About the book
Today, vaudeville is imagined as a parade of slapstick comedians, blackface shouters, coyly revealed knees, and second-rate acrobats. But vaudeville was also America’s most popular commercial amusement from the mid-1890s to the First World War; at its peak, 5 million Americans attended vaudeville shows every week. Telling the story of this pioneering art form’s rise and decline, David Monod looks through the apparent carnival of vaudeville performance and asks: what made the theater so popular and transformative? Although he acknowledges its quirkiness, Monod makes the case that vaudeville became so popular because it offered audiences a guide to a modern urban lifestyle.
Vaudeville acts celebrated sharp city styles and denigrated old-fashioned habits, showcased new music and dance moves, and promulgated a deeply influential vernacular modernism. The variety show’s off-the-rack trendiness perfectly suited an era when goods and services were becoming more affordable and the mass market promised to democratize style, offering a clear vision of how the quintessential twentieth-century citizen should look, talk, move, feel, and act.
Editions of Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469660547
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469660554
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469660578
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890859099
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469660561
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890859082
Read an Excerpt
Today, vaudeville is imagined as a parade of slapstick comedians, blackface shouters, coyly revealed knees, and second-rate acrobats. But vaudeville was also America’s most popular commercial amusement from the mid-1890s to the First World War; at its peak, 5 million Americans attended vaudeville shows every week. Telling the story of this pioneering art form’s rise and decline, David Monod looks through the apparent carnival of vaudeville performance and asks: what made the theater so popular and transformative? Although he acknowledges its quirkiness, Monod makes the case that vaudeville became so popular because it offered audiences a guide to a modern urban lifestyle.
Vaudeville acts celebrated sharp city styles and denigrated old-fashioned habits, showcased new music and dance moves, and promulgated a deeply influential vernacular modernism. The variety show’s off-the-rack trendiness perfectly suited an era when goods and services were becoming more affordable and the mass market promised to democratize style, offering a clear vision of how the quintessential twentieth-century citizen should look, talk, move, feel, and act.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925 about?
Today, vaudeville is imagined as a parade of slapstick comedians, blackface shouters, coyly revealed knees, and second-rate acrobats. But vaudeville was also America’s most popular commercial amusement from the mid-1890s to the First World War; at its peak, 5 million Americans attended vaudeville shows every week. Telling the story of this pioneering art form’s rise and decline, David Monod looks through the apparent carnival of vaudeville performance and asks: what made the theater so popular and transformative? Although he acknowledges its quirkiness, Monod makes the case that vaudeville became so popular because it offered audiences a guide to a modern urban lifestyle.
Vaudeville acts celebrated sharp city styles and denigrated old-fashioned habits, showcased new music and dance moves, and promulgated a deeply influential vernacular modernism. The variety show’s off-the-rack trendiness perfectly suited an era when goods and services were becoming more affordable and the mass market promised to democratize style, offering a clear vision of how the quintessential twentieth-century citizen should look, talk, move, feel, and act.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469660547
How long is Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925 and how many pages does it have?
Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925 has 288 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925?
David Monod
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925 is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469660547) and paperback(ISBN 9781469660554) and ebook(ISBN 9781469660578) and ebook(ISBN 9798890859099) and ebook(ISBN 9781469660561) and pdf(ISBN 9798890859082)
Where can I buy Vaudeville and the Making of Modern Entertainment, 1890–1925 online or support local independent bookshops?
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