All stories by Trav S.D. on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Conor McPherson and “The Weir” at the Irish Rep (Opens Tonight) by Trav S.D.

Irish playwright Conor McPherson is always having a moment — he’s been having a moment for the last 30+ years. But 2025, which is only half over, has been extraordinary with FOUR shows h…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AM

Seriously, Jester Hairston by Trav S.D.

Jester Hairston (1901-2000) had two strong careers in two entirely different but overlapping cultural disciplines. Arguably his contributions to music were of greater significance, but we’…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:24AM
Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Happy Cow Appreciation Day by Trav S.D.

The second Tuesday in July is Cow Appreciation Day. Remember to tip your cows! (Just kidding, cow tipping is cruel). As we have done with many another critter, we observe the day with a litt…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:18AM

A Thing on Steve and Eydie by Trav S.D.

Vaudeville makes strange bedfellows, and one of the unlooked for outcomes of the publication of my book No Applause 20 years ago, was encountering all sorts of people who assumed (on the bas…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:06AM
Monday, July 7, 2025

Come See Coney Island Vaudeville on August 1 by Trav S.D.

Now that the Fourth of July holiday (along with the political trauma that preceded it) are out of the way, I am pleased to announce a project designed to ease your worried mind! Friday, Augu…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:02PM

Cecil Lean and His Two Wives by Trav S.D.

Cecil Lean (1878-1935) and his two wives (in succession, of course) were major stars of their day, headliners in vaudeville and musical comedy stars of Broadway and nationwide tours, yet one…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AM
Sunday, July 6, 2025

Family Fourth: The Return of Lizzie West by Trav S.D.

So…I love the ones who stay in the fray. I was delighted a couple of days ago when my old friend Lizzie West dropped a new track with a Fourth of July theme, for I’ve missed her, and she…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:42PM

June Kenney: From Child Star to Scream Queen by Trav S.D.

Sure, we know July 6 is the birthday of Annette Kellerman, Bill Haley, Pat Paulsen, Merv Griffin, Sebastian Cabot, William Schallert, Janet Leigh, Sylvester Stallone, Vince McMahon, Joe Keat…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:24AM
Saturday, July 5, 2025

On the Musical “Barnum” (1980) by Trav S.D.

P.T. Barnum’s birthday is always a big day for me, a kind of semi-holiday riding on the coat-tails of the Glorious Fourth, the day before. To a considerable extent, Barnum invented modern …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AM
Friday, July 4, 2025

What I Saw at the Bicentennial by Trav S.D.

This is taken from a book project I’ve been working on for a number of years. I’ve tailored this section for the present moment and the 50th anniversary of the events described. Be warne…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:06PM

A George M. Cohan Finding Aid by Trav S.D.

On this, the morning after the passage of legislation that may well end the nation founded 249 years ago today, I definitely have some better warranted remarks waiting in the wings. But I am…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:36PM

Two Rare George M. Cohan Newsreels by Trav S.D.

I seldom share media clips on Travalanche any more, both because I got frustrated with the links dying (I don’t have the bandwidth for that kind of maintenance, this is a very large websit…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:32AM
Thursday, July 3, 2025

Jaws Goes to Paris by Trav S.D.

There’s a logic, if a tortured one, for my scheduling this post for today. Jaws turned 50 this year, and of course that movie has a big Fourth of July weekend scene. But I’ve already wri…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 02:48PM

A Look at Leonard Landy by Trav S.D.

July 2 was the birthday of Leonard Landy (1933-2017), one of the later and lesser Little Rascals. Landy appeared in 21 Our Gang shorts between 1938 and 1941, starting at the age of five and …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:32AM

Happy Birthday, Julie Klausner by Trav S.D.

Julie Klausner is most definitely not a part of show business past — she’s out there in the fray thrashing around right now, same as always. But, like us (that’s the Royal “we”), s…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 09:18AM

The George L. Fox Bicentennial by Trav S.D.

