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American Vaudeville Museum |
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All material © 1998-2008 American Museum of Vaudeville, Inc. Page 196 |
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BLACK VAUDEVILLE in General
On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying and Signifying: the Underground Tradition of African American Humor that Transformed American Culture from Slavery to Richard Pryor by Mel Watkins (620 pp, 1994, Simon & Schuster, NYC, ISBN #0-671-68982-7). Don’t let the Long-winded title put you off. This is a great book about Negro comedy and its practitioners, and it is a pleasure to read. Acute observations smartly expressed keep you glued to the unfolding story. A lot of it goes back to vaudeville, both black and mainstream. Spreadin’ Rhythm Around: Black Popular Songwriters, 1880-1930 by David A. Jasen & Gene Jones (417 pp, 1998, Simon & Schuster/Macmillan, NYC, ISBN #0-02-8664742-4). While the authors focus on the songwriters who created the black musicals for Chicago, Harlem and Broadway, their story provides lots of information about the comedians, singing and dancers stars of Negro vaudeville and show biz, as well as those who shined on Broadway. Good research matched with good writing. Black Magic: A Pictorial History of Black Performers in America by Langston Hughes & Milton Meltzer (353 pp, 1967, Bonanza Books, NYC, ISBN #0-517-170205). This copiously illustrated survey of Negro entertainment spans more than a century, from “plantation days” to movies and television to opera; thoughtfully and gracefully written. Hot from Harlem: Profiles in Classic African-American Entertainment by Bill Reed (276 pp, 1998, Cellar Door Press, POB 35749, LA, CA 90035-0749), ISBN #0-966-1449-0-2). This slim volume is jam-packed with information, insight and interviews. At $12.95, it is a bargain and worth more than some books three times its size and price. A smartly written survey of black vaudeville, musical comedies, jazz and nightclubs. Jazz Dance by Marshall & Jean Stearns (see Dance books) Showtime at the Apollo: 50 Years of Great Entertainment from Harlem’s World-Famous Theatre by Ted Fox (310 pp, 1983, Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, NYC, ISBN #0-03-060533-4). The Apollo outlasted all its competitors who were well-established before it opened because the Apollo was well-managed and gave its customers what they wanted. It pursued a vaudeville/variety policy for longer than any major theatre in the USA, white or black, right up through the dominance of R&B, Soul music and stand-up comedy. Blues Who’s Who (see Song-and-Dance)
COMEDY There are more books about comedy and comedians that there are about vaudeville, so we shall list only a handful of those we admire most. Who’s Who in Comedy: Comedians, Comics and Clowns from Vaudeville to Today’s Stand-Ups (517 pp, 1992, Facts on File, NYC, ISBN #0-8160-2338-7). This may be the most factual and insightful of the many encyclopedic books about comedians. Although it spans Weber & Fields to Jerry Seinfeld, the post-WWII entries are more numerous, but there are a lot of funny folk included here that are absent elsewhere.
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