Entertaining is a broad form of social activity which holds the interest and attention of an entertained audience or provides entertainment and pleasure. In its broadest sense, entertainment is any activity, idea, or project, however large, that has the purpose or effect of stimulating an entertained audience. Entertainers range from famous celebrities to ordinary people with unique talents. Entertainers in popular culture include actors, actresses, singers, clowns, game show hosts, comedians and athletes. Entertainers in the world of theater and television are usually included among the elite class of entertainers, but they too are entertainers.
The term “entertainment” has various other forms and meanings in various languages including in Canada and the United States. In Canada, the term “entertainment” is used to refer to any kind of artistic performance, show, music, film, or theatrical production. The word in this context is usually used in contexts of contemporary popular entertainment. In the United States, entertainment is thought of as the general term including mass media entertainment, popular music, and independent or personal entertainment. Entertainment, in this context, is generally understood to mean the process or mode of interaction that entertaining.
The performing arts have been in existence since antiquity with the proliferation of drama in earlier civilizations such as Egypt and Rome. One of the earliest recorded references to entertainment is the game called Plunkett’s Luck. The idea of entertainment as a whole came to a modern society with the development of new forms of popular entertainment such as stage performances, dramatic acting, humor and dance. In the United States, certain types of popular dramatic entertainment were first documented in the early twentieth century when African-American and other ethnic groups brought exotic forms of drama to popular attention. Within the mass media entertainment industry, these forms of theatrical and other dramatic presentations are often referred to as entertainment.
With new mediums such as the internet and new technologies like video and the recording industry, there has also been an increase in the industry of presenting live entertainment. Live entertainment venues include casinos, amusement parks, zoos, and outdoor shows. While live entertainment venues tend to concentrate on one or two types of shows, the evolution of this medium has led to the present day need for more genres and variety when it comes to presenting live entertainment. This is especially true with the increasing number of performers who are willing to engage in all forms of new media and the increasing number of performers who choose to perform in a live concert format. This has also led to the increased evolution and adaptation of the live theatre.
Another facet of new media and the increasing popularity of performing arts are the circus. The history of the circus is an interesting one, which can be tied back to ancient Greece and Egypt, and can also be tied to the rise of Roman and Greek theatre. The first circus performances were for the sole purpose of entertainment, where lions and acrobats would act out acts of violence to each other in order to entertain the crowds. However, over time the circus has evolved into a far more sophisticated show, which now incorporates not only acrobats and lions but also pyrotechnics, fire, sword fights, acrobatics, and much more.
Although the history of circus shows and the development of modern-day circus shows are quite an interesting one, the development of the entertainment industry is largely attributed to the rise of the performing arts – specifically, the rise of the live entertainment industry. It has allowed for a greater variety of different forms of entertainment for more people. The advent of modern technology has led to the development of new mediums including the development of the internet, which allows for greater access to performers and venues. The internet also allows for greater flexibility when it comes to booking shows and performing arts. Therefore, whether one chooses the classic form of musical theatre or the newer forms of modern-day circus or the more contemporary style of live entertainment, there is always a vast array of choices available.
