variety acts
Vaudeville show lineup
Variety acts are entertainment performances of diverse types—magic, juggling, acrobatics, comedy, ventriloquism, trained animals—typically presented in sequence as part of a larger show.
The term evokes vaudeville and music hall traditions, where audiences expected a rotating assortment of short, distinct performances rather than a single sustained production: The talent show featured variety acts ranging from plate spinning to stand-up comedy.
- theaterVenue for live drama
- puppetryManipulating figures for shows
- comedyWork meant to amuse
- vaudevilleTheatrical variety entertainment
- ventriloquismSpeaking through apparent others
magic · music hall · circus arts · burlesque · clowning · cabarets · humor · mime · illusionism · escape artist · knife throwing · fire breathing · circuses · juggling · plate spinning · sideshow · surprise · acrobatics
- entertainerssingers, actor, dancers, musicians, singer
- entertainmentmovie, movies, films, band, television
- stage comedyslapstick, pratfalls, sketches, skits, vaudeville
- talent competitionstalent show, talent shows, auditions, judges panel, golden buzzer
- variety showsSaturday Night Live, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, Laugh-In, The Muppet Show
- cabaretcabaret, cancan, showgirls, burlesque, Moulin Rouge
variety actsopera
Theatrical art combining song
one-man show · ballet · straight play · book musical · feature film
variety actsrepertory theater
Venue rotating multiple productions
solo performance · narrative arc · chamber music · lecture · stand-up special
variety, acts, varied, various, vary, varies, varying, varietal, variation