American pantomime

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Humpty Dumpty playbill, New York, 1873 revival Humpty.jpg
Humpty Dumpty playbill, New York, 1873 revival

American pantomime, panto for short, refers to works of theatrical entertainment that have been presented in the United States of America since 1876. The works are derived from the entertainment genre of pantomime that developed in England, presented either as they are in Britain or adapted for the American stage and tailored to American audiences. Pantomime in America, as in England, is usually performed at Christmas time. The entertainments, aimed at families, are based on nursery stories and fairy tales, and they incorporate songs (traditional, popular and new), slapstick comedy, often topical jokes, magic, some cross-dressing, local references, audience participation, and mild adult innuendo. Like the British productions, American pantomimes incorporate audience participation. [1] Earlier productions often also included a harlequinade.

Contents

Although pantomime was not frequently produced in the US during the 20th century and is not well known in America, productions of pantomime, both professional and amateur, have been seen nearly every year somewhere in the US over the past couple of decades.

19th century

Panto styles of Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, sketched by Marguerite Martyn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1918 Lady Duff Gordon styles sketched by Marguerite Martyn, 1918.jpg
Panto styles of Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, sketched by Marguerite Martyn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1918

The earliest known pantomime in the U.S. was Robinson Crusoe produced at St. John's Theatre, New York in 1786. [2] Humpty Dumpty, starring and co-written by George L. Fox, premiered at Olympic Theatre in New York in 1868; it was frequently revived and eventually played for over 1,200 performances, becoming one of the most successful American pantomimes. [3]

Recent decades

In 1993, a production of Cinderella at the UCLA Freud Theatre starred Zsa Zsa Gabor. [4] Pantomonium Productions has produced pantomimes annually in New York City since 2004. [5] Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston, Texas, has been performing original pantomime-style musicals during the Christmas holidays since 2008: Panto Sleeping Beauty, Panto Pinocchio, Panto Red Riding Hood, Panto Mother Goose and Panto Goldilocks. [6] Since 2004, People's Light and Theatre Company, in Malvern, Pennsylvania, has been presenting an annual Christmas pantomime season. [1]

Lythgoe Family Productions has produced pantomimes each winter since 2010 in California. Their first production was Cinderella in North Hollywood, starring Jerry Mathers and Freddie Stroma. [7] This was followed in 2011 by A Snow White Christmas , starring Marina Sirtis as The Wicked Queen and Neil Patrick Harris as The Magic Mirror, [8] and A Cinderella Christmas , starring Fred Willard as Baron Hardup, Cinderella's father. [9] In 2012, the company mounted A Snow White Christmas at the Pasadena Playhouse, starring Ariana Grande as Snow White, Charlene Tilton as The Wicked Queen and Neil Patrick Harris again as The Magic Mirror. [10] The production drew 13,000 ticket buyers. "Aladdin" was scheduled for the 2013 holiday season at Pasadena. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harlequinade</span> British comic theatrical genre

Harlequinade is an English comic theatrical genre, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th centuries. It was originally a slapstick adaptation or variant of the commedia dell'arte, which originated in Italy and reached its apogee there in the 16th and 17th centuries. The story of the Harlequinade revolves around a comic incident in the lives of its five main characters: Harlequin, who loves Columbine; Columbine's greedy and foolish father Pantaloon, who tries to separate the lovers in league with the mischievous Clown; and the servant, Pierrot, usually involving chaotic chase scenes with a bumbling policeman.

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The Royal Court Theatre is a theatre located at 1 Roe Street in Liverpool, England. The current Royal Court Theatre was opened on 17 October 1938, after fire destroyed its predecessor. It was rebuilt in Art Deco style and soon became Liverpool's premier theatre. The interior of the building has a nautical theme, in line with Liverpool's seafaring traditions. The design of the basement lounge was based on the Cunard liner Queen Mary until its conversion into the Studio space during renovations. There are three viewing levels within the main auditorium: the Stalls, the Grand Circle and the Balcony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantomime</span> Genre of musical comedy stage production

Pantomime is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and in other English-speaking countries, especially during the Christmas and New Year season. Modern pantomime includes songs, gags, slapstick comedy and dancing. It generally combines gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or folk tale. Pantomime is a participatory form of theatre, in which the audience is encouraged and expected to sing along with certain parts of the music and shout out phrases to the performers.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva Amateur Operatic Society</span>

The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society is an English-speaking musical theatre and light opera group. Based in Geneva, GAOS was founded in 1971 by a small group of theatre enthusiasts. They produce three productions per season, including their traditional English pantomime in the winter. GAOS is a nonprofit organization, its members receive no payment and the society makes a point of giving a substantial donations to various charities around Geneva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Theatre, Glasgow</span> Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland

The King's Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland. It was built for Howard & Wyndham Ltd under its chairman Baillie Michael Simons as a sister theatre of their Theatre Royal in the city and was designed by Frank Matcham, opening in 1904. The theatre is primarily a receiving house for touring musicals, dance, comedy and circus-type performances. The theatre also provides a prominent stage for local amateur productions. The King's Theatre also stages an annual pantomime, produced by First Family Entertainment. The theatre is currently operated by ATG Entertainment, under a lease from Glasgow City Council who own the building.

