In the pre-Hollywood era, thaetrical stars flocked to the New Jersey coast to escape the eastern cities' sweltering heat. After performing from September to May, they relsihed its tranquil beauty and cool breezes in the summer. This unique book spotlights dozens of the stars from the 1860s to the 1920s, including Maggie Mitchell, Lillie Langtry, Nate Salsbury, Lillian Nordica, and Robert B. Mantell, to name just a few. Count Basie and Arthur Pryorwere among the musicians, celebrities, and vaudevillains in these seashore communities. Overviews of the Jersey shore theatres, Broadway tryouts, and technologies that changed entertainment are discussed at length.
