Harrigan, Edward

Harrigan, Edward

(1845–1911) actor, playwright, manager; born in New York City. Beginning as a vaudeville performer, he formed a highly popular team with Tony Hart. His songs and short sketches eventually grew to full-length musicals, featuring comic characters broadly drawn from American working-class life, including African-American and European immigrants. His shows include The Mulligan Guards' Ball (1879) and Cordelia's Aspirations (1883).