The Virginia Minstrels or Virginia Serenaders was a group of 19th-century

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

entertainers who helped invent the entertainment form known as the

minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...

. Led by

Dan Emmett Daniel Decatur Emmett (October 29, 1815June 28, 1904) was an American songwriter, entertainer, and founder of the first troupe of the blackface minstrel tradition, the Virginia Minstrels. He is most remembered as the composer of the song "Dixie" ...

, the original lineup consisted of Emmett, Billy Whitlock, Dick Pelham, and

Frank Brower Francis Marion Brower (November 20, 1823 – June 4, 1874) was an American blackface performer active in the mid-19th century. Brower began performing blackface song-and-dance acts in circuses and variety shows when he was 13. He eventually intro ...

. After a successful try-out in the billiard parlor of the Branch Hotel on

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. ...

, the group is said to have premiered to a paying audience nearby at the Chatham Theatre, probably on January 31, 1843. They followed with a brief run at the

Bowery Amphitheater The Bowery Amphitheatre was a building in the Bowery neighborhood of New York City. It was located at 37 and 39 Bowery, across the street from the Bowery Theatre. Under a number of different names and managers, the structure served as a circus, me ...

in early February before an expanded schedule of venues.

Early beginnings

Dan Emmett and Frank Brower both toured with The Cincinnati Circus Company during the spring of 1841. It was there that their friendship first began. Dan learned to play the banjo, and Frank accompanied him in the new song "Old Tar River." In early November 1841, the playbills announced Dan Emmett as a performer. Dan and Frank then turned to New York City. As they were already quite respected, it did not take long for them to gain fame in New York. They began performing at the Chatham Theatre with a third performer named Pierce. It is assumed that Frank and Pierce danced to Dan's banjo accompaniment, which sometimes included vocal lines from one of the performers who wasn't dancing. Frank briefly left the group in the middle of December 1842. Emmett and Pierce continued to perform and were billed as "the renowned Minstrel and his Little Darkey Ariel." A few weeks later, Dan Emmett and Frank Brower teamed up with Bill Whitlock and Dick Pelham, who were also popular blackface comedians. Bill Whitlock describes their formation as a happy accident, as Dan Emmett and Bill Whitlock were practicing together, and Frank Brower and Dick Pelham happened to come by and visit, joining in the practice session. After practicing for a while, they took their instruments down to the Branch Hotel and performed for the first time as the Virginia Minstrels.

Troupe members

- founding member and Bones (instrument) player, as well as banjo. Most famous for writing the song

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cove ...

- toured with Dan in the circus, and would commonly accompany him in acts. Mainly a banjo player. Billy Whitlock - would typically practice fiddle with Dan before he started the troupe. Was a large success in New York before the start of the troupe. Dick Pelham - most established dancer out of the troupe. Played several instruments as well.

Changes to the minstrel show

The main difference between the Virginia Minstrels and earlier minstrel shows was the type of performance the audience experienced. Their marketing and presentation on stage resembled that of the

Hutchinson Family Singers The Hutchinson Family Singers were an American family singing group who became the most popular American entertainers of the 1840s. The group sang in four-part harmony a repertoire of political, social, comic, sentimental and dramatic works, a ...

, a group earning at least ten times the performance fees paid to minstrel troupes. While the Virginia Minstrels weren't the first blackface performers to band together and present a show, they were the first to present a concert.

Critical reception

The change of perception from being a variety show to being a concert afforded the Virginia Minstrels with patrons of a slightly upper class. Their work was deemed as refined and a breath of fresh air in the New York scene. One critic wrote: "Chaste, Pleasing and Elegant!" - "The Virginia Minstrels, who have been giving their novel and refined concerts at the Temple in Boston, and have been so liberally patronized by the elite of that city, beg most respectfully to announce to the Ladies and Gentlemen of Worcester, that they intend giving their last concert at Brinley Hall, on Wednesday eve'g, Mar. 22" The editorial that accompanied this notice stated "The harmony and skill with which the banjo, violin, castinets, and tambourine are blended by these truly original minstrels, in their Ethiopian characters, is a redeeming feature to this species of amusement, and cannot fail of making it acceptable to the most refined and sensitive audience."

Significant works

Unlike earlier blackface acts that featured solo singers or dancers, the Virginia Minstrels appeared as a group in blackface and what would become iconic costumes and performed more elaborate shows. In March 1843 they appeared in Welch's Olympic Circus as part of an equestrian act. Although they primarily appeared within a larger schedule of entertainment in their earliest months, they surely were the first minstrels to also be hired to perform by themselves at smaller venues. Among other things, they are credited with the songs " Jimmy Crack Corn" and "

Old Dan Tucker "Old Dan Tucker," also known as "Ole Dan Tucker," "Dan Tucker," and other variants, is an American popular song. Its origins remain obscure; the tune may have come from oral tradition, and the words may have been written by songwriter and perfor ...

", which passed into American folk culture.

References

External links

Bussongs.com
{{Authority control 1843 establishments in the United States Blackface minstrel troupes American comedy troupes