Rhythm & Pep: the Vaudeville Career of the Pearson Brothers

Two Clarinda, Iowa, boys, Earl and Carl Pearson, left their father's coal mining operation in 1915 to strike out on their own and start a vaudeville act. They practiced their routine in an old barn near the Shenandoah depot, and by 1916, they performed their first show in the Essex, Iowa, Opera House. Little did they know how far they would go.

By 1920, the two brothers, along with Earl's wife, Cleo Newport, were performing at the Palace Theatre in New York on the Big Time vaudeville circuit, and later they performed in Washington, D.C., for President Woodrow Wilson. They became famous in the vaudeville world.

Daniel Henderson, who is the author of a new book about them, hails from Council Bluffs and is related to the Pearsons. He inherited the scrapbook that Earl Pearson put together to document their career and success. This story has never been shared with the broader public until now. He will provide a book talk on both the career of the Pearson Brothers and the cultural history of that entertainment industry. It will be a fun and entertaining event.


Books will be on sale along with an author signing.

You may also like the following events from Shenandoah Public Library:

• Next Tuesday, 2nd December, 01:00 pm, League of Human Dignity Office Hours in Shenandoah
• Next Tuesday, 2nd December, 04:30 pm, Sit & Crochet in Shenandoah
• Next Thursday, 4th December, 04:00 pm, Lego Club in Shenandoah

Also check out other Arts events in Shenandoah, Literary Art events in Shenandoah, Performances in Shenandoah.