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Minstrel Show Audiences

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  • #1

    Minstrel Show Audiences

    We've been lucky in the past few years that the availability and quality of minstrel shows has gone way up. Given the relatively limited documented repertoire however, I'm finding that I now know most of the songs. In fact, last night on my way back from Shaker Village, I simply couldn't get "Tobacco Rosie" out of my head.

    My questions are, as an audience member, how many of these songs might I have known? Would I have sung along to those I knew? Or, would the band be expected to be offering new material each time they came through town? In other words, would my reaction be "Oooh, I love this one!" or "What a wonderful new song"?
    Last edited by Deborah Hyland; 09-25-2006, 08:47 AM.
    Regards,
    Deborah Hyland
    dance mistress
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

    I'm no expert, but an excellent book about the impact of the early minstrel craze upon American society is "The Demons of Disorder, Early Blackface Minstrels and their World," by Dale Cockrell.

    He has a chaper devoted to documented instances of people singing and quoting minstrel songs as they go about their daily lives. Some minstrel quotes even come up in court cases.

    Hope this helps.
    [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Carl Anderton[/FONT]

    [FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="2"]"A very good idea of the old style of playing may be formed by referring to the [I]Briggs Banjo Instructor."[/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
    [FONT="Palatino Linotype"][B]Albert Baur, Sgt., Co. A, 102nd Regiment, NY Volunteer Infantry.[/B][/FONT]

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    • #3
      Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

      You mean people actually put on Minstrel Shows?
      Rick Bailey
      Melodian Banjoist from Allendale and Founder of Waffle Schnapps.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

        Originally posted by Amtmann
        You mean people actually put on Minstrel Shows?
        Oh they're fun, so long as you're not a stickler for political correctness.
        - Pvt. S. Martin Aksentowitz
        1st California Co. F
        Carleton's Cannibals

        [CENTER][COLOR="Red"]Angst kommt; da werden sie Heil suchen, aber es wird nicht zu finden sein.- HESEKIEL 7.25[/COLOR][/CENTER]

        [CENTER]"To day we. . . stopped a few minutes to examine the crumbling ruins the walls were defaced with Texians traitors names and Texican Braggodocia but nary a Texican thare to answer to his name or make good his writing on the wall."
        -Eli W. Hazen, 1st California Vol. Inf.[/CENTER]

        [RIGHT][COLOR="Silver"]"Credo Quio Absurdum" - ECV[/COLOR][/RIGHT]

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        • #5
          Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

          I can't believe people would do such a thing.
          Rick Bailey
          Melodian Banjoist from Allendale and Founder of Waffle Schnapps.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

            Just remember there is NO show at 9:30!
            Cheers :D
            Terry Sorchy

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            • #7
              Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

              I may have to watch one sometime, if I can ever find one being performed.
              Rick Bailey
              Melodian Banjoist from Allendale and Founder of Waffle Schnapps.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                Originally posted by Amtmann
                I may have to watch one sometime, if I can ever find one being performed.
                I see you're planning on attending Perryville?

                Linda
                Linda Trent
                [email]linda_trent@att.net[/email]

                “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble.
                It’s what you know that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                  Yes I am. I hadn't heard about one being performed there though.
                  Rick Bailey
                  Melodian Banjoist from Allendale and Founder of Waffle Schnapps.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                    I will warn you though, you attend one of these shows and you'll be singing the songs every day for the next year or two, or three.

                    Linda
                    Linda Trent
                    [email]linda_trent@att.net[/email]

                    “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble.
                    It’s what you know that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                      Originally posted by Amtmann
                      I may have to watch one sometime, if I can ever find one being performed.
                      Rick, you'd do well to purchase replacement keyboards in bulk for several dozen of us who howled with genuine laughter over a couple of your posts on this thread. :D
                      [B]Charles Heath[/B]
                      [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]heath9999@aol.com[/EMAIL]

                      [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Spanglers_Spring_Living_History/"]12 - 14 Jun 09 Hoosiers at Gettysburg[/URL]

                      [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]17-19 Jul 09 Mumford/GCV Carpe Eventum [/EMAIL]

                      [EMAIL="beatlefans1@verizon.net"]31 Jul - 2 Aug 09 Texans at Gettysburg [/EMAIL]

                      [EMAIL="JDO@npmhu.org"] 11-13 Sep 09 Fortress Monroe [/EMAIL]

                      [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elmira_Death_March/?yguid=25647636"]2-4 Oct 09 Death March XI - Corduroy[/URL]

                      [EMAIL="oldsoldier51@yahoo.com"] G'burg Memorial March [/EMAIL]

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                      • #12
                        Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                        I think I was involved in the first such show at Shaker Village. John Issacson put it together. If I remember correctly it was called (for fear of political problems) the Great Sock Blousing Conference..... :D. I have to ask is the great confernce still remembered? Seems so long ago now....I am feeleing really old.
                        [FONT="Book Antiqua"]George Wunderlich
                        Executive Director
                        National Museum of Civil War Medicine and
                        The Letterman Institute [/FONT]

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                          Originally posted by Charles Heath
                          Rick, you'd do well to purchase replacement keyboards in bulk for several dozen of us who howled with genuine laughter over a couple of your posts on this thread. :D
                          I don't know why that would happen.

                          I went to Perryville and STILL didn't see a Minstrel Show.

                          Oh well... maybe some other time.
                          Last edited by Amtmann; 10-08-2006, 08:09 PM.
                          Rick Bailey
                          Melodian Banjoist from Allendale and Founder of Waffle Schnapps.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                            I went to the 8:00pm show and had a great time. The Tarven after dark had great Refreshments , the Minstrel show was awesome, Iam still wondering were I can find some powdered mummy and the dancer at the bank made the trip to Perryville worth wild. I would like to thank all the civilians for all their hard work putting on and setting up the village of Perryville.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Minstrel Show Audiences

                              I must have mispoken. I meant, of course, reeanctors singing the songs that might have been sung at either a minstrel or variety show. You know, like Steven Foster songs. :wink_smil

                              I was looking for a period reaction to the songs. My current favorite reaction to a tableau is what might have been shouted out between 2 gentlemen separated by a full house in the theater upon seeing the unveiling of a greek slave princess:
                              "Did you see that, Higg?"
                              "I saw it!"
                              Regards,
                              Deborah Hyland
                              dance mistress

                              Comment

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