All stories by Trav S. D. on BroadwayStars

Friday, August 10, 2018

BWW Exclusive: New York's Palace Theatre- The Valhalla of Vaudeville by Trav S. D.

Built in 1913 as the flagship for the big time vaudeville circuit run by E.F. Albee and Martin Beck, manager of the Western Vaudeville Managers Association, the Palace was the perfect showpl…

SOURCE: BroadwayWorld at 01:06PM
Thursday, November 10, 2011

A Baboon Playing the Violin! by Trav S. D.

And also a dog skipping rope, and a guy getting kicked by a mule! It’s from the collection of the Library of Congress. To find out more about  the history of vaudeville, consult No A…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:21PM

Stars of Vaudeville #386: Bernardo de Pace by Trav S. D.

Billed as “The Wizard of the Mandolin”, Italian-born Bernardo de Pace (1886-1966) divided his time equally among vaudeville, radio and the Metropolitan Opera. He won an internati…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:14AM
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

New York Comedy Festival by Trav S. D.

Rare are the times you will fine me gushing about mainstream contemporary pop culture on this blog, but – Is it just me or does the New York Comedy Festival look like it’s shapin…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:40AM

Marie Dressler and Polly Moran by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of the magnificent Marie Dressler, often paired on screen with the equally comical Polly Moran. (See a full profile of the former here and the latter here). Here they a…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:21AM

Stars of Vaudeville #385: Pauline by Trav S. D.

As you can see in the photo above, in this case the name Pauline refers  not to a lady, as in The Perils of Pauline, but to a fellah. Big time vaudeville’s premiere performing hypnoti…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:55AM

Ed Wynn and the Three Stooges! by Trav S. D.

It’s Ed Wynn’s birthday today (go here for full bio) and what an awesome find! This terrific clip is from Wynn’s short lived 1949 tv show, and his guests are The Three Stoo…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:27AM

Snub Pollard by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of Hal Roach funny man Snub Pollard, who started out in silents but whose career extended well into the talking picture era. (See full bio here). In honor of the day we…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:18AM
Tuesday, November 8, 2011

How I Was Born a Yankee: An Autobiographical Excerpt by Trav S. D.

A bit of self indulgence on my birthday. An excerpt from some autobiographical writing I periodically return to. I don’t know that it’ll wind up being an “autobiographyR…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:35AM

Sadakichi Hartmann by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of the truly remarkable Sadakichi Hartmann (see more on him here). In honor of the day we post this very rare scrap of him either doing a bizarre interpretive dance, or…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:48AM

Ventriloqusim in the Air by Trav S. D.

Never mind the zombie apocalypse; what you really need to be concerned about is Ventageddon, the looming ventriloquist dummy diaster. I’ve written about recent manifestations of the co…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:01AM
Monday, November 7, 2011

Hell on Wheels by Trav S. D.

I startled myself when I did a little stock-taking this morning and realized that I had seen (and written about) close to 500 westerns since 2007. The undertaking began as research for a scr…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:02AM

Yvonne de Carlo as Lotta Crabtree by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of Lotta Crabtree (see here for her full bio). She retired from the stage in 1891 so there is no footage of her performing. Instead, we resort to attaching a portrayal…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:27AM
Sunday, November 6, 2011

Olsen and Johnson by Trav S. D.

Today is Ole Olson’s birthday (for more on him and his partner Chic Johnson, go here). The team is most famous for their long-running review Hellzapoppin. Here’s the first four I…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:45AM

John Philip Sousa by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of composer/ bandleader John Philip Sousa (for full bio and his connection to vaudeville go here).  In honor of the day, we attach this clip. The song is led off by a …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:39AM

Two Poli Houses by Trav S. D.

I’m sorely tempted to go to Bridgeport this afternoon for this talk on two key theatres built by vaudeville entrepreneur Sylvester Poli: Bridgeport’s Theatre Legacy: Lecture &…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:29AM
Saturday, November 5, 2011

Little Rascals by Trav S. D.

Today and tomorrow (and apparently every weekend) the brand new Canal Park Playhouse (508 Canal Street) will be screening Little Rascals shorts at 4pm. Today the three pictures are: Waldo…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:52AM

Gotham Burlesque Tonight by Trav S. D.

Click to enlarge

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM
Friday, November 4, 2011

George Harrison: Living in the Material World by Trav S. D.

The news that Olivia Harrison (George’s widow) will be reading from her new book George Harrison: Living in the Material World tonight (7pm) at the 82nd & Broadway Barnes and Noble…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:12AM

Will Rogers, The Roping Fool by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of the greatest American ever (or damn close), Will Rogers. See my full bio on him here. A lot of people know of him as a performer or a monologist, a columnist, as a r…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:57AM
Thursday, November 3, 2011

Ed Wood’s Sleaze Paperbacks by Trav S. D.

The Countess and I are always ones to embrace High Culture wherever it resides, and that’s why last night we stopped by the Bo0-Hooray Gallery to see the exhibition Ed Wood’s Sle…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:16AM

Noah Diamond’s New York by Trav S. D.

Well, if Dorothy Parker gets a New York, so too should everybody else! Here’s one man’s version — and it happens to be an expert one. For many years, downtown performer/pla…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:57AM

Stars of Vaudeville #384: Ford Sterling by Trav S. D.

Ford Sterling (born this day in 1880) is best known today as the Chief of the Keystone Cops. A Wisconsin native, he ran away from home when still a boy to join John Robinson’s circus, …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:33AM

Dorothy Parker’s New York by Trav S. D.

Tonight at 6:30pm at the Mid-Manhattan Library (4oth Street & Fifth Ave), Kevin Fitzpatrick of the Dorothy Parker Society is giving this free talk based on his book A Journey into Doroth…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:00AM
Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Stars of Vaudeville #383: Chevalier Cliquot by Trav S. D.

Cliquot was one of America’s premier sword swallowers, popular on vaudeville and variety stages during the last quarter of the 19th century. So little is known about him that even the …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:35AM
Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Stars of Vaudeville #382: Sippie Wallace by Trav S. D.

Sippie Wallace (born Beulah Thomas this day in 1898) was one of the premier “classic blues” singers, who started out in black vaudeville and tent shows in her native Texas and in…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:05AM

Stars of Vaudeville #381: James Barton by Trav S. D.

James Barton (born this day in 1890), was, like George M. Cohan, a song and dance man, and the son of vaudevillians, who rounded out his career as a well-respected old thespian. He was Jeete…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM

Fake Jan from the Brady Bunch, Live In Concert by Trav S. D.

I think you’ll have to agree with me that publicist Ron Lasko has the best client roster in town: Joan Rivers, Nellie Olsen from “Little House on the Prairie” and now Geri …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:30AM

Slapsie Maxie by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, previously profiled here. In honor of the day, we attached the Columbia Comedy Short below, co-starring Max Baer, also previously profiled …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:15AM
Monday, October 31, 2011

Ethel Waters by Trav S. D.

Today is the birthday of Ethel Waters (full bio here) Here she is singing “Am I Blue” from the 1929 film On With the Show: To find out more about  the history of vaudeville, co…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:24AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards