Vaudeville 'Voices of Town' at South Street Seaport Oct.26

The Marx Brothers, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, Bert Williams, Florence Mills, Eva Tanguay and more are headed your way when Voices of the Town - A Vaudeville Salute! invades the South Street Seaport.  The show, which is geared for all ages, will be at Melville Gallery (213 Water Street just above Fulton) on October 26 at 7PM. This special appearance has been organized by Montauk Theatre Productions/Shooting Star Theatre and the show's creators NY Artists Unlimited.

"Voices of the Town covers the entire history of vaudeville in America 1875-1935 and shows the breakthroughs made for African-Americans, women and immigrants.  It has 25 period songs, dance, comedy routines, and brings to life numerous stars of Yesteryear.  The forerunner of the TV variety show and Broadway musicals, it opened the way for countless luminaries," explain press notes.

Writer-director Melba LaRose heads a cast including:  Michelle Robinson, Nate Steinwachs, Lucia Manzella, Jules Hartley, and Joyce Pena.  Anita Brown from Shooting Star Theatre makes a special guest appearance as Molly Picon, singing in both Yiddish and English.  Choreography by Francis J. Roach. 

Tickets are $10 adults ($9 for South Street Seaport Museum members); $5 children.

There are portrayals of forgotten but important African-Americans:  Bert Williams, the highest paid star in the Ziegfeld Follies, and Florence Mills, great star of the Harlem Renaissance and Broadway (both played by Michelle Robinson).  Eubie Blake and Noble Sissle wrote the first Broadway musical to contain a love duet with black performers that was accepted by white viewers.  Black audiences were also allowed to sit in boxes reserved for whites only.  Information is uncovered about the T.O.B.A. Circuit (black performers only) and use of blackface.  Powerful female figures are portrayed:  Marie Dressler, Eva Tanguay, Mae West, Sophie Tucker, who were not only great businesswomen and crusaders for women's rights, but also changed the way the world viewed women.  There are women playing male roles, as well as a portrayal of Kitty Doner, vaudeville's famous male impersonator.  At a time when women had little options except work in sweatshops, women headliners in vaudeville could make well over $1,000 a week.  Immigrants who spoke little or no English at all could earn a decent living in vaudeville.  There were the renowned Dolly Sisters from Poland, as well as Chinese plate twirlers, Hungarian acrobats, jugglers from all countries, and acts that sang in their own languages.

Spanning the late 1800s to the mid-1930s in America, this piece shows how performers survived two Depressions, war, oppression, segregation, discrimination of all sorts, struggles for human/ workers'/ women's rights, and the like.  It also reveals that vaudeville was "family entertainment" and the starting point for major stars:  Burns & Allen, Abbott & Costello, the Marx Brothers, Gallagher & Shean ("Sunshine Boys"), Will Rogers, WC Fields, Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Fred Astaire, and so many more!

For further information on the company and its offerings, please visit the website:  www.NYartists.org.   Reservations and information 212-242-6036.