| |
| | Obscure Stages -- An Annotated Theatre Bibliography |
 | | Nicely illustrated in b/w, each entry describes a variety performer by category (musical duo, comedy double act, card manipulator, etc.) and provides both biographical info and performance history, in some cases leavened by Hudd's own recollections of the performer or venue. |
 | | Music hall, born somewhere between Covent Garden and Lambeth, but peopled by the leather-lunged sons and daughters of hamlets from Baltimore to Melbourne. |
 | | Useful source material (sheet music, performer photos and bios, a "working model" of a complete performance, including musical interludes) outweighs the gee-whiz unselfconsciousness which allows the author to use phrases like "shuffling old darky" without a hint of irony. |
| www.214b.com (338 words) |
|