Staging Vaudeville for a Twenty-First-Century Audience
Among the first to deliver songs in a personal way was Ohioborn Clarice Vance . Originally known as a “ tough girl ” who stomped onto the stage and sang in a stentorian way , “ hard , loud and faultless in articulation ,” in 1900 , Vance tried a more subdued approach . At Keith ’ s Bijou in Philadelphia , Vance surprised audiences with a performance of a popular song free of shouting . She was one of the earliest singers to shift attention to her vocal quality , her crisp diction , and lyricism . Her lightened , sweetened sound did not excite the gallery as it did when she bellowed a story , but she claimed to be more satisfied with her work . “ I find my audience enjoy the quiet , modest way in which I sing my songs more than they do the blustery , knockabout shouting style generally used in the rendition of coon songs ,” Vance explained . In her view , the new more personal songs , which she called “ ragtime ” “ should be sung on the stage like they would be in the parlor .” Similarly , singer Nora Bayes proved a big hit with vaudeville audiences with her “ forward ,” highly personal approach to song , something more suited , one manager initially thought , to a club or cabaret . Her style was “ not particularly pleasing to an older theater goer ,” a manager explained , when she broke into vaudeville in 1904 , but she worked in a “ gingery way ” and gained “ really good applause .” 27
As singer Blanche Ring made clear , the new style evolved because of the need to express one ’ s personality in vaudeville . It became more important to convey intimacy and to draw audience attention to the stage than to make sure everyone heard the words of a story . In fact , words became less important than the feelings being conveyed . In the variety theater you have to “ give it to them plainly . Give it to them so that they must get it whether they are listening or not ,” she told Variety in 1909 . People often asked her how she was able to “ swing an audience along ?” Ring said the answer was getting
225