for Coles Bros.’ and Ringling Bros.&…
And…just like that, after months and months of waiting The Slipper Room is open again. Â Very sly, very sly. It’s a couple of levels high now, to accommodate sight lines and ae…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #379 Gilda Gray, whom I was first alerted to by the Countess. For my full article go here. Now here she is in later years talking about her cha…
There are plenty of things about Yael Kohen’s new book We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy that seem almost calculated to bug me. One is the prejudice against old school va…
Adapted from a talk I gave at Clay McLeod Chapman’s “Fear Mongers” in March 2012, in which the participants are asked to talk about the one horror movie or show that…
The Countess and I popped around the corner over the weekend to catch The Art of the Coney Island Hysterical Society exhibition at 440 Gallery. Brooklyn natives Richard Eagan and…
Today is the birthday of the great Johnny Carson (for my full article on him go here). I found this cool artifact this morning…an early Tonight Show in which Johnny gets serious,…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #66, the Divine Sarah, Sarah Bernhardt (for full my bio go here). I’m guessing many of our readers have seen at least short clips of s…
This is being released today by Shout Factory, featuring the hard work of friend Ben Model! You should buy it! here’s my review of Volume 1:Â http://www.downtownexpress.com/ernie-kov…
Today is the birthday of Gertrude Ederle (1905-2203). A New Jersey native, she became a champion swimmer at her local YWCA, and went on to win a gold medal at the 1924 Olympics. She be…
I was flattered to be asked to write the intro to this unique new book by L.A.-based playwright/ ventriloquist/ scholar Rich Mitchell. It’s really a unique tome – - sorts of hits…
This is one in a series of posts we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, available from Bear Ma…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #375, Mitzi Green (for a full squib on her go here). Now, here she is with Lillian Roth et al singing “Sing, You Sinners” from the 193…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #376, the great African American songwriter James A. Bland. In honor of the day, here’s Ray Charles performing one of Bland’s best kno…
Tonight through October 31 at the Tank! What the organizers say about the Festival: “Part of our motivation behind starting a festival openly searching for bad theater is to make a ven…
This is one in a series of posts we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube, available from Bear Manor Media…
Best known today as the founder of Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts, Ted Shawn (1891-1972) toured vaudeville extensively from 1915-1929 with Denishawn, the company he founded and ran wi…
