AVM

American Vaudeville Museum

All material © 1998-2008 American Museum of Vaudeville, Inc.  Page 28

David Braham

For more information about David Braham,

send for Volume V, Issue #4 of

Vaudeville Times

 

1834 — 1905

 

The Brahams hailed from London and there were many of them. Within two generations there were two Brahams playing in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one conducting the 12 piece orchestra at the Athenaeum (later know as the Old Howard), another Braham conducting the pit orchestras at, successively, the Madison Square, Wallack’s and Brooklyn Park theatres—this last Braham, Harry, was Lillian Russell’s first husband.

David Braham became Ned Harrigan’s long-time musical partner, composing the music, season after season, for Harrigan’s lyrics. Their songs and the comic shenanigans of the Mulligan Guards were the highlights of the Harrigan & Hart entertainments.

In addition to composing, David Braham also led the pit orchestra for the Theatre Comique, the home of the Harrigan & Hart company.