DeAnna Cameron's Blog, page 18

Flicker Friday: Historic Footage -- Vaudeville Acts from 1898 to 1910

This is one of the best compilations I've found on the Web of the kind of acts that filled vaudeville theaters in the old days. It's divided into two parts, and both dedicate the first minute to exposition, so I'd suggest jumping in at the 1-minute mark.

Part One includes animal acts -- which, unfortunately, don't hold up so well to modern ideas of animal treatment -- and physical displays. A notable one is Eugen Sandow (at 8:28), who made a fortune flexing his muscles because he had the good fortune of being managed by Florenz Ziegfeld before the Ziegfeld Follies was even a twinkle in that famous impresario's eye.

If you're more of a fan of dance and comedy acts, Part Two is for you. It starts with burlesque and dance acts, including Princess Raja, who performs a great belly dance but is probably best remembered for dancing while hoisting a wooden chair over head using only her teeth. No, I'm not kidding. See for yourself at the 1:46 mark.

Together, these videos offer a great glimpse into the roots of modern entertainment, and I offer my thanks to gallopingalligator for uploading them.

MUSIC ALERT: Turn your sound down or off if you're viewing at work.

Event: Passion And Prose festival

Hey, SoCal readers, have you signed up for Passion & Prose yet?
This fantastic daylong conference will take place Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Westin Long Beach and will bring together 500 romance readers and 50 authors for a full day of conversation and fun -- and I'm thrilled to be part of it.
Keynote speakers will be the amazing Meg Cabot, Christina Dodd, and -- a personal favorite -- Gail Carriger.
Lots of friends from the Orange County RWA chapter will be joining me on the authors roster, too: Kate Carlisle, Maureen Child, Tessa Dare, Sylvia Day, Linda O. Johnston, Debra Mullins, and Laura Wright.
It's going to be great day for readers and authors, and I'd love to see you there!
For more information, check out the event's website: http://www.passionandprose.org/index.cfm

Novel Inspiration: That Old Ragtime Jazz

While I was writing about the vaudeville world of Old New York for my upcoming novel, DANCING AT THE CHANCE, it always helped to have some good old-fashioned ragtime music playing in the background. The music was so integral to so many scenes -- when the performers were onstage, as well as the after-hours gatherings -- that it seemed the music itself became part of the story.

Two songs that actually did become part of the story were Frog Legs Rag, composed by James Scott in 1906, and Maple Leaf Rag, composed by Scott Joplin, which is commonly known as the first instrumental piece to sell more than 1 million copies. I've listened to these compositions countless times, and I never tire of them.

Here are two of my favorite versions:






If you're interested, I've listed other albums I used for inspiration on my website here: http://www.deannacameron.com/DATC/DATCExtras.html

Happy listening!

Flicker Friday: Annabelle's Serpentine Dance

While researching Victorian-era vaudeville and the early days of cinema for DANCING AT THE CHANCE, I spent a lot of time watching the kind of old flickers that appeared in kinetoscope parlors. (Have I mentioned lately how much I love research?) These early films aren't seen much anymore, but they really are wonderful. This one, Annabelle's Serpentine Dance, is one of my favorites, probably because it's a perfect bridge between my longtime love of belly dance and my new passion: vaudeville.

The dancer is Annabelle Moore, who later became (and was more commonly credited as) Annabelle Whitford, and finally Annabelle Whitford Moore Buchan. Her performances were captured on celluloid several times by Edison and Biograph in the 1890s, and those films became some of the most popular views of the day.

If you take a look, you'll see why. The way Annabelle twirls and swirls her skirt is lovely to see -- and quite like the way modern belly dancers use their Isis wings. Yet for me, it's the way she kicks up her heels with abandon -- as if she's dancing for the sheer joy of it -- that really draws me in.

But why take my word for it? You can see for yourself. :)


MUSIC ALERT: The video contains a rousing ragtime soundtrack that you might want to turn off first if you're viewing at work.

Cocktail time: Belly Dancer Cocktail

I was in New Orleans recently and in case you didn't already know this, New Orleans is a town that loves cocktails. On drink menus here you'll find classics like the sazerac and the mint julep next to the usual collection of cosmos and appletinis. You'll find ramos gin fizz and the hurricane, and probably a brandy milk punch, too.

