The show was originally conceived and written as a vaudeville show. Each musical number is an act in the vaudeville show, most written in the style of a particular well-known performer of the twenties.
We'll get into those references a bit more later, but for one example, Velma's line "Hello suckers," was the signature line of Texas Guinan, a performer and night club (well, saloons and speakeasies) operator who was known for being hard edged.
The show was created less than fifty years after the period it references, so folks still knew who those old performers were, and that homaginess gave the show some of its original flavor. The movie's very presentational approach is a nod to the nature of the stage version; it's all a big show, and everyone is just putting on an act, trying to get attention and applause.
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