The Vaudville Formula

       Vaudeville, in it’s most basic elements describes an “American variety show”. Now I could wax on about the “earliest” forms of vaudeville but I think I’ll just start off talking about the man considered the “father of American Vaudeville”.  Benjamin Franklin Keith was a pioneer in the of Vaudeville due to his vision of what entertainment should be, who it should cater to, and what the environment should be to present such acts.

            A former barker from different stints with circuses, Keith resigned himself to opening a “museum” in Boston to which different entertainment acts would perform, the most prominent of which was an act called “Baby Alice the Midget Wonder”. After being very successful Keith came up with the funds to construct the Bijou Theatre. This amazing theatre was a clean and fireproof place for Keith’s acts to perform.

            After procuring the theatre Keith began to book many acts, all of which would have to meet specific guidelines for decency. These acts varied from comedians, solo musicians, comedy duos, and magicians. Keith was very concerned with making sure that the acts flowed well together and also were willing to perform multiple times per day instead of the once or twice a day most performers were accustomed to.

This formula was successful because it appealed to all demographics and really proved successful. So successful in fact Keith began to solicit “legitimate” theater to be involved with his variety shows. This was ground breaking because now the general public could be exposed to the formal and dramatic form.

            After Keith’s success many promoters followed his booking structure and policies and with it came many tours and money was made. This type of Vaudeville proved so successful that a lot of theme parks adopted the craft into their attractions. DisneyLand, Knotts Berry Farms, and many others made the “variety” show a staple as part of their allure. Steve Martin actually got his start doing Vaudeville type shows at Knotts Berry Farms in a comedy musical troop.

Benjamin Franklin Keith

           

Steve Martin

Boston Bijou Theater

                                              Works Cited:
                                       The World of Theatre
                                               Vaudeville!
                                 History of the Musical Vaudeville
                                        Boston Opera House