"Leaving was my sister's choice. I would have to make my own. All Harriet Szász has ever known is life onstage with her sister, Josie. As "The Sisters Sweet," they pose as conjoined twins in a vaudeville act conceived of by their ambitious parents, who were once themselves theatrical stars. But after Josie exposes the family's fraud and runs away to Hollywood, Harriet must learn to live out of the spotlight--and her sister's shadow. As Josie's star...

"Jokes change from generation to generation, but the experience of the stand-up comedian transcends the ages: the striving and struggles, the tragedy and triumph. From the Marx Brothers to Milton Berle, George Carlin to Eddie Murphy, Conan O'Brien to Louis C. K.--comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff presents a century of fascinating rebels, forgotten stars, and characters on the precipice of fame in this essnetial history of American comedy."--Book jacket....

"The story of a vaudeville troupe that makes its way to Western mining towns"--

On her eighteenth birthday, Hilde leaves her orphanage in 1930s Berlin, and heads out into the world to discover her place in it. But finding a job is hard, at least until she stumbles into Café Lila, a vibrant cabaret full of expressive customers. Rosa, one of the club's waitresses and performers, immediately takes Hilde under her wing. As the café denizens slowly embrace Hilde, and she embraces them in turn, she discovers her voice and her own...

Mama Rose lives to see her younger daughter, June, succeed on Broadway by way of vaudeville. But, June runs away and gets married. Rose then turns her hope and attention to her elder, less obviously talented, daughter Louise. However, having her headlining as a stripper at Minsky's Burlesque is not what she initially has in mind. Louise changes her name to Gypsy Rose Lee. She has a volatile relationship with her overly ambitious mother.

Babes in arms: Learning that his parents are in financial straits, the son of a famous vaudeville team rounds up all the stage kids and puts on a lavish show to raise money. The future looks rosy until a hurricane washes the whole enterprise away on opening night. Strike up the band: Jimmy and Mary are two talented high school students ready and eager to climb the ladder of success. He's a band leader and she's his lovelorn singer. Together they...

In Easter parade, Don Hewes and Nadine Hale are a dancing team, but on the day before Easter she refuses to sign a new contract with him. In Meet me in St. Louis, Tte well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. The family is shocked when Mr. Smith reveals that he has been transfered to a nice position in New York. In Singin' in the rain, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the darlings of the silent silver...

Fanny Brice goes from being an unknown in whom no one believes, to become the star of the Ziegfeld Follies. On the way, she falls in love and marries Nick Arnstein, a handsome gambler whose luck doesn't hold up.

The tale of Rupert, a lovable trained squirrel who unknowingly helps a family of vaudeville performers who are down on their luck.