American culture developed and modernized dynamically after the Civil War through the 1920s. It has had great population growth due to immigrants arriving from European nations. American citizens moved from their rural farms to live in booming cities. According to The Historical Archives, “The population of cities exploded during this period. In fact, during this fifty-year period, the population residing in the nation's cities increased from less than ten million to more than fifty million people – a remarkable 500%” (Administrator). The city lifestyle has allowed American civilians to increase the pay of their jobs and afford more free time in their daily schedules. Americans living in cities tried to make the most of their newfound free time by touring the country, taking vacations, or attending inexpensive entertainment such as the movies or theater (administrator). The popularity of live performances increased exponentially during the late 19th century. The United States flourished with circuses, ballparks for sporting events, nightclubs, world and state fairs, as well as theatrical road shows. Growing amusement parks, such as Coney Island, attracted customers' attention not only by providing thrilling rides, but also by providing an array of emerging vaudeville stage shows. Vaudeville was gaining a lot of popularity because it sought to attract people of all socioeconomic classes and cultural backgrounds, as well as offering low admission prices. It consisted of a variety of individual performances which could range from comedy skits, singing, acrobatics to magic shows. “Variety theater attracted a larger audience than 'legitimate' theater presenting classical plays” (Administrator). For this reason the vaudeville theater was acquiring a lot of attraction as it was able to fascinate the population with a wide range of performances.