King of Jazz: PAUL WHITEMAN / Hal Skelly / Arnold Daly 1921 Vaudeville Program

Description: This is a rare program (playbill) from the week of October 24th, 1921 for the vaudeville bill at the historic B.F. Keith's PALACE THEATRE in New York City ..... The Palace Theatre, located at 1564 Broadway (at 47th) in midtown-Manhattan opened March 24th, 1913 and until 1929, attained legendary status among vaudeville performers as the flagship of the monopolistic Keith-Albee organization, and the most desired booking in the country ..... On the current bill was PAUL WHITEMAN and his Palais Royal Orchestra ..... Biography: PAUL WHITEMAN (1890 — 1967) was an American bandleader, called the “King of Jazz” for popularizing a musical style that helped to introduce jazz to mainstream audiences during the 1920's and 1930's. Whiteman, who was originally a violinist, conducted a 40-piece U.S. Navy band in 1917–18 and then developed a hotel orchestra in California, which he took to New York City in 1920. He hired the best white jazz players, but he allowed little room for improvisation in his arrangements and greatly simplified jazz rhythms. He was successful as a co-composer of popular songs during the 1920's and led his orchestra in Broadway musicals. Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and conducted it's premiere at Aeolian Hall, New York City, in 1924, with the composer as piano soloist. Whiteman also introduced the Grand Canyon Suite (1931) by Ferde Grofe, who had arranged the Rhapsody. The Rhapsody became Whiteman’s theme, and he established the Whiteman Awards for compositions in a “symphonic jazz” style. The 1930 film King of Jazz was the first of four in which his orchestra appeared. Whiteman was the host of several national radio programs during the 1930's, wrote three books, and recorded extensively. His popularity waned in the late 1940's, but he came back as a television-series host in the 1950's and occasionally led bands up to the time of his death. (Britannica) ..... Also on the bill were DERKIN'S EUROPEAN NOVELTY "A Pantomime Dog and Monkey Offering"; EARL PEARSON, CLEO NEWPORT and CARL PEARSON presenting the Table Dance "A Study in Pep"; CHARLES KING and LILA RHODES in "Toot Your Horn"; Miss VENITA GOULD in Impressions of Lenore Ulric, George M. Cohan, Mrs. Fiske, Julian Eltinge, Grace La Rue, Belle Baker, Al Jolson, Lynn Fontanne, Eddie Leonard, Fay Bainter and Bert Williams; ARNOLD DALY and WILLIAM NORRIS in "The Van Dyck"; Musical Comedy Star HAL SKELLEY in "Mutual Man" with Midgie Miller, Eunice Sauvain and Florence McGuire; RUTH ROYE "Comedienne of Syncopation" and the AVON COMEDY FOUR in Their Own Original Version of "A Hungarian Rhapsody" ..... DETAILS: The sixteen page playbill measures 4 3/4" X 8 1/2" inches and includes beautiful cover graphics, production credits, list of entertainers, schedule of upcoming attractions and wonderful vintage advertising, but no photos or bios ..... CONDITION: With the exception of a light crease across the middle and a surface abrasion in the top right corner of the back cover (last scanned image), this playbill is in excellent condition and will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any musical theatre aficionado or music historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.

Price: 199.99 USD

Location: Cannon Beach, Oregon

End Time: 2023-10-29T14:19:00.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.95 USD