Revue

Revue
Name	Revue
Genre	Musical revue
Originated	Paris, France
Year	19th century
Related	Vaudeville, Cabaret, Music hall, Broadway, West End

Revue

A revue is a multi-act theatrical entertainment combining music, dance, and sketches, often satirical and topical, that developed in late 19th-century Paris and became prominent on the stages of London, New York City, and other cultural capitals. Revues attracted composers, lyricists, actors, choreographers, and designers associated with Opéra-Comique, Folies Bergère, Moulin Rouge, Ziegfeld Follies, and later with institutions such as Carnegie Hall and the Garrick Theatre. Revues influenced the evolution of musical theatre, intersecting with figures from Gilbert and Sullivan to Cole Porter and companies like Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques.

Etymology and definitions

The term derives from the French word for "review" and entered theatrical vocabulary in Paris during the Belle Époque alongside venues such as Théâtre des Variétés and Théâtre de la Gaîté. Early definitional boundaries involved comparisons with Vaudeville, Burlesque, and Cabaret; critics and impresarios in London and New York City debated distinctions in outlets including The Times and The New York Times. Dictionaries and lexicons produced in France and Britain catalogued the form alongside works associated with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec posters and the production aesthetics of Charles B. Cochran and Florenz Ziegfeld.

History

Roots can be traced to Parisian entertainments such as Comédie-Française revues and the spectacle tradition of Félix Faure's era, with precursors in the tableaux and satire staged at Théâtre du Palais-Royal. The form matured through the late 19th century in venues like the Folies Bergère and the Moulin Rouge, then migrated to London music halls and to New York City theatres. Notable early producers included Charles B. Cochran in London and Florenz Ziegfeld in New York City whose Ziegfeld Follies blended theatrical spectacle with celebrity culture. During the interwar years, revues became vehicles for composers such as Noël Coward, Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin, and Cole Porter, and featured performers linked to Gertrude Lawrence, Bob Hope, and Josephine Baker. Governments and cultural institutions in United Kingdom, United States, and France responded to wartime exigencies by sponsoring morale-boosting revues, aligning with tours associated with ENSA and events tied to World War I and World War II.

Forms and genres

Revues evolved into several strands: the spectacle revue epitomized by the Ziegfeld Follies and the Folies Bergère, the political and satirical revue exemplified by works staged near Savoy Theatre and on Off-Broadway circuits, and the literary or cabaret revue associated with Noël Coward and the Algonquin Round Table milieu. Other subgenres intersected with Burlesque circuits in Manhattan and with variety formats on Ed Sullivan Show-era television. Regional traditions flourished: British music-hall revues featured material from George Bernard Shaw–era culture; Argentine and Brazilian revuistas drew on Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro theatrical customs linked to Carlos Gardel and samba theater; Japanese and Korean revues later synthesized Western models with indigenous performance, appearing in venues akin to Kabuki and Takarazuka Revue aesthetics.

Production and performance

Producing a revue required collaboration among impresarios, librettists, composers, choreographers, scenic designers, costume houses, and orchestras. Notable collaborators included arrangers associated with Irving Berlin, orchestrators who worked with Gershwin siblings, and choreographers influenced by Martha Graham and Bob Fosse. Technical demands often involved large ensembles, elaborate set changes for houses like London Palladium and Radio City Music Hall, and the integration of emerging media—film inserts and, later, television broadcasts on networks such as NBC and BBC Television Service. Casting mixed stars and novelty acts drawn from vaudeville circuits, circus performers from companies like Cirque du Soleil in later adaptations, and specialty comedians linked to The Marx Brothers and Laurel and Hardy.

Notable revues and companies

Historically influential revues and producing organizations include the Folies Bergère, the Moulin Rouge, the Ziegfeld Follies, the Garrick Gaieties, and the British revues staged by Charles B. Cochran and C. B. Cochran Presents. Composers and shows of note: revues featuring songs by Cole Porter (including material performed by Ethel Merman), works associated with Noël Coward such as those showcasing Gertrude Lawrence, and American revues on Broadway featuring arrangements by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. 20th-century companies that preserved and adapted the form include institutions like Royal Shakespeare Company when mounting satirical revues, festivals in Edinburgh where fringe revues emerged, and touring troupes managed by impresarios such as Lew Leslie.

Cultural impact and legacy

Revues influenced the development of musical theatre and popular song, serving as launchpads for stars who moved into film, radio, and television—including performers linked to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox. The revue tradition informed television variety programming exemplified by The Ed Sullivan Show and shaped nightclub entertainment in cities such as Las Vegas and Monte Carlo. Scholars of performance link revues to shifts in taste around Modernism and mass culture debates involving critics from The New Yorker and cultural institutions like the Museum of Modern Art. Contemporary revues appear in university settings and fringe festivals, influencing satirical theatre companies and sketch ensembles tied to Saturday Night Live alumni and to comedy troupes originating from Second City and Groundlings.

Category:Musical theatre genres