The Palace of Laughter: Stateside

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The Palace of Laughter

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Geoffrey Wheeler visits vaudeville houses in Britain

The Palace of Laughter: Stateside: 1. Vaudeville

1. Vaudeville

Stateside

BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Palace of Laughter, Stateside, 1. Vaudeville

Geoffrey Wheeler surveys the history of the US vaudeville circuit, including Bob Hope

Geoffrey Wheeler's history of the vast US vaudeville circuit with tens of thousands of performers, like Bob Hope and Jack Benny. From 2006.

Geoffrey Wheeler explores the history of American vaudeville.  

Like music hall in Britain, vaudeville was a product of its time.  

Increasing urbanisation, and a desire to present entertainment which would appeal to the whole family, led to the development of vast vaudeville circuits.

These spanned thousands of miles of barely settled American territory, on which tens of thousands of performers travelled from town to town, earning their living.  

Among those who learned their trade in vaudeville were future international stars such as Fred and Adele Astaire, Bob Hope, Jack Benny and jazz singer Ma Rainey.  

Producer: Libby Cross.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2006.

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Geoffrey Wheeler's history of the vast US vaudeville circuit with thousands of performers

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