There’s something special about vaudeville theater. The timing and sensibility, the mix of funny and yet bittersweet.
If you’ve seen Funny Bones, the awesome 1995 movie featuring Oliver Platt, Jerry Lewis and the brilliant Lee Evans, you know what I mean. And if you haven’t seen that movie yet, add it to your que right now, or as soon as you finish entering our contest to win free tickets.
The Guthrie Theater is bringing award-winning American playwright and screenwriter (and MOT) Neil Simon‘s play “The Sunshine Boys” to its stage July 7-September 2, 2012, and it’s in good company in doing so- the play is currently playing in London’s West End, featuring the fabulous Danny DeVito. Sorry we couldn’t score a free pair of airplane and theater tickets to that one.
But while the Guthrie may not have DeVito, this production of Simon’s comedy is, according to the theater, “one of the most highly anticipated events” of its season, bringing together a “dream team” of Raye Birk (Faith Healer, Third) and Peter Michael Goetz (1776, The Government Inspector), to play the cantankerous vaudeville comedians that define Neil Simon’s popular comedy The Sunshine Boys. The Guthrie’s performance is directed by Gary Gisselman (Lost in Yonkers, A Christmas Carol).
The Sunshine Boys follows two aging vaudeville comedians who’ve grown to hate each other over 40+ years of performing together, as they’re brought back together by CBS to reunite for a special on the history of comedy. When the show premiered on Broadway in 1972, it received Tony Award nominations for Best Play, Best Actor in a Play, Best Direction of a Play, and Jack Albertson, who played one of the comedians, won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding performance. You may also be familiar with the 1995 TV rendition of Simon’s play, featuring Woody Allen, with supporting roles by Sarah Jessica Parker and Whoopi Goldberg.
So what is this vaudeville thing? That’s such a great question I’m going to throw it back to you.
If you want to win TC Jewfolk’s pair of free tickets…
TC Jewfolk is giving away one pair of free tickets to a performance of The Sunshine Boys at the Guthrie Theater of your choice between July 8-12th. All you have to do to win is answer this question in the comments to this post before Tuesday, July 3rd at midnight.
How would you explain vaudeville to a fifth grader?
There is no correct answer. We’ll draw one answer from the comments to the post randomly, via Random Line Picker.
Good luck, and enjoy the show!
I would describe Vauderville to a 5th grader as a form of comedy show with many short skits that featured dancers, acrobats magicians, comedians, singers, and trained animals. This was popular in the U.S in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
Vaudeville is a type of theatre show with a variety of short acts including
song-and-dance routines, and juggling performances.
Vauderville is an American entertainment show that became popular after the Civil War
I would show them clips and have them write their own definition based on those clips, then watch and read further about it to test their definition and refine it.
Think of it as a for of circus with short sets of performances that includes juggling, magic acts and song and dance routines.
A comedic musical variety stage show.
I would explain it thusly:
Vaudeville is the original version of “yo gabba gabba”
I would simply say that this was a wonderful variety of entertainment made up of comedians, singers, dancers, acrobats, musicians,etc. It was light and very popular; and defined American life after the Civil War. This is an important history lesson for our young ones; since we were coming out of a tragic time with the war; and literally needed pure enjoyment for enjoyment sake!
Idelle
It’s entertainment without electronics.
Vauderville was a variety entertainment show that was popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries
And the winner is Hannah! The rest of you, thanks for reading! And go buy tickets to see this funny show!