Whenever I visit New Orleans, at least one sazerac is mandatory. On this trip, I also tried absinthe for the first time -- at The Old Absinthe House, which seemed appropriate. I also discovered a great old drink that is my current new favorite: the sidecar (cognac, Cointreau and lemon juice).

So I've been thinking about cocktails more than usual lately and perusing scads of bartender recipes for other lost gems, and I discovered something I cannot believe I have missed up till now:

The Belly Dancer cocktail.

Yes, there is such a thing and before we go any further, let me give credit where it's due. I found the recipe at a site called Alex Cocktail Recipes and it describes the drink as tasting like a "liquid Turkish delight." Of course I was intrigued.

The recipe calls for two measures vodka, two measures chamberyzette or other strawberry liqueur, and one measure rose syrup. I thought the rose syrup would be the tricky ingredient to find, but I found it easily at my local Middle Eastern grocer. I could not find a strawberry liqueur, however, so I substituted a cherry liqueur and hoped for the best.

Add the ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake until the shaker feels cold, and pour into a martini glass. (As you can see from the photo, I substituted an aperitif glass.)

The verdict?

I wanted to love this drink. I really did. But there was something about the strong floral aroma that just didn't sit well with me. Would it have been better if I had found a strawberry liqueur? Maybe, but I doubt it. For me, a belly dance-inspired drink should be sweet and spicy (cinnamon?) not sweet and flowery. So I'm going to continue my search, or maybe come up with a concoction of my own.

If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

Early reviews of Dancing at The Chance

My new novel isn't out yet, but early reviews are rolling in -- and they're coming from some really outstanding authors. I'm thrilled -- and humbled -- by their praise.

Here's one from Christy English, author of THE QUEEN'S PAWN and TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE OF ELEANOR OF AQUITANE:

DANCING AT THE CHANCE took me back to Old New York, when vaudeville still enchanted audiences and Ziegfeld was king. In her second novel, DeAnna Cameron brings the world of 1900's theatre to vibrant life. Part circus, part Shakespeare, part Arabian nights, the Chance Theatre is a place I would love to visit again.

Thank you, Christy!

NaNoWriMo? Done

Reached 50,020 words at 4:07 p.m. Not quite the eleventh hour, but close. And to call what I have a novel would be a stretch. What these 80-plus single-spaced pages are is a beginning. A very rough draft. And a clue about the historical research I still need to do before I can even think about revisions. Luckily, the research is often the best part and for this novel it includes New Orleans, Cajun-Creole cuisine, French explorers and Choctaw Indians. In other words, lots of rich, wonderful stuff, and I can't wait to dig in. But not tonight. And probably not tomorrow, either. After this crash-course rough draft, I need at least a day to rest. And maybe a cold compress for the typing elbow I developed at some point this month. And maybe a glass of wine.
Cheers!

The Belly Dancer's fresh new look

I received this lovely surprise in the mail yesterday: cover flats for the reissue of THE BELLY DANCER. I love the new artwork, don't you? Very pretty.

The release date for the reissue will be March 6, a month before DANCING AT THE CHANCE goes on sale. My editor tells me the reissue will have an excerpt of DANCING AT THE CHANCE, too, to give readers a sneak peek.

BTW, the first-round of copy-edits are done on the new novel and I've been making a list of all the wonderful things I learned about the vaudeville era and Old New York that I'm hoping to put into blog posts soon. If you're as fascinated by these early performers as I am, I think you're going to enjoy them.

Dancing at The Chance cover

DANCING AT THE CHANCE, my new historical novel about a down-and-out vaudeville theater in turn-of-the-last-century New York, won't be out till April, but the cover is ready to go. I'm so excited!

Mission Viejo Readers Festival 2011

I'll be at the West Hollywood Book Fair all day tomorrow -- mostly signing books at the Historical Novel Society/L.A. Chapter's booth -- so I have a full day of chores today. But that was no reason to entirely miss the Mission Viejo Readers Festival. I was too early any of the speakers (Molly Shannon, Cornelia Funke and Jamie Ford to name just a few), but I did have an hour to walk the grounds at the Norman T. Miller Community Center. As you can see, it's a great event.

The entrance The balloon man in front of Within Reach Learning Center
Book Corral's booth
Giant chalkboard for visitors to write the title of their favorite book