Vaudeville, long since pronounced dead, had never looked more alive. Last week, on the boards of its old stronghold, Manhattan's Palace Theater (which surrendered to the movies in 1932), vaudeville was the star at the opening of the newest U.S. television station, American Broadcasting Co.'s WJZ-TV. The first show, from 7 o'clock until nearly midnight, featured all of vaudeville's tried & true turns: a dog act, a comedy team of acrobats, tap and ballroom dancers, comedians, songbirds, straight men. Gus Van (of venerable Van & Schenck) did a tear-jerking ballad about the good old days; Ray Bolger danced a comic solo...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
