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Vaudeville is a style of theater, also known as variety, which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. Its popularity rose in step with the rise of industry and the growth of North American cities during this period, and declined with the introduction of sound films and radio. The origin of the term is obscure, but the term is often considered a corruption of the expression "voix de ville", or "voice of the city". Another plausible etymology is that it is a corruption of the French Vau de Vire, a valley in Normandy noted for style of songs with topical themes.The first beginnings of a vaudeville type theater was opened by impresario Tony PastorFor Tony Pastor the saxophonist and bandleader see Tony Pastor (bandleader). Antonio Pastor born May 28, 1837 in Brooklyn, New York, United States died August 26, 1908 in Elmhurst, New York was an entertainer and the person who invented vaudeville. Tony P in ManhattanFor other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation . Manhattan is the name of an island alongside the lower Hudson River and also of one of the five boroughs that form the City of New York. The borough is coterminous with New York County and includes the Islan in 18651865 is a common year starting on Sunday. Events January 31 American Civil War: Confederate General Robert E. Lee becomes general-in-chief. February 17 American Civil War: Columbia, South Carolina burns as Confederate forces flee from advancing Union forc. Vaudeville theaters featured performers of various types: musicMusic often an art/ entertainment, is a total social fact whose definitions vary according to era and culture," according to Jean Molino. 1 It is often contrasted with noise. According to musicologist Jean-Jacques Nattiez: "The border between music and no, comedyComedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. It also means a performance that relies heavily on humor. The term originally comes from theater, where it simply referred to a play with a happy ending, in contrast to a tragedy. The humor, once an incid, magicMagician redirects here. For the book by Raymond E. Feist, see Magician (novel . playing cards. Magic or conjuring is the art of entertaining an audience by performing illusions that baffle and amaze, often by giving the impression that something impossib, animalSubkingdom Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subkingdom " Agnotozoa" Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subkingdom Metazoa "Radiata" Cnidaria Ctenophora (comb jellies) Bilateria Protostomia Acoelomorpha Platyhelminthes (flatworms) Nemertina (ribbon worms) Gastrotri acts, novelty, acrobatics and gymnastics, and celebrity lecture tours. Many early film and radio performers, such as W. C. Fields, Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers, Edgar Bergen and The Three Stooges, started in vaudeville.
There was no sharp end to vaudeville. The advent of radio and the cinema in the late 1920s started the decline, furthered in the early 1930s by the Great Depression. The closing of the prestigious Palace Theater in New York City in 1932 is regarded as an important marker in vaudeville's fading. The difficulties in civilian transportation during World War II and the subsequent rise of television helped end what was left of the old vaudeville circuits.
From newspaper promotional for vaudeville character actor Charles E. Grapewin
The television variety show format owed much to vaudeville, and many vaudeville performers made the transition to television. An equivalent form of theater in the United Kingdom at the same time was referred to as " Music Hall", and in the UK the term "vaudeville" was used to refer to what in the US would have been called " burlesque", e.g., a more low-brow form with emphasis on stripping and erotic dance.
Vaudeville in the US also marked the introduction of big business into the world of popular entertainment. Several circuits of theaters were built by Keith & Albee, Sullivan & Consodine, Alexander Pantages, Marcus Loew, and others.
These businessmen hired full-time travelling performers, set strict rules about the kinds of shows allowed in their theaters, and competed fiercely among themselves for the best acts. Keith & Albee in particular tried to maintain high standards for their shows, and did not allow anything bawdy or even suggestive on their stages. Even "legitimate" theater actors like Sarah Bernhardt sometimes supplemented their income with appearances in these shows.
Vaudeville has all but disappeared from the stage, with the exception of small (but popular) throwback acts like Triple Espresso.