Originally posted in 2011.  Born today in 1825, George L. Fox comes way too early to have been in vaudeville as we usually think of it, but he is a crucial figure in American variety histor…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:54AM

Of John Singleton Copley, Who Crossed the Ocean the Wrong Way by Trav S.D.

In the context of my current spate of posts celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, I had an internal debate about whether of no I should include the painter John Singl…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:54AM
Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Something on Saul Rubinek by Trav S.D.

So here’s a real true story. In my kidhood, I was a huge HUGE fan of Star Trek, the version now usually asterisked, of necessity, as The Original Series. It was one of the many things my b…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:48PM

The Unsolved Murder of Barbara Colby: A 50 Year Old Cold Case by Trav S.D.

Surely you know that face! Barbara Colby (1939-1975) was a ubiquitous character actress in the early to mid 1970s. I am just the right age to have seen almost all of her work, and to recall …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 10:36AM

The Marvin Rainwater Centennial by Trav S.D.

Country and rockabilly singer/songwriter Marvin Rainwater (1925-2013) was born 100 years ago today. I first learned about Rainwater when I looked into that Paul Revere and the Raiders song �…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:24AM
Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Pamela Anderson and “The Last Showgirl” by Trav S.D.

Pamela Anderson (b. 1967) is younger than me so you can see why I’ve been in no rush to include a post about her in my blog on tradition show biz. But her recent film The Last Showgirl (20…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:48PM

40 Years Ago: The Debut of Nick at Nite by Trav S.D.

July 1, 1985 saw the debut of the Nickelodeon network’s programming initiative Nick at Night. The revolutionary concept of this nightly block in Nickelodeon’s schedule was “television …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:32AM

On Blondie (Deborah Harry Turns 80) by Trav S.D.

Deborah Harry (Angela Trimble, b. 1945) turns 80 years old today — yet another sign post on the road ahead en route to The Twilight Zone. I’m one of the millions who worship her. I have …

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:32AM

“The Unbelievable” with Dan Aykroyd by Trav S.D.

Be careful what you wish for — you just may get it! In my 2013 post on Dan Aykroyd I had suggested just this kind of show for the comedian, whose interest in bizarrerie has been well known…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:18AM
Monday, June 30, 2025

All About Albert/ Alberta by Trav S.D.

For the last day of Pride Month — a few fragments on Harry Caro (1899-1963), who billed himself in show business as the He/She (hermaphrodite) Albert/Alberta. Scant info is available on th…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 03:06PM

John Gay: Beyond The Beggar’s Opera by Trav S.D.

Well, there you have it: Pride Month concludes with the birthday of John Gay (1685-1732). Today, Gay is known for but one of his many works for the stage and the page, The Beggar’s Opera (…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:32AM
Sunday, June 29, 2025

Mariska Hargitay’s New Jayne Mansfield Doc by Trav S.D.

It just so happens that June 29 is the anniversary of Jayne Mansfield’s fatal 1967 car crash. My 2013 article on Mansfield is one of my top posts, the fifth highest in popularity out of 9,…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 12:06PM

For Pride Day: Contemplate “Enigma” by Trav S.D.

Today is Pride Day in NYC — I was going to march in the parade this afternoon with the Lambs, but a hot tooth is keeping me anchored to the domicile. In lieu, I offer this plug for Zachary…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 08:54AM

What To Do This Fourth of July by Trav S.D.

You surely have your own ways of observing the Fourth of July but we wanted to make you aware of some other activities happening in the NYC area beyond the usual parades, cook-outs, firework…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 07:42AM
Saturday, June 28, 2025

Of St. Vitus and the Dancing Mania by Trav S.D.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a new post on a Saint-based or seasonal Feast Day within the Pagan-Christian cultural continuum. (Previous examples: St. John, St. George, St. Bartholo…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 11:02AM

On the Other George Miller by Trav S.D.

Several great comedians were born on June 28: Mel Brooks, Gilda Radner, John Byner. But we’ve already written about them so today we treat of someone frankly less hilarious: stand-up comed…

SOURCE: Trav S.D. at 06:42AM