No Applause--Just Throw Money: Or the Book That Made Vaudeville Famous

From 1881 to 1932 vaudeville was the center of American show business, and modern-day vaudevillian Trav S.D. details its history and impact from early to modern times in a survey which traces the big names of vaudeville and the attraction and representation of its shows. Vaudeville was the first major American equal opportunity employer, and it allowed even immigrants easy access to American culture: chapters trace major players, acts, and influences. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Like the History Channel on TV -- Trav S. D. certainly brings the history of vaudeville to life in this book!! His knowledge and storytelling is akin to sitting in the parlor listening to tales of a bygone era from your grandfather or favorite wise old uncle who himself lived through it! He leaves you smiling, laughing and always wanting to hear and read more. If anything, the only thing found missing and lacking was in regards to what Trav calls "The New Vaudeville." Back in the early `70s was a bloke by the name of Roy Radin, who did his part in bringing vaudeville shows back to the masses. In Roy Radin's Vaudeville Review, which toured the country appearing in auditoriums, college campuses, and virtually anywhere the venue could be set up -- Many thousands of people, yours truly included, had their chance to meet the likes of Milton Berle, Donald O'Connor, Georgie Jessel and other great stars of the illegitimate stage up close and personal. These vaudeville shows were a great success for the time they ran; although Radin himself as it turns out would end up a mostly forgotten about and very tragic figure in the history of entertainment. Hoping Trav could've given us some further background and more insight into Radin's touring follies would've made this whole vaudeville story that much better. Perhaps though, when and if the book comes out in paperback, he can/will go back and include some of these tales for us. Nevertheless... Final Analysis: Do throw money at this book and this author. You'll get more bang for your bucks! And find yourself thoroughly entertained and greatly informed along the way!

Well-researched and scholarly work, but written with a deft sense of humor. If you could only own a single volume about American Vaudeville, this is it.

Several weeks ago I read a notice in our local newspaper that an author calling himself Trav S.D.would be appearing at a locally owned and operated bookstore to promote his brand new book about the history of vaudeville "No Applause--Just Throw Money". A little more than a year ago I had read Lawrence J. Epstein's superb book "Mixed Nuts: America's Love Affair With Comedy Teams from Burns and Allen to Belushi and Akroyd" and I enjoyed it tremendously. It left me wanting to learn all I that I could about the storied history of what we refer to as "vaudeville". I was all set to go to the book signing when I learned that the time had been changed. I was out of luck. Fortunately, I spotted the book the other day at my local library. I spent virtually the entire weekend reading it. This was a book I simply could not put down. I found "No Applause--Just Throw Money" to be treasure trove of information. Trav S.D.(aka Travis Stewart) has been the head of the American Vaudeville Theater in New York City for nearly a decade now. He is also a very accomplished writer which is quite evident in this book. Trav S.D. introduces us to the legendary performers of the vaudeville circuit. We have all heard of the Marx Brothers, Burns and Allen, W.C. Fields and Buster Keaton, but I really appreciated learning about so many of the acts I had never even heard of before. It was also interesting to learn about the men who would emerge as the moguls of vaudeville. Tony Pastor is generally credited with having much to do with putting "vaudeville" on the map. His seemingly revolutionary insistance on variety shows that offered "fun without vulgarity" would prove to be a winning formula for five decades. Now women and children could attend these shows and as a result the potential audience for such offerings expanded dramatically. Over the next several decades savvy businessmen like B.F. Keith, Edward Franklin Albee, F.F.Proctor and the Hammersteins would come to dominate this growing industry. It seemed that Americans could not get enough of "vaudeville". This would continue to be the case until the early 1920's when new technologies like the phonograph, radio and movies would gradually erode the appeal of "live" entertainment. I really appreciated the meticulous research Trav S.D. did for this book. There were so many interesting tidbits of information sprinkled throughout "No Applause--Just Throw Money". I particularly enjoyed learning the origin of so many of the terms associated with the vaudeville scene. A few days after the author appeared in my city I was talking to an elderly Catholic priest about the book. It turns out that he had actually appeared many, many times in a vaudeville venue here in town some 70 years ago. Without having actually read the book at that point I strongly recommended that he pick up a copy. Now having read it from cover to cover I strongly urge anyone who is even remotely interested in this subject to get themselves

"No Applause-Just Throw Money, or the Book That Made Vaudeville Famous" is as sassy as its title. As bold a writer as he is performer, Trav S.D.'s book is all the better for it. Critics have commented that it is amusing-and it is-very, but it also affords, within its 300 plus pages, a solid survey of vaudeville history from its roots through several stages of growth to its blossoming and institutional decline. One of the book's greater strengths is the cultural context Trav S.D. provides without losing his story in academic meanderings. The marrying of high and low purpose in this book reflects vaudeville's eclectic (some might say indiscriminate) embrace of art forms, a formula that made it the most popular mass entertainment of its day--fit for both toffs and toughs--ladies and children invited. One can quibble about several particulars-this is true of every book written about vaudeville, but Trav S.D. has captured the shape, size and feel of vaudeville by examining it as a business as well as an entertainment form peopled by beloved performers. Trav S.D. is producer/performer with American Vaudeville Theatre and a writer whose work has appeared in various periodicals including The Village Voice, American Theatre, Time Out New York, and Reason. Frank Cullen, merican Vaudeville M useum, "fcullen'