In 1918, Broadway saw numerous musical revues produced and performed by Army and Navy recruits, who sang and danced on the New York stage, some while dressed as chorus girls. The men’s female impersonation may seem at odds with their identity as soldiers soon to depart for Europe, yet audiences found these performances touching, even in their hilarity. “Beneath the rollick of dancing, song, and horseplay runs a deeper, more persistent feeling,” a critic noted, “which touches it all with heroism, even a simple manly beauty.” This lecture will explore the role female impersonation had within shows like Irving Berlin’s Yip Yip Yaphank! and consider what these soldiers’ performances meant for World War I servicemen and the audiences they entertained.
