Elk & Showman Tony Pastor The “Father of Vaudeville” Pastor and his brothers, William and Pastor is best remembered today for his ties to Fernando, were involved with the vaudeville. This historianʼs account is typical: Most Elks know Elks almost from the beginning. They their order was originally appear, respectively, on theElks initial The most immediate roots of vaudeville … a drinking club called the Jolly membership role as numbers 135, 318, and were in the concert saloon, from which it Corks, founded in New York in 1867 8. Fernando, member # 8, was especially drew its audience , structure, and performers. by the English comic singer Charles enthusiastic, but died of consumption in In virtually all accounts, the key fi gure in its Vivian. Some Elks even know the 1876 at thirty-three. development was ʻthe father of vaudeville,ʼ names and occupations of the fi fteen Tony Pastor. … In 1865, he opened Pastorʼs “original Jolly Corks.” But there Tony Pastor brought his knack for 201 Bowery Opera House, and he spent the was a common denominator for most organization to the Elks. As an early next ten years successfully riding a fi ne line of these performers that is less known historian of the order relates, “Brother between retaining his concert saloon base and today: Tony Pastor. Pastor was … the maker of the motion to trying to expand his audience. (JC 132-3) create a Grand Lodge, which formed the The History of the Order of Elks beginning of the present Order of Elks.” Pastor walked this line by attempting to bring reports that “just before the Tony Pastor, showman (CE 327) His signature is featured more women into the audience, at fi rst with holidays--Charles Vivian [& prominently on the Grand Lodge special, family-friendly matinee performances, fellow Corks] returning one Charter. and then by making his evening shows more afternoon from a funeral of a friend--Ted Quinn, “chaste.” This emphasis on bringing in women, of local concert hall fame--dropped into Tony which could potentially double his audiences, Pastor's. There they found Billy Gray, Tony accelerated when he moved his theater from and 'Dody' Pastor, John Fielding and William the Bowery to Broadway in 1875. By 1885 had Sheppard, who became interested in the story of succeeded in creating what one newspaper noted the 'Jolly Corks,' and all of them strolled over was “the only vaudeville theatre in New York that from Pastor's to 'Sandy' Spencer's, where they is patronized by the ladies.” (PZ 85) This would found George F. McDonald and others. change in the 1890s as vaudeville— thanks in no small part to Pastorʼs pioneering efforts—found After hearing the story of the funeral the 'Jolly its legs and began to fl ourish. Corks' had attended, McDonald suggested that the organization should become a 'protective and In addition to helping benevolent society.' During the next week or ten form the Grand days McDonald broached the idea to a number Lodge, Pastor was of Jolly Corks ...” (WP 12). Pastor was born in New York City, and drawn to an incorporator of show business from an early age. At one point his the Actorʼs Fund, a father sent him to the countryside in an effort to charity organization curb his boyhood penchant for performance, but for performers. He also the fi eld hands were so distracted with laughing helped many people at his impromptu antics that he was sent back. launch their careers. As he grew older, Tony Pastor performed for In addition to a good P.T. Barnum and was featured prominently at many Corks and Elks, Lillian Russell “the 444,” a concert Pastor discovered and saloon which was promoted 1890s siren Lillian Russell, and then managed by George M. Cohan, later celebrated in Yankee Robert Butler. This is Doodle Dandy. the same man who later gave our founder, Late in life Pastor became an avuncular fi gure: Charles Vivian, his recognized and revered, but also eclipsed by the U.S. premier at Robert success of the very variety industry he pioneered. Butlerʼs American After his 1907 funeral, his remains were That the Jolly Corks would go by Tony Pastorʼs Theater. conveyed to the Brooklyn Lodge of the Elks, Opera House on 201 Bowery is no surprise. where they lay in state In the winter of 1867 and spring of 1868, the Pastor fi rst made a until a special ceremony period when the Elks were founded, many Corks name for himself as the next afternoon. were associated with Pastorʼs: William Carleton a comic singer and The Mirror newspaper was singing his native Irish songs there, and performer at the 444. In reported that “The G.W. Thompson began an engagement in The particular, he was known for his pro-Union spacious clubhouse of Shipwrecked Sailor. patriotism. He seems to have been the fi rst the Elks was crowded stage performer to have ended his performances to suffocation and The Black Crook, which scandalized New York with a sing-along-version of the “Star-Spangled thousands of people with its “large number of female legs,” was Banner,” a practice that became a personal stood in the street parodied by Pastorʼs The White Crook, in which trademark. Caricature of Pastor during the services.” Corks Thomas G. Riggs, George F. McDonald, 400 members of the and William Sheppard played the respective Pastor was pro-draft at a time when this was New York Elks Lodge walked several blocks roles of Black Crook starlets Rosina Paganini, a dangerous stance, especially with the Irish as an escort during the funeral procession to Marie Bonfanti, and Betty Rigl. Apparently, the immigrants who formed a signifi cant portion of Evergreens Cemetery, Brooklyn. (PZ 111) Early Elks werenʼt adverse to appearing on stage his audience. In 1863, New York City erupted —Warren Hedges, BPOE #944, 2004 in a dress! into draft riots, lynchings, and street battles with References police that did not subside until federal troops CE: Charles Ellis. An Authentic History of the BPOE Even our founder, Charles Algernon Sidney intervened. At least once when Pastor sang a 1910. OD: George OʼDell. Annals of the New York Stage Vivian, appeared at Pastorʼs on April 20th, 1868, pro-draft song, a cordon of bartenders had to vol. 8, 1936. JC: Jim Cullen. The Art of Democracy: A along with The Dry Goods Clerks of New York and struggle for several minutes to eject cat-calling, Concise History of Popular Culture in the U.S. 1996. Pastorʼs “troupe of performing dogs and monkeys.” object-hurling members of the audience. (PZ 1- PZ: Parker Zellers. Tony Pastor, Dean of the Vaudeville Stage 1971. WP: William Phillips, 1922, reprinted in (OD 353-5) 22) James Nicholson, History of the Order of Elks 1992. .