Reviews for But Seriously...American Comedy Boxed Set: 1915-1994

The average rating for But Seriously...American Comedy Boxed Set: 1915-1994 based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-08-09 00:00:00 Gregory Ingram This was very readable for a book that began as a dissertation. It's a good introduction to the topic for anyone interested in the business of Vaudeville as well as the rather risque material which helped to usher out Victorian morality. What started in Bowery "concert saloons" in the mid 1800s, (a haven for everything contemporaries considered low and degraded, like minstrel shows and can can dancing) morphed into a well oiled capitalist machine providing mass entertainment under the Keith Orpheum circuit. The idea was to broaden the appeal of the Bowery by taming it (and removing alcohol on the premises), without eliminating everything that the "rowdies" liked about it. The variety of acts ensured there was something for everyone. The headquarters of the operation in Times square was like the stock exchange where acts were bought and sold, then placed on a pre-ordained circuit. This formed the basis of other media conglomerates that came after it. It is commonly said that Vaudeville died after the advent of films in the 1920s, but many of the stars graduated to other forms of media like film, radio, TV, and standup.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-01-14 00:00:00 Donald Mertens Even with a BA in Theatre Arts, much of the information in "The Voice of the City" was news to me. Robert W. Snyder presents vaudeville as it really was, at least in New York City. From "small-time" to "big-time" we see how it all came together as an entertainment force spanning the period post Civil War to the Great Depression. The book covers the topic from the theatre owners to the talent agencies to the acts (and their audiences) themselves. Most interesting is how acts promoting ethnic stereotypes actually helped to bring diverse communities together and promote cultural exchange. No matter what you think you know about vaudeville, this book is sure to offer new insight.