Discover published sets by community

Magicians were staple performers in vaudeville, with legends like Harry Houdini bringing magic to mainstream American entertainment. These acts contributed to the variety and mystical allure of vaudeville shows.

Tony Pastor is often referred to as the 'father of vaudeville.' In 1881 he opened his own theater, ushering in a family-friendly era for variety theater that stood in contrast to the bawdier burlesque style. His efforts helped make vaudeville a respectable form of entertainment for all ages.

The vaudeville circuit was a network of theaters that extended across North America, allowing performers to tour with their acts. This system of bookings enabled entertainers to gain national fame and was instrumental in the spread of vaudeville's popularity.

Vaudeville had a profound influence on the early film industry, with many vaudevillians, such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, transitioning to become film stars. Vaudeville's emphasis on visual and performance comedy shaped the comedic style apparent in early silent films.

Blackface minstrelsy was a popular performance style in vaudeville that involved white performers darkening their skin and enacting racial stereotypes on stage. It is now widely regarded as racist and offensive, but historically, it played a significant and problematic role in American entertainment culture.

The Orpheum Circuit was a chain of vaudeville and theater venues that played a key role in the vaudeville era. It eventually merged with the Keith-Albee theater chain to form the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation, one of the leading entertainment organizations of the early 20th century.

The Palace Theatre in New York City was the most prestigious venue for vaudevillians starting from 1913. Performing at the Palace was considered the pinnacle of success in the vaudeville world. It remained a vital venue for vaudeville acts until the early 1930s.

Sophie Tucker, known as the 'Last of the Red Hot Mamas,' was a celebrated vaudeville performer renowned for her bold and brassy performance style. She paved the way for female entertainers to express themselves more freely on stage.

The decline of vaudeville began in the 1920s due to the rise of motion pictures, radio broadcasting, and the Great Depression. These new forms of entertainment provided cheaper and more accessible options for audiences, leading to a decline in vaudeville's popularity and eventually its demise.

Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. It was known for its diverse array of performances, including comedy, music, and dance. Its historical significance lies in its popularization of various cultural acts and its role in the evolution of modern entertainment.

The Marx Brothers were a family comedy act that rose to fame on the vaudeville stage before becoming film stars. Their fast-paced wit and slapstick humor made a lasting impact on both vaudeville and comedy film genres.

B.F. Keith and E.F. Albee were influential vaudeville impresarios who established a chain of vaudeville theaters and enforced strict standards of conduct for performances, contributing to the genre's widespread appeal and respectability. They later formed the basis of the Keith-Albee-Orpheum corporation, which played a significant role in the development of the theater business.

Dance acts in vaudeville encompassed a wide variety of styles, from tap to ballet, contributing to the accessibility and popularity of dance as a performance art in America.

The Vitaphone was a sound film system that recorded vaudeville acts and presented them on screen with synchronized sound, leading to the preservation of many performances and an important transitional phase in the migration from live vaudeville to film.

Comedians were central to vaudeville's success, with such icons as W.C. Fields and Bob Hope using the platform to hone their craft. Their humor and character types became staples of American comedy.

The 'Great White Way' refers to Broadway in New York City and was originally coined based on the bright lights of theater marquees, including vaudeville theaters, which lined the street, signaling the cultural impact of live entertainment.

Animal acts were a distinctive and popular element of vaudeville shows. They featured a range of performing animals, from trained dogs to elephants, and attracted audiences of all ages due to their novel and entertaining nature.

Vaudeville often included acts that portrayed ethnic stereotypes, reflecting the problematic racial and cultural attitudes of the time. These performances have since been critiqued for perpetuating negative stereotypes.

The Chitlin' Circuit was a network of theaters that catered to African American performers and audiences during the vaudeville era and beyond, when racial segregation prevented Black entertainers from appearing in many mainstream venues.