Vaudeville Is Here

Danny Cooper singing Mr. Cellophane.

If you missed it Saturday, March 27, you missed a fine piece of Americana at the Ramona Mainstage Theatre.

In the mid-19th century, America was expanding. The people needed a way to relieve their stress, and the answer came in the form of Vaudeville.

The actual word "vaudeville" was coined from the French area known as Val de Vire, often pronounced vau-de-vire. The term first showed up when, in 1840, the Boston "Vaudeville Saloon" opened its doors to America’s first Vaudeville variety show. By the turn of the century, more than 2,000 Vaudeville theaters had spread across the U.S. Nearly every town had at least one barn, bar, or even a church that was converted into a theater to accommodate the numerous traveling productions.

Vaudeville was loud, clean, family entertainment. Typical shows consisted of 8 to 20 different acts, ranging from silent pantomime, animal tricks, and singers to comedy acts, and monologues. The jovial, atmosphere appealed to the general public and it was the most popular kind of entertainment from the 1850s until mid-1920. Vaudeville ended in 1932 as the popularity of the new movie industry began to take audiences away from live entertainment.

RMT Chorus Girls featuring Kassidy Beyers, Aja Oberlies Rodrigues, Raquel Mirales, Meg Sprink, Mandee Boughner, Achley Haerr, Cierra Vermeulen, Rae O’Rourke and Brook Williams.

Take heart, Ramona. The exciting era of Vaudeville is not forgotten. With classic skits and songs performed by several very talented artists, Ramonans will again have the opportunity to forget our cares on a Saturday afternoon.

Why go to a marriage counselor when you have acts like the Bickersons, Karyn Wochaski as Blanche, and Kurk Boughner as John, to help your marriage become stronger. Don Ameche and Frances Langford, who originally played the quarrelsome couple, would be proud of Kurk’s snoring and Karyn’s nagging. If you like this timeless theme, you certainly won’t be disapointed with "The Bickersons."

One of the most famous baseball comedy acts ever was Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s "Who’s on First." The general premise behind the exchange has Costello, a peanut vendor named Sebastion Dinwiddle, talking to Abbott who is Dexter Broadhurt, the manager of the mythical St. Louis Wolves. Alexis Seidl as Lou Costello and Sarah Brown as Bud Abbott "nailed it." Seidl, who had just a short time to work on the skit, exhibited fine comedic talent, and Brown’s sense of timing worked great for this classic routine.

Kathleen Kennedy leaves little doubt that she is a clone of Lucille Ball. Kennedy made several short appearances in between acts keeping the upbeat style of Vaudeville, but her "Vita-Meata-Vegamin" routine really worked. Comedy is hard work but Kennedy makes it look so easy.

Karyn Wochaski singing Second Hand Rose.

In addition to the amusing comedy acts, there were also some fine musical entertainment which made this a show not to miss.

The Vaudeville Reviews are on Saturdays, April 3, 10, and 17 at 2:00 p.m. Don’t miss it, and if you have talent, auditions are being held every Monday at the Ramona Mainstage Theatre from 5 to 8 p.m. For information call 789-7008.