The first accredited review was "The Passing Show," staged by George Lederer in 1894. The genre was popularized at the start of the 20th century by Florenz Ziegfeld, who changed the spelling to the French form, "revue." Ticket prices were much more expensive than other forms of entertainment, which enabled producers to attract famous stars, including W.C. Fields and Eddie Cantor.
Revue shows brought together a mixture of stage genres, including burlesque, vaudeville and variety. However, the difference was that, instead of consisting of a string of separate acts, the revue was performed by a single cast, and the show would have a theme that connected the songs and skits. All of the material would be specially written for the show.
Revues enjoyed a heyday until around 1940. The main factors in their declining popularity were the Great Depression and the advent of talking pictures, which could reach a wider audience and were much cheaper. Revues were forced to move into smaller theaters, and became less spectacular.
Revues developed into a popular form of student entertainment during the 1950s, and remain an annual event at many universities. Like the original revue shows, they feature irreverent comedy songs and sketches.