Famous Players – Vaudeville History in Winnipeg
Sources
Winnipeg Theatres:
180 Market Street (Pantages Playhouse), City of Winnipeg Historic Report.
Orpheum Theatre, Manitoba Historical Society.
Strand Theatre/ Strand Theatre No. 1/ Beacon Theatre, Manitoba Historical Society.
Behind The Photo: Masquers Club at Dominion Theatre (1935), West End Dumplings (Christian Cassidy).
James B. Hartman, On Stage: Theatre and Theatres in Early Winnipeg, Manitoba History.
A History of the Pantages Playhouse Theatre, West End Dumplings (Christian Cassidy).
Vaudeville Performers
Photographic Souvenir of the Winnipeg Kiddies, Undated. Peels Prairie Provinces.
Pictorial Souvenir of the Original Winnipeg Kiddies, Undated. Peels Prairie Provinces.
Behind the Photo: Bob Hope Invades Winnipeg
Charlie Chaplin in Winnipeg, Winnipeg Real Estate News (Bruce Cherney). Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4
Christian Cassidy, Kid Nearly Made it Big, Winnipeg Free Press.
Thomas Pasko, Limelight to Twilight, The Uniter.
Houdini’s Great Winnipeg Escape, West End Dumplings (Christian Cassidy).
Marjorie Guthrie, Manitoba Historical Society.
General Sources:
Grant Simpson, The Vaudeville Connection, Winnipeg Free Press
100 Years Ago in Winnipeg Vaudeville, Prairie Vaudeville (Grant Simpson).
Biography of William Blake Lawrence, Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
Susie Strachan, Variety At Heart of Vaudeville Camp, Winnipeg Free Press.
Sabrina takes Alex and Nick through the wonderful world of vaudeville in Winnipeg with the help of vaudeville performer Grant Simpson. Vaudeville held a major place in Winnipeg’s heart at the turn of the 20th century as one of North America’s most popular forms of theatre, with a handful of theatres and hundreds of exciting acts – including Harry Houdini, Charlie Chaplin, and more!
Listen to the full episode :
About Grant Simpson
Grant started entertaining professionally at age 17. Be began by playing piano in pubs, restaurants and clubs around Vancouver Island. In 1978, when he was 19 he was asked to write the music for a play that was being produced at the Malaspina College Theatre Department.
At age 20 he was hired by Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Casino in Dawson City Yukon to be the pianist for the floor shows. There were four shows a night between 8:00 pm and 2:00 am.
The following year, Grant was recruited into the Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue as musical director, a position he held for 14 years until he eventually bought half of the company and became owner, producer and director.
In 2017, after 38 years of vaudeville with the Follies, Grant started his own company “Grant Simpson Vaudeville Productions” and ran two season of large – full scale vaudeville shows with rotating headliners each week.
Grant is also the composer/lyricist along with Roy Ness (Book and Lyrics) of “Dogtown the Musical”, which was released at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in 2016 with a full cast and orchestra.
In 2018 Grant became a Winnipeger and has been performing as a solo act. He specializes in entertainment for 55+ and Older Adults. For more information and for booking info, go to the contact page
Grant also founded Prairie Vaudeville dedicated to the preservation and performance of vaudeville. Besides performing, Grant also gives historical talks and has a weekly radio show on CJNU Nostalgia 93.7. He also presents silent movies and plays silent-movie behind the movie. For information on any of these programs, goto: www.prairievaudeville.com or email prairievaudeville@gmail.com
