Unlike with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1918 influenza pandemic was seen as a short-term inconvenience. The musical culture returned to normal when theatres and music halls reopened in 1919. That was not the same for music performers who often lost…
Similar to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the 1918 influenza pandemic shut down all entertainment across the U.S., from movie theaters to vaudeville houses.
Throughout history, from Shakespeare to the Marx Brothers, pandemics have interrupted entertainment. While performers and venues had to deal with the economical outcome, traditionally works that were born from the tragedy seldom used the event as…