The Return of Vaudeville Mandolin

[Neil Gladd]

Hi All,

I've been away from the board for a few months, so I thought I would fill you in on my activities. I moved 6 weeks ago (an entire 2 miles, but I still had to pack everything), and before I was even out of the boxes, I got involved in running a show.

This is 1920s style Vaudeville show as a fundraiser for the 1924 Takoma Theatre (http://www.takomatheater.com/), which is a very cool space worth preserving. #It opened originally as a silent movie theatre, and is now used for live performances.

The show will be at:

The Takoma Theatre
6833 4th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20012
(2 blocks from the Takoma Metro Station)

Saturday, October 23 at 8:00 PM

I will be playing vaudeville mandolin solos by Bernardo de Pace, learned from 78s. (I still need the Pierrot costume, which is what he performed in.) We also have a belly dancer to do a "hootchie-cootchie dance," a few singers, a trombone solo, Charleston teachers / dancers, a 1920s cartoon and news reel, a live band, a couple of comic skits, tap soloists (doing a stair dance) and tapping Chorus Girls...

I have wanted to do a vaudeville show (professionally) for years, when I had the time and budget to do it right. #When they asked me to do it for free on short notice, though, I couldn't say no, so in addition to performing, I'm running the whole thing.

I'll surface again when it's over, but it would be nice to see some mandolin folks in the audience...

Neil "Ziegfeld" Gladd

[Neil Gladd]

In costume:

[Jim Garber]

Neil:
It is nice to see you have resurfaced and that you were pleasantly busy. I wish i could make it down for the Vaudeville... sounds fun. Hey, anything is possible...

My tangential relation to vaudeville was playing the ukulele and taking lessons with Roy Smeck who did own a mandolin but concentrated on uke, tenor banjo, Hawaiian guitar and Spanish guitar.

There was a "new Vaudeville" movement a few years ago and a friend of mine played uke and sang ith some tap dancers up in Maine and at a few festivals.

I guess after De Pace, you need to go on the road as Apollon with an orchestra of Filipino musicians. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Jim

[Eugene]

I'd love to be there. It's not at all likely I can be there...but I'd love to. Are you intending to do the Pierrot-esque frilled collar, archtop Lyon & Healy, and all? I'd pay just to see you in that wacky wardrobe!

[Eugene]

Oh, and break the proverbial leg, of course.

[Neil Gladd]

Are you intending to do the Pierrot-esque frilled collar, archtop Lyon & Healy, and all? #I'd pay just to see you in that wacky wardrobe!
I'll do the costume if I can find it! #Haven't got a Lyon and Healy lying around. (At least not an archtop.) I met de Pace's daughter more than 10 years ago, so I saw his mandolin. She was very ill then, and probably no longer living.

[Neil Gladd]

PROGRAM

Swanee (1919) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # George Gershwin
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #The Takoma Theatre Vaudeville Band

Let's Misbehave (1925) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Cole Porter
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Neil Gladd, vocal and mandolin-banjo

The Sheik of Araby (1921) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Smith, Wheeler & Snider
# # # # # # # # # # # # # #Cindy Ryan, hoochy-coochy dancer, with band
# # # # # # # # # # # # #vocal by David Sager and drum solo by Kevin Ryan

A Poetic Recitation
# # # # # # # # # Doug Bowles, Lisa Carrier, Natalie Sager and David Sager

# # # # # Transcribed by Doug Bowles from the 1929 film, "The Show of Shows."

Some of These Days (1911) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Shelton Brooks
Am I Blue? (1929) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Grant Clark & Harry Akst
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Vicky Golding, vocals, with band

Doin' the New Low Down (1928) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Fields & McHugh
# # # # # # # # # #Andrew Pirozzi and Allie Singer, tap dancers, with piano

# # # # # # # # # # # # # Choreography by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson,
# # # # # # # # # # # # #who introduced the song in his Broadway debut.

Copenhagen (1924) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Charlie Davis
# # # # Michael Johnson and Poppy Friske, Charleston dancers with band

I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid (1909) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Armstrong & Clark # # # # # #
# # # # # # # Doug Bowles and Lisa Carrier, musical comedy with piano

Shoutin' Liza Trombone (1920) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Henry Fillmore
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # David Sager, trombone with piano

Sweet Georgia Brown (1925) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Bernie, Pinkard & Casey
# # # # # #Nat Mathis, vocal, with Step Aside tap ensemble and combo

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #INTERMISSION

Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (1923) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # John Philip Sousa
#Written the year the theatre was built and dedicated to a group in Washington, DC.

Charleston (1923) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Mack & Johnson
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Charleston Contest with band

St Louis Blues (1913) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # W.C. Handy
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Nat Mathis, vocal, with combo

Bernardo de Pace, the Wizard of the Mandolin
# # a. Morning, Noon and Night in Vienna
# # b. Medley of Souvenir, Tales of Hoffman, Humoresque
# # c. That's Why I Love You.
# # d. Tarantella. Irish Gig.
# # # # # # # # # # Neil Gladd, mandolin, with Cindy Nickerson, piano

# # # # # # # Transcribed by Neil Gladd from the 1927 Vitaphone film short by
# # # # # # # # # # vaudeville mandolin star, Bernardo de Pace (1886-1966).

I Ain't Got Nobody (1915) # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Graham & Williams
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Step Aside tap ensemble with band

Chocolate Moose # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # written by Doug Bowles
# # # # # # #David Sager and Celia Blitzer as George Burns and Gracie Allen

Cute # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #Neal Hefti
# # # # # # # # # # # #Andrew Pirozzi, tap dancer, with piano and drums

Krazy Kat and Charlie Chaplin film shorts

Take Your Girlie to the Movies (1919) # # # # # # # # # # # # Leslie, Kalmar & Wendling
# # #(If You Can't Make Love at Home)
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Grand Finale with the Entire Company

____

Singers:
Doug Bowles
Neil Gladd
Vicki Golding
Nat Mathis
David Sager

Dancers:
Dana R. Bynum (Tap, Step Aside)
Poppy Friske (Charleston)
Tamara Henry (Tap, Step Aside)
Carrie Hunter (Tap, Step Aside)
Michael Johnson (Charleston)
Paula Montrie (Tap, Step Aside)
Andrew Pirozzi (Tap)
Cindy Ryan (Hoochy-coochy)
Allie Singer (Tap)

Actors:
Doug Bowles
Lisa Carrier
Natalie Sager
David Sager

The Takoma Theatre Vaudeville Band:
Andrea Vercoe, violin
Angela Dadak, violin
Heather Martley, flute
Kirt Vener, clarinet
Steve Lovecchio, alto sax
Colleen Kearney, bassoon
Silvia Masetti, bassoon
Paul Weiss, trumpet
Bob Blankenburg, trombone
David Sager, trombone
Micah Meckstroth, tuba
Doug Bowles, piano
Cindy Nickerson, piano
Chris DeChiara, drums
Neil Gladd, mandolin-banjo