| Description |
vii, 189 pages : illustrations ; 28 cm |
| Summary |
Although it’s a small town, Streator’s contributions to the world of entertainment are legendary. The top of the list belongs to Honey Boy Evans, a Streator lad who became America’s greatest minstrel. He was known and respected throughout the country, and was supremely talented and successful. Today we’d call him a superstar and he could have gone far, but death touched him early and he died at 45. The Streator Zouaves were a sensational stage act; America’s best drill team. They were often the top-billed act in the best Vaudeville houses of the day and the stars of circuses, encampments and expositions. The book includes a brief history of Vaudeville and the minstrel show, those uniquely American styles of entertainment. The story of Streator’s playhouses is also explored, and another character is introduced, a dancer by the name of Estralita who played on the Vaudeville circuit in the ‘20s and beyond. She left behind in Streator a concise summary of her career in the form of sixteen rare publicity photographs. These are incorporated, along with rare images drawn from local and international sources and the author’s own collection. |
| Subject |
Streator (Ill.) -- History.
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Vaudeville -- Illinois -- Streator.
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Minstrel shows.
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Music-halls (Variety-theaters, cabarets, etc.) -- Illinois -- Streator.
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| ISBN |
9781502700216 |
|
1502700212 |
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