vaudeville
noun/ˈvɔːdəvɪl/
/ˈvɔːdəvɪl/
[uncountable]- (North American English) (also variety British and North American English)a form of theatre or television entertainment that consists of a series of short performances, such as singing, dancing and funny acts
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- (British English also music hall)a type of entertainment popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including singing, dancing and comedyCultureVaudeville was especially popular in the US between the 1840s and 1930s. A typical vaudeville show included a variety of performances, from singers, dancers, comedians and sometimes animals. The best-known vaudeville theatre was the Palace in New York. US stars who began in vaudeville included Will Rogers, Al Jolson, the Marx Brothers and W C Fields.compare music hallTopics Film and theatrec2
Word Originmid 18th cent.: from French, earlier vau de ville (or vire), said to be a name given originally to songs composed by Olivier Basselin, a 15th-cent. fuller born in Vau de Vire in Normandy.
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