American Guild of Variety Artists
Encyclopedia
American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) is an American
entertainment union representing performers in variety entertainment, including circus
es, Las Vegas
showroom
s and cabarets, comedy
showcases, dance revue
s, magic
shows, theme park shows, and arena and auditorium extravaganza
s. It awards the "Georgie Award" (after George Jessel
) for variety performer of the year. There is some overlap between the jurisdictions of AGVA and Actors' Equity
.
AGVA was the successor to the American Federation of Actors
organized by Sophie Tucker
and others in the late 1930s, and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
. In 1939 the AFL dissolved the AFA due to financial irregularities, and issued a new charter to AGVA (although some members went to Equity instead).
When actress Penny Singleton
(who had been active in supporting the 1967 strike of the AGVA-represented Rockettes against Radio City Music Hall
), was elected president of AGVA in 1969, she became the first woman to be president of an AFL-CIO
union. The current Executive President is poet, songwriter, composer, and singer Rod McKuen
, who has held the post for the past 19 years.
Its office is in New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entertainment union representing performers in variety entertainment, including circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
es, Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
showroom
Showroom
The word showroom has two distinct meanings including:-Marketing location:A showroom is a large space used to display products for sale, such as automobiles, furniture, appliances, carpet or apparel. The World's most famous locations for a showroom are the Champs Elysees in Paris or the 5th Avenue...
s and cabarets, comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
showcases, dance revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
s, magic
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
shows, theme park shows, and arena and auditorium extravaganza
Extravaganza
An extravaganza is a literary or musical work characterized by freedom of style and structure and usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody. It sometimes also has elements of cabaret, circus, revue, variety, vaudeville and mime...
s. It awards the "Georgie Award" (after George Jessel
George Jessel (actor)
George Albert Jessel was an American illustrated song "model," actor, singer, songwriter, and Academy Award-winning movie producer. He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies...
) for variety performer of the year. There is some overlap between the jurisdictions of AGVA and Actors' Equity
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
.
AGVA was the successor to the American Federation of Actors
American Federation of Actors
The American Federation of Actors was an early actors union, supported by Sophie Tucker who was elected president in 1938. In 1939 the AFA was disbanded by the American Federation of Labor for financial mismanagement; the AFL issued a charter to the succeeding American Guild of Variety Artists,...
organized by Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker
Sophie Tucker was a Russian/Ukrainian-born American singer and actress. Known for her stentorian delivery of comical and risqué songs, she was one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first half of the 20th century...
and others in the late 1930s, and affiliated with the American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
. In 1939 the AFL dissolved the AFA due to financial irregularities, and issued a new charter to AGVA (although some members went to Equity instead).
When actress Penny Singleton
Penny Singleton
Penny Singleton was an American film actress. Born Marianna Dorothy Agnes Letitia McNulty in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania she was the daughter of an Irish-American newspaperman Benny McNulty — from whom she received the nickname "Penny" because she was "as bright as a penny".During her sixty...
(who had been active in supporting the 1967 strike of the AGVA-represented Rockettes against Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall
Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City's Rockefeller Center. Its nickname is the Showplace of the Nation, and it was for a time the leading tourist destination in the city...
), was elected president of AGVA in 1969, she became the first woman to be president of an AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
union. The current Executive President is poet, songwriter, composer, and singer Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen
Rod McKuen is an American poet, songwriter, composer, and singer. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music...
, who has held the post for the past 19 years.
Its office is in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Resources
- ağva
- American Guild of Variety Artists official website
- AFL-CIO member listing