Reverberations of Culture
Racialized Performance in Early Twentieth-Century Musical Variety by Just a Buncha Clowns
Series: Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies;
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Product details:
- Edition number 1
- Publisher Routledge
- Date of Publication 25 February 2026
- ISBN 9781041035824
- Binding Hardback
- No. of pages304 pages
- Size 234x156 mm
- Language English
- Illustrations 23 Illustrations, black & white; 23 Halftones, black & white 700
Categories
Short description:
This book examines musical variety clowns performing racial impersonations across four touring circuits: African American TOBA, Chinese American "Chop Suey Circuit," Mexican carpas, and Country barn dances. It challenges historical narratives by highlighting how diverse performers shaped American entertainment and cultural identity.
MoreLong description:
This book examines musical variety clowns and the broad array of racial and ethnic impersonations they performed on four distinct touring circuits and apparatuses: the African American Theatre Owners Booking Association (TOBA), the Chinese American so-called Chop Suey Circuit, the Mexican and Mexican American carpas tours, and Country American barn dances.
This book explores the overlooked history of touring clown performers in early twentieth-century musical variety shows, addressing both their historical marginalization and their significant impact on popular entertainment. By examining these performers' widespread presences both on and off stage, the work challenges traditional historical narratives that have excluded diverse voices, particularly women and non-white performers. The research corrects a common misconception that racial impersonation in musical variety was exclusively the domain of white male performers. Instead, it reveals how performers and managers from various backgrounds actively challenged prevailing ideas about American identity, whiteness, and cultural inclusion. Through this lens, the book demonstrates that musical comedy performance and management were not exclusively white privileges, but rather spaces where diverse artists contributed significantly to early twentieth-century entertainment culture and beyond.
This book will be of great interest to students and scholars interested in US musical variety, racial and national identity, and comedy.
MoreTable of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction: The Clowns Are Not All White: Reconsidering the “All-‘American’” Practice of Racialized Musical Variety Performance
Chapter 1. “Everybody Was Colored except the Boss”: Black Faces and Other Masks
Chapter 2. “There Is No Such Thing” as Chinese Vaudeville: The Chop Suey-ness of Chinese American Musical Variety
Chapter 3. The Marvelous Mexican American Carpas: ¡”Una historia tan maravillosa que es casi imposible creerla”!
Chapter 4. “The American Dream Gone Berserk”: Country Comedy and Third-Class Pride
Conclusion. The Musical Variety “Outlook on American Life” Has Never (ever) Been All White
Bibliography
Index
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