The following work examines the presence of American popular culture in Chile during the second half of the 19th century and the reception and impact that said presence had upon Chilean society. The methodology consisted of a qualitative historical study of press and documentary sources between 1850 and 1900, together with a bibliographic review of literature that addresses the cultural phenomena of both Chile and the United States, as well as performing arts and variety shows from the nineteenth century. As a result, it was possible to observe a mutual influence between the North American ensembles and Chilean society since both parties reinterpreted their roles and practices as a consequence of exposure to new shows and the criticism of these.