Murder at the Tremont Theatre
Frank Cullen, the author of Vaudeville: Old and New, the one contemporary book I would place above mine as the ultimate vaudeville resource (and that’s because it’s a reference book–a damned thorough one at that), has now branched out into the realm of historical mystery fiction. He sets his tale in Boston, his native town (which is where his American Vaudeville Museum was based for many years), in the year 1908. By then, Boston-based vaudeville managers Keith and Albee are the kings of a national chain, and Cullen’s book is a vivid picture of what life was like on that chain, from the theatrical boarding house, to the luxury suite of a star, to the dressing room, to the back office, to the stage. No one knows Boston or vaudeville like Frank Cullen, so expect a rich tapestry of detail. And murder? Well, this is a new rub, and lovers of old black and whites know there is no better setting for a nice Gothic murder than a gaslit theatre. Frank’s history is better than his mystery, but in the fashion of old vaudeville, he’s working on the act. His next vaudeville mystery starring the Porridge Sisters, entitled Mystery at the Old Howard, has already been announced.
