Very well written intro, PJ!
I felt like I was sort of channeling the spirit of Al Jolson when writing it. BTW, I read a bio about Al Jolson and it said that he gave what many consider the GREATEST entertainment ever. It happened in the late 1940s when Jolson was nearly forgotten. At the Friar's club in L.A. late at night. Actually in the early AM. Jolson was sort of an afterthought which is why he went on stage so late. Anyway, I guess he liked being back in the limelight again and gave a jawdropping non-stop incredibly energetic performance that lasted several hours. People who saw it couldn't believe it and declared it was the best showbiz entertainment ever. That was the performance that inspired Harry Cohn to produce the Jolson Story and Jolson Sings Again.
That performance kickstarted Jolson's second career. He went into it full throttle despite health problems. His doctor warned him not to go to Korea in 1950 to entertain the troops. He ignored the advice and ended up with a fatal heart attack as a result.