A rollicking evening of Vaudeville-type humor featuring comic bits, songs, and sing-a-longs, all with a British twist. Refreshments will be available for purchase during the performance. Appropriate for all audiences.British Music Hall is the British equivalent of Vaudeville. It features a collection of songs, comic bits, caricatures, and recitations and has its roots in tavern sing-a-longs of early 19th century London. Think “Alfred P. Doolittle” in My Fair Lady, or early Irving Berlin songs. A major character of British Music Hall is the “Chairman”, the excitable, pompous master of ceremonies who introduces the performers, purports to keep order, and banters with the audience. The most famous music hall performer in America was Charlie Chaplin, who arrived here with Fred Karno’s Comedians, a troupe that included Stan Laurel. And how’s this for a factoid: A little known actor by the name of Archibald Leach started in British music hall as an eccentric dancer before coming to Hollywood under the name of Cary Grant! If you’ve never experienced British Music Hall, don’t despair! Just follow these few simple rules:
(1) Have some refreshments!
(2) Give the Chairman (our “MC”) a lot of grief – he deserves it!
(3) Refer to your hymn sheets and sing along on the chorus!
(4) Have some more refreshments!
(5) Laugh raucously at the jokes. If you don’t find them funny, then . . .
(6) Have some more refreshments!
What could be simpler? We’ll see you there!

Dates:

performance: February 14, 2009 8:00 PM