About this Event
How do two star-struck teenagers living on a small island north of Seattle break into show business? EASY! They were in the right place at the right time: TWICE!
Anacortes native Pat Kuklenski broke into show business at the age of fifteen when she and her older sister, Allene Halliday, traveled to Seattle to audition for the chorus line at the Showbox—and they were hired. Just like that, two small-town girls found themselves on stage.
Three months later, still in Seattle and now experienced performers, the two set out on their own as The Halliday Sisters. Disaster! They simply were not ready to be an act. Before they left Seattle to return home, broke and discouraged, they were once again in the right place at the right time and had their second chance: they were introduced to vaudeville.
Through this second stroke of luck, they absorbed knowledge from vaudevillians working at the Palomar Theater, one of the last vaudeville houses in the United States. The sisters later rejoined the chorus line at the iconic Showbox on First Avenue, performing under the direction of Patricia Dean, a former dancer with the Manhattan Cocktail Revue.
In 1953, they joined the Revue on a tour of nightclubs across the United States and Canada. They performed with Mel Torme, Frances Langford, Tex Ritter, The Four Freshmen, Patti Paige, Art Lund and others. Later, during their European tour, they performed on the Empire Variety Theater circuit in Great Britain, which still presented the authentic two-a-day, pure vaudeville entertainment (no movies!) through the mid 50s.
As recently as the ’90s, they were still performing their song, dance, and comedy vaudeville act on cruise ships, at benefits, and in senior centers. When they retired in the early 2000s, they turned to writing, capturing the wonderful experiences of their long performing years.
Feel free to reach out to Village Books and Paper Dreams for further assistance at 360-671-2626!
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Village Books and Paper Dreams, 1200 11th Street, Bellingham, United States
USD 6.81 to USD 18.21