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Joe Tracini is an English actor, presenter and author. He appeared in the role of Dennis Savage in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. His previous TV acting credits have included the BBC Three comedy series Coming of Age and the Boomerang children's sitcom My Spy Family. His theatre credits include Spamalot, starring in the role of Patsy during a touring version of the production in 2015. In 2022, he published his first book, Ten Things I Hate About Me.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John D'Auban</span> English dancer, choreographer and actor

Frederick John D'Auban was an English dancer, choreographer and actor of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Famous during his lifetime as the ballet-master at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, he is best remembered as the choreographer of many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.

Kristopher Michael Lythgoe is an English–American television and theatre writer/producer known for creating and producing reality television shows such as Who Are You? and So You Think You Can Dance. Lythgoe has also created several American pantomimes live stage productions based upon fairy-tales and folk tales with a modern twist.

Nicholas Wilton is an English actor and scriptwriter. He has appeared as Mr Lister in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as a recurring character; he has also appeared in Carrott's Lib and Jackanory.

A Cinderella Christmas is a pantomime version of the fairytale Cinderella, with a book by Kris Lythgoe, using for its score a pastiche of well known pop tunes. It was first produced in 2010 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, California. The music includes songs by Lady Gaga, Michael Bublé, Katy Perry, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Kelly Clarkson among others. Like other pantomimes, the show includes magic, dancing, singing, acting, audience interactivity and sing-a-long segments.

A Snow White Christmas is a pantomime version of the fairytale Snow White, with a book by Kris Lythgoe and a score consisting of a pastiche of well-known pop tunes. It was first produced in 2011 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, California. The music includes songs by Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, The Village People, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Hall & Oates, among others. Like other pantomime-style musicals, the show includes magic, dancing, singing, acting, audience interactivity and sing-a-long segments.

Aladdin and his Winter Wish is an American panto version of the Middle Eastern folk tale Aladdin. The panto's book was written by Kris Lythgoe and its music is based around classic pop tunes by artists such as Ray Charles, Coldplay, and Starship. Aladdin and his Winter Wish premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse on December 11, 2013 and ran through December 29 of the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Vokes</span> British actor and dancer (1850–1894)

Victoria Rosaline Sarah Vokes was a British music hall, pantomime and burlesque actress and dancer of the 19th-century and a member of the Vokes Family of entertainers. For more than ten years they were the central attraction at the annual pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from 1868 to 1879 when their popularity began to wane.

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The Prince's Theatre was a theatre on Park Row in Bristol in England which was built in 1867 and was destroyed by bombing in 1940 in the Bristol Blitz during World War II. Owned by members of the Chute family for most of its existence, at one time the theatre was the Bristol venue for many of the country's leading touring actors and theatrical companies in addition to being one of the most renowned pantomime houses in the country before briefly becoming a music hall and latterly a cinema. The actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry made their last appearance together under Irving's management at the Prince's Theatre in The Merchant of Venice in 1902.

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Shaun Glenville was an Irish actor who specialised in pantomime performances; he would play the dame while his wife Dorothy Ward would play the principal boy. The music hall historian Christopher Pulling called him one of the 'grand comedians of the music-halls'. He had a successful 62-year career and played in over 40 pantomimes.

References

  1. 1 2 Cantell, Mary. "People’s Light & Theatre presents 10th Holiday Panto – Cinderella: A Musical Panto", Montgomery News, November 15, 2013
  2. "The origin of popular pantomime stories", Victoria and Albert Museum website, accessed 10 February 2013
  3. "The History of Pantomime", It's-Behind-You.com, 2002, accessed 10 February 2013
  4. "Zsa Zsa Gabor in Panto Cinderella". LA Times. 1993-12-14.
  5. "About Pantomonium", Pantomonium.org, accessed December 8, 2014
  6. "Stages' Panto Mother Goose". broadwayworld.com. 2012-11-27.; "Preview: Panto Cinderella is a British Tradition". Houston Chronicle. 2008-12-08.; "Panto Bring Texas Laughs to British Genre". Houston Chronicle. 2009-11-09.; "Panto Mine: A New Holiday Tradition Takes Hold in Houston". CultureMap. 2009-12-10.
  7. "Lythgoe Family Productions Presents CINDERELLA, 11/27-12/19". broadwayworld.com. 2010-09-28.
  8. "Panto Baby: A Snow White Christmas opens Nov. 30th". British Weekly. 2011-11-26.
  9. "Theater review: Cinderella Christmas at the El Portal". LA Times. 2011-12-23.
  10. "A Snow White Christmas puts Southern California imprint on British theater tradition". LA Times. 2012-12-11.
  11. "Pasadena Playhouse Mike Stoller and wife gave crucial $1 million". LA Times. 2013-01-23.