Vaudeville

•mind readers

•instrumentalists

•escape artists - Houdini and his many imitators

•flash acts - any "showy" act boasting its own lavish set, a large chorus, special effects, etc.

•high divers

•quick-change artists

•strong men

•living statuary

•contortionists

•balancing acts

•freak acts - anyone acting crazy or silly - eccentric dancers, etc.

•regurgitators - these individuals drank liquids and then brought them back up to fill fish tanks, etc. Hadji Ali would swallow water & kerosene, then spew kerosene onto open flames, followed by the water to put the flames out. Not pretty, but audiences were fascinated.

Information gathered from: http://www.musicals101.com/vaude2.htm

Vaudeville Bill

1.  The "Opening" was a "silent act" that would not be ruined by the bustle of an audience settling in. Acrobats or animal acts were ideal. For any other kind of act, getting booked in this spot was the ultimate insult.

   2. Usually a "singing sister" or "dancing brother" act – in which the performers were not necessarily relatives. The youngest of the singing Gumm Sisters went on to fame after changing her name to Judy Garland, and the tap dancing Nicholas Brothers played this spot before becoming headliners

   3. A comedy sketch or one-act play. These could be old melodramas with unknown casts or new works featuring top Broadway stars. Sarah Bernhart, Ethel Barrymore, Walter Hampden, Nazimova and Helen Hayes toured in vaudeville. Alfred Lunt got his first big break touring with the infamous actress Lillie Langtry in a vaude one-act. Some of the finest professional writers provided sketches and one-act plays for vaudeville use, including J.M. Barrie, Arthur Conan Doyle, David Belasco, Jack London, George M. Cohan and W.S. Gilbert.

   4. A novelty act or eccentric dance act was thrown into the fourth spot to liven things up.

   5. This spot was reserved for rising stars or falling ones, to close out the first half of the program with a solid crowd pleaser.

   6. After intermission came a "big" act involving a large set – choirs, novelty orchestras and top animal acts were typical choices for this slot.

   7. "Next to closing" was the star spot reserved for the headliner – usually a vocalist or comedian. Jack Benny, Sophie Tucker, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Marie Dressler, Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor were among the few headliners whose fame outlived vaudeville. Singer Kate Smith (best remembered for introducing Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on radio) was held over at the Palace by popular demand for eight weeks – making her the longest-running headliner that house ever had.

   8. The "closing" spot was reserved for short films -- or annoying acts that might encourage patrons to leave before the next show. A clunky one-man band or a grating singer were typical closers.

Placement on a bill was a vital issue. Performers considered the opening or closing slots humiliating, since audiences were too busy settling in or filing out to pay serious attention.

Information gathered from:

See http://www.musicals101.com/vaude2.htm#Bill

Find more on the history of Vaudeville on these sites:

http://www.musicals101.com/vaude1.htm

http://www.musicals101.com/vaude3.htm