Marian Wilson Kimber’s book The Elocutionists reclaimed a forgotten performance genre. From the mid-1800s to the 1940s, elocutionists recited poetry or drama with music to entertain audiences, in particular women’s […]
Tag: American music
Release Party: Chinatown Opera Theater in North America, by Nancy Yunhwa Rao
The Chinatown opera house provided Chinese immigrants with an essential source of entertainment during the pre–World War II era. But its stories of loyalty, obligation, passion, and duty also attracted […]
Release Party: May Irwin, by Sharon Ammen
May Irwin reigned as America’s queen of comedy and song from the 1880s through the 1920s. A genuine pop culture phenomenon, Irwin conquered the legitimate stage, composed song lyrics, and […]
Throwbacklist Thursday
Last week the Library of Congress announced that it would offer an online archive of the collected papers of folklorist Alan Lomax and his family. This incredible resource will offer the field […]