Variety Arts Enterprises

What was vaudeville?
And why study
its history?

Today, about 90 years since the slow fade of vaudeville, for most people the term conjures up nothing but vague notions of mediocre baggy-pants comedians, or worse, a misidentification with the "girly shows" of burlesque or the demeaning racism of a minstrel show. Some even try to find "Vaudeville" by using their GPS locator.

So if the idea of vaudeville is so distorted, if the old acts are so out of fashion, and if the people of vaudeville are all-but-forgotten --- then why dredge up vaudeville as a topic of study?

The answer? Once your presenter sweeps away misconceptions and defines the vaudeville "industry" in the context of its time, it becomes evident that the topic serves as an illuminating prism through which all the issues facing American society in the late 19th- and early 20th century come into view. Let's begin sweeping away misconceptions now!

What was vaudeville, anyway? Our understanding of history is riddled with myths and misconceptions, and the study of early 20th-century popular culture is no different. The astute TV buff will note that many early 1950s stars like Milton Berle and Bob Hope "started out in vaudeville" --- as if it were something to escape from. Although Berle and Hope did become TV icons, they do not fully define the vaudeville genre. It was so much more than the stereotypical comic desperate for a laugh.

When taking a fresh look back, vaudeville was a simple concept: a respectable general audience variety show consisting of a dozen "acts" unconnected by plot. Yet it grew into a dominant form of leisure, a giant coast-to-coast industry that flourished for 50 years. Today it is difficult for us to fathom just how enormous the institution of vaudeville was on the cultural landscape of the early 20th century. At its peak there were over 2000 vaudeville theatres in the U.S., plus 2000 miscellaneous venues, with 50,000 performers --- plus thousands working in support businesses. Some larger cities had a dozen well-appointed theatres, while rural folk got their vaudeville at the Grange hall, chautauqua meeting, or showboat.

The story of vaudeville is the story of America at the time, a story that weaves in the topics of race, gender, class, immigration, big business, technology, transportation, communication, population shift, and urbanization. On a more intimate scale, human stories range from those of performing artists of singular genius, to stories of the most callous and tyrannical magnates. And there are more than a few surprise endings. It may not be immediately apparent, but the long-lasting impact of vaudeville is still with us today in popular culture, music, and entertainment.

Therefore the study of vaudeville is neither a descent into nostalgia, nor a wistful love-fest for dusty legends, but rather an enriching exploration of connections we often overlook or take for granted. The study of vaudeville --- and the program, "A Vaudeville Retrospective" --- can serve as a textbook example of the intertwined relationship of the arts, sciences, and commerce throughout the grand parade of human history.

--- R.W. Bacon

Presentations & Exhibition

Programs on American Vaudeville 1880-1930

Variety Arts Enterprises presents programs relating to the performing art, big business, and cultural phenomenon of American vaudeville from 1880 to 1930. This introductory page --- and the more in-depth pages listed in the menu at left --- aim to inform potential host venue curators about the programs, their structure & content, and the fascinating subject of vaudeville in general.

Created by a veteran variety performer and museum professional whose mentors included troupers from the last generation of vaudevillians, the programs are designed specifically for museums, historical societies, libraries, and college theatre departments. The presentations are a combination of illustrated lecture, performance, and exhibition. Program content includes (in addition to the context-rich lecture ...) digitally-projected graphics, video clips, audio samples, and of course, live performance segments by presenter R.W. Bacon in his role as "The Last Living Vaudevillian."

A presentation for your museum. Program content complements virtually any late 19th- or early 20th-century topic, and programs can be customized to dovetail with relevant programs or exhibitions. Through the present decade at least, presentations in conjunction with "centennial" exhibitions will be most relevant. "A Vaudeville Retrospective" is ideal as a member event, staff event, fund-raiser, educational session --- or simply as a literate, informative, and fun public program.

Primary Program:

"A Vaudeville Retrospective" (1-hour Program)
This feature "one-hour-plus" program includes the lively context-rich illustrated lecture, and the interspersed live performance segments of hot jazz, dazzling juggling, and comical surprises. The link above leads to details on the "Vaudeville Retrospective" page.

Related Programs:

Vaudeville and the New England Trolley Park Era
(one hour; link opens self-contained PDF file)
In the late 19th and early 20th century, electric trolley companies across the U.S. constructed end-of-the-line picnic parks to encourage Sunday ridership. In an era of urban population growth and increased leisure for workers, these parks grew into popular amusement attractions, some of which survive today. Outdoor vaudeville theatres became an important component of these parks, and they hired thousands of performers who were "at liberty" from indoor work during the summer months. This program tells the story of the rise and fall of the trolley parks, and the fate of many of the parks in the ensuing decades. (Program content is based on research for an article that appeared in the NEPA Exchange, the magazine of the New England Park Association. Read the article here.)

Coast Defenders: Vaudeville & Vaudevillians in New England
(one hour; link opens self-contained PDF file)
Advances in communication and transportation facilitated the development of vast networks of vaudeville theatres across the continent. Yet there were performers, either because of their third-tier talent, family commitments, or personal preference, that did not achieve the prestige --- or seek the grind --- of a 40-week national tour. In New England, these performers were known as "Coast Defenders" --- they worked up, down, and through New England from Bridgeport to Bangor, working only regional circuits of smaller theatres. This program tells the story of small-time vaudeville in New England, as well as the story of those New Englanders who made the jump to the big-time.

Tracking Your Vaudeville & Circus Ancestors
(one hour; link opens self-contained PDF file)
Even the most experienced genealogy researcher can get stymied when facing the challenge of tracking an ancestor who followed the itinerant lifestyle of the vaudeville or circus performer. In this program, the presenter relates his own experience researching vaudeville ancestors, and provides suggestions and resources that just might lead to a long-awaited breakthrough. There are no guarantees, of course, but with the growing number of newspapers being digitized and indexed, there is more hope than ever before for those hunting down vaudevillians in the family.

"A Vaudeville Retrospective" ------ A context-rich presentation

Program Brochure ...
& A Curator's Primer on American Vaudeville

"A Vaudeville Retrospective" Brochure
(Link to a printable PDF file of an informative brochure about
"A Vaudeville Retrospective.")

A Curator's Primer on American Vaudeville 1880-1930
(Link to a printable PDF file of a brief introduction to vaudeville and a helpful guide to booking and hosting the illustrated lecture presentation, "A Vaudeville Retrospective.")

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What was vaudeville?And why studyits history?