vaudeville

His new vaudeville show, “Mister Romantic,” came from a moment of deep reflection.

As a local kid growing up near the theater, he would walk by and stare in awe at the 1,400-seat venue that showcased vaudeville performances when it opened in 1925.

With his country twang and aw-shucks mannerisms belying a keen intellect, he was the lasso-roping star of vaudeville and Broadway stage.

Rose, the archetypal stage mother determined to launch her daughters into the spotlight she was denied, is hustling June and Louise on the vaudeville circuit in the 1920s through the early 1930s.

The second act begins to drag with slapdash vaudeville showcases that seem like sops to the performers.