Glitz and glamour of female impersonators Danny La Rue and George Lacy sparkled under Blackpool's stage lights

The predictable summer show scene was shaken up when Danny came to the Opera House for the 1973 season of International Spectacular, after he had switched on the resort's autumn Illuminations the previous year.

Female impersonator Danny made his entrance in a cutaway costume and asked the audience, in his builder's voice: "Are you wondering where I've put it "

Danny was criticised in some quarters - including the Gazette's review - for being "Danny La Blue."

He was back at the Opera House in 1977 for another spectacular summer season. It was Queen Elizabeth 11's Silver Jubilee year. Danny marked the occasion by appearing on a white horse, wearing a guardsman's bearskin helmet and red tunic - and black tights!

Danny (Daniel Patrick Carroll, 1927-2009) was in the Royal Gala Performance before Prince Charles, at the Grand Theatre in May,1981, and played at the same theatre in September, 1987,

in sketches as Dolly Parton, Marlene Dietrich and Margaret Thatcher.

The following year he was a merry Widow Twankey in Aladdin, at the Grand, claiming his golden rule for pantomime was "colourful but not blue."

After a summer season at the South Pier in 1990, Danny toured as Captain Terri Dennis in Privates In Parade, the camp comedy by Peter Nichols, and did a week at the Grand in November, 1991.

He was back in the resort for an early season of The Good Old Days at the North Pier in 1996 and starred in Duggie Chapman's seasons of Palladium Nights at the Winter Gardens Pavilion in 2000 and 2001.

A star female impersonator and comic actor of an earlier generation was George Lacy (1901-1989) and Blackpool was often on his touring diary.

He was a top panto dame for half a century but the resort also saw him in variety weeks at the old Palace Theatre, under his billing line She's No Lady.

In musicals seen at the Opera House he played Hard Boiled Herman in Rose Marie, in November, 1942, and was Jimmy Smith in No, No, Nanette in April, 1953.

At the age of 80, George came to the Grand in Duggie Chapman's Old Time Music Hall for a week in April, 1981.

He had chosen the piano cabaret from his dame repertoire and transformed himself with a beehive wig, tight emerald green gown, high heels and a bold display of bling.

In a set of risque songs, with superb timing and facial expressions, he delivered a wickedly funny act.

The concert spot: The burly American singer Frankie Laine was described by a Gazette reviewer as "first of the red hot poppas" on the first of his five Opera House concert visits, in August, 1952.

I was there! Frankie opened with Sunny Side of the Street and followed with Jealousy, Jezebel and Rock of Gibraltar.

He was one several American chart-toppers to be brought to the Opera House in the '50s by promoter Harold Fielding.