vaudeville [M18th] Olivier Basselin was a 15th-century Frenchman from Vau de Vire, Normandy, who composed songs reputedly given the name chansons du Vau de Vire, or ‘songs of the valley of Vire’. This was adapted to French ville ‘town’ and became vau de ville and later vaudeville, which was applied to a light popular song sung on the stage, the first meaning of vaudeville in English in the mid 18th century.