Vaudeville, Burlesque, And Cabaret & How They Influenced Popular Culture Kelsey Stevenson

Table of Contents A History of Vaudeville A History of Vaudeville (cont’d) A History of Burlesque A History of Cabaret A History of Cabaret (cont’d) So… What Does All of This Have to Do With Popular Culture? Pop Culture & Vaudeville Pop Culture & Burlesque Pop Culture & Cabaret Chicago Works Cited

A History of Vaudeville A (usually) family friendly variety show. Met entertainment demands of the 1880’s. Less of the population lived in rural areas, and most had steady jobs with steady pay. This meant more free time, and more free money. Variety shows were prominent in the decades before, but often too crude for women or children. Vaudeville acts included comedians, contortionists, instrumentalists, plate spinners, animal trainers, dancers, acrobats, basically anyone who could keep an audiences attention for more than 3 minutes. If an act was successful, it was repeated and became the performers signature act.

A History of Vaudeville (cont’d) Vaudeville was developed to bridge the gap of entertainment for classes. Opera was for upper-middle and upper classes, minstrel shows and melodramas for the middle class, and variety shows for the working and slum middle class. Vaudeville theatre owners wanted top appeal to a wider audience. When the radio became commercially available, people experienced similar entertainment in the comfort of their own homes. Performers went on each night to smaller and smaller crowds. Many vaude troupers went on to perform in silent films, making use of their physical comedy experience. (Charlie Chaplin).

A History of Burlesque Burlesque shows started in 1840. Burlesque was a cruder, more raunchy vaudeville, designed to entertain a lower class audience. In short, the attraction of burlesque was sex. Before being associated with strip tease, burlesque was a from of musical entertainment that parodied operas, ballets, and Shakespearian plays. Several rules that separated it from other forms of musical theatre: Scantily clad women (relative to the values of the time) Sexually suggestive dialogue, songs, dances, plotlines, and staging. Quick-witted puns that lack complexity Short routines with little plot and cohesion across the entire performance.

A History of Cabaret Cabaret originally meant any place selling liquor. The cabaret as we know it originated in Paris, France. In 1881, a saloon named Le Chat Noir opened. It was for artist, poets, musicians, and composers to share ideas and their new works. Perfomers could test new material and audiences enjoyed entertainment for just a few drinks. After the success of Le Chat Noir other cabarets popped up all over Europe. Soon acts were scheduled, and ranged from individuals to full bands. Performances were more intimate than theatre shows. The film Cabaret gives an accurate view of post WWI cabarets.

A History of Cabaret (cont’d) In the US, cabarets were all about glamour! Cabarets did not suffer during Prohibition. They provided booze in secret, and this ambiance demanded music. Prohibition allowed cabaret-style entertainment to conquer the entertainment industry of America, albeit in an illegal manner. Celebrities who can credit cabarets as their break into show biz include Woody Allen, Carol Burnett, and Barbara Streisand.

So… What Does All of This Have to Do With Popular Culture? Aspects of all three of these forms of musical entertainment can be found in everyday entertainment. Some examples are more obvious, such as music videos and movies, and others are more discreet, like television programs.

Pop Culture & Vaudeville Shows such as the Jay Leno Show, American Idol, and the Late Night Show with David Letterman all have a vaudeville format. Several acts, or routines, are performed, with no plot or thematic connection between them.

Pop Culture & Burlesque To see the influence of burlesque, turn on any music channel. The focus on the female form, and the objectification of the female is very much drawn from burlesque. Blatant examples include the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge!, the 2001 song and music video Lady Marmalade, based off the incredibly popular 1974 song of the same name by LaBelle. Several ‘burlesque’ shows can still be seen, such as Peepshow in Las Vegas, and The Pussycat Dolls in LA, and Dita Von Teese, who tours. Many performers cite burlesque as an influence in their performing style, such as Madonna.

Pop Culture & Cabaret Modern dinner theatres have a format very similar to cabarets. Diners eat (or drink) whilst the show is going on, and the audience is often involved in the performance. Movies such as Cabaret (1972), and Nine (2009) are both examples of cabaret-style shows. Cabaret, as previously mentioned, is a prime example of 1930’s cabaret, while Nine, which had yet to be released when this was written, appears to be a movie about 1960’s cabaret.

Chicago The movie Chicago (2002) contains elements of all three musical entertainments. It can’t be placed in one particular genre simply because of the vast variety of scenes, and ways the music is presented. In the first scene, where the song All That Jazz is sung by Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly, is an example of cabaret. The audience is seated at tables with drinks while Velma performs on stage. Burlesque is evident in several scenes, most obviously in the song When You’re Good To Mama sung by Queen Latifah as Matron “Mama” Morton. The song, and performance, has multiple sexual innuendos, and is performed by a female. Finally, the song They Both Reached For The Gun, sung by Richard Gere as Billy Flynn and Renée Zellweger as Roxie Hart, is an example of vaudeville. The characters are in a theatre, and there are several aspects to the performance. Initially, Billy and Roxie are creating a ventriloquist act, then a dance act.

Works Cited “Burlesque (genre).” Wikipedia. 2009. Online. November 26, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlesque_(genre) “Chicago (2002 film)”. Wikipedia. 2009. Online. December 10, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(2002_film) Kendrick, John. “A History of the Musical – Burlesque.” 2003. Online. November 26, 2009. http://www.musicals101.com/burlesque.htm Kendrick, John. “Cabaret.” 2003. Online. December 4, 2009. http://www.musicals101.com/cabaret.htm Kendrick, John. “Vaudeville 101.” 2003. Online. November 27, 2009. http://www.musicals101.com/vaude1.htm “Vaudeville – About Vaudeville.” PBS. Online. November 24, 2009. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/vaudeville/about-vaudeville/721/ “Vaudeville Lives.” UA News. 2009. Online. December 13, 2009. http://uanews.org/node/19369