A revue (pronounced like “review”) is a theatrical show made up of short, separate performances strung together, usually including songs, dances, comedy sketches, and sometimes magic tricks or acrobatics. Unlike a musical with one continuous story, a revue is more like a variety show where each act stands on its own.

Revues were especially popular in the early 1900s, when famous theater productions like the Ziegfeld Follies in New York would put on spectacular revues with elaborate costumes, talented singers, and clever comedy. Each performance might last just a few minutes before moving on to something completely different: a tap dance number, then a funny skit, then a beautiful singer performing a new song.

Today, you might see a revue celebrating the songs of a particular composer, like a “Beatles Revue” featuring different performers singing various Beatles hits. Schools sometimes put on revues as variety shows where different classes or groups perform one after another.