On this day in comedy on January 31, 1843 The Virginia Minstrels debuted the first Minstrel Show
When unemployed white entertainers Dan Emmett, Billy Whitlock, Dick Pelham and Frank Brower got together to figure out what to do next, they had no idea they’d start a national movement. Minstrelsy became the biggest organic American art form to that date. Administering blackface and red lips had taken place before by solo acts and blackface singers, but what made this collaboration special was now the antics would be specialized by a group. There would be elaborate costumes, choreographed routines and most importantly there would be a catchy name for this troupe – The Virginia Minstrels or Virginia Serenaders (if the first one wasn’t catchy enough for you).
In no time the gimmick caught fire. Their try out was in the pool hall of New York’s Branch Hotel. That show was free and when nobody threw anything at them or complained they asked for money for the next show; their grand premiere. That performance took place at the Chatham Theatre and was the official kick-off of the Minstrel Era. They were a smash hit; flailing about the stage with over exaggerated dialects and degrading songs – the crowd couldn’t get enough. They were immediately booked into the Bowery Amphitheater for a long run and from there The Virginia Minstrels were off on a tour of the East, North and South.
The Virginia Minstrels were pioneers. They popularized enduring folk songs such as “Jimmy Crack Corn” and “Old Dan Tucker” and thanks to their success, black minstrel troupes sprung up during the Civil War and enjoyed equal if not greater success than their white counterparts. The era ended in the late 1920s even though there were still stubborn individuals going around in public settings beyond that period with smeared on blackface, painted on lips and looking utterly ridiculous for all to see. #TedDanson
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Take a listen to this clip:
