Tony Pastor (1832–1908), known as the “Dean of Vaudeville,” operated variety theaters in New York City from 1865 until his death. In addition to hosting a diverse array of performing talent—singers, dancers, comedians, musicians, magicians, acrobats, and other acts—Pastor’s theater and traveling troupe presented sketches satirizing events and personages in the news from the working-class perspective of his core clientele. Topical sketch comedy continued in variety shows into the television era.