11,878 stories by "Trav S.D."
Today is the birthday of the great dancer Charles “Cholly” Atkins (1913-2003). Buffalo native Atkins started out playing floor shows and revues with William “Red” Por…
Magical Nights and Monday Night Magic are back for their Fall Season. Tickets available now at Brown Paper Tickets website - Tickets - Sunday: Magical Nights at Loews Regency …
It’s five for Fally Markus At Only Half the Dough But It’s Two a Day for Keith And Three a Day for Loew – “The Vaudeville Song”, 1938 Fally Markus (ca. 1887-195…
This is the first installment in the second content stream we are producing in connection with our new book Chain of Fools: Silent Comedy and Its Legacies from Nickelodeons to Youtube. &#…
Wit's End and the Dorothy Parker Society invite you to celebrate the end of Summer jazz age style at the Wit's End's Flapper Holiday with live hot jazz from Molly Ryan! Saturday, September 2…
Well, Andy Williams has passed away, and that proto-Nazi Mike Love has kicked Brian Wilson out of The Beach Boys…seems like a fitting time to post this gorgeous version of “God O…
Today is the birthday of Al Capp (1909-1979), genius behind the long-running comic strip Li’l Abner. I wanted to share two Capp-related clips today. The first you may have seen exce…
For more details go here.Â
Today is the birthday of character comedian Arnold Stang (1918-2009). He started out when still a teenager in radio (with that voice, who’d have guessed?) In the 50s he was a regula…
Today is the birthday of Ed Sullivan (for the full story on the great television showman, go here.) Sullivan was among other things a former sports columnist. To prove it, see how he conduct…
More info: Coneyisland.com
I find myself inspired and rejuvenated since the arrival in my mailbox yesterday of the two volumes that comprise The Art of Mollycrabapple. Or, to say it plainer and broader, I am simply in…
The Gaiety Theatre, managed by Izzie Herk during its burlesque heyday. If you squint, you can see that the top line on the marquee reads “Girlie Follies”. Chaplin’s “…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #237: Carl Ballantine (for my full squib on this comedy magician go here). This clip from the PBS Vaudeville doc, features a snippet of an intervi…
Opens today and runs through Sunday at such top NYC venues as BB King’s, the Highline Ballroom, and Brooklyn Bowl. For full information, schedule, tic etc go to http://www.thenewyor…
No, not for President, although the Countess definitely presides over “Travyland”…but vote for her swell new shirt design. If enough folks give her Zombie Mermaid shirt hig…
Today is the birthday of the great George Gershwin (1898-1937). His own career bypassed vaudeville entirely, going from being a teenage song plugger to composing songs for Broadway revues. H…
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #363: Ella Shields (see full article here). Here she is in a Pathe short from 1933Â doing a bit of her male impersonation act. Not sure who the …
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #235: Winsor McCay: for his full article go here. Now here’s his creation “Gertie the Dinosaur” in a film from 1914. The titles …
Today is the birthday of Star of Vaudeville #236, George Raft (for more on him go here). This clip from 1934 of him doing the Bolero with Carole Lombard is just the sort of thing he used to …
This is one in a series of posts on the hundreds of performers I have presented at the American Vaudeville Theatre . I met the excellent Noah Diamond through our mutual friend Mart…
Tons about burlesque impresario Sam T. Jack can be learned from his 1895 biography How He Does It: Sam T. Jack Twenty Years a King in the Realm of Burlesque by one M.J. O’Neill (availa…
As promised, here’s a few seconds of the Circus Amok band on Sunday, summoning the People to the Big Show
A little photo record of yesterday’s performance of Circus Amok’s show Moo yesterday in Tompkins Square Park, the last performance of their summer 2012 citywide tour. It wa…
Congratulations to our pal Jim Moore who won “Best Silent Film” in the Coney Island Film Festival over the weekend for his comedy The Ridiculous Romantic. The award pictured a…
