I Remember Mama revival

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 11:26am

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Meet-the-Cast-of-Transport-Groups-I-REMEMBER-MAMA-20140213

What a cast! This sounds FABULOUS!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 12:22pm

An all female cast, all over 60 years old...

It should be interesting to see how they do it.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 1:22pm

How many individual photos of each cast member do they need?!?! Once again, BWW photo overkill.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/19/14 at 9:54am

The kind of magic that only the theatre can provide is in ample evidence in this thoughtful, imaginative revival of a warm and affecting play. A cast of ten veteran actresses who have captivated us for decades have brought lifetimes of skill and craft to bear in creating something very, very, special, as they effortlessly essay multiple roles, men and women, children and adults, all of them capturing and evoking the most precious of ideals: the truth. The entire cast shines, but special mention must be made of Barbara Andres for her superb, beautifully-wrought performance as Mama.

The play is staged in the vast expanse of a gymnasium, with patrons seated in a row or two of chairs around its perimeter. Despite the huge space, the deft staging allowed the play to retain all of its intimacy.

There were many moist eyes during the performance, including my own.

Thank you to the Transport Group for providing us with this magical theatrical experience.



Updated On: 3/19/14 at 09:54 AM

[bobs3]

Posted: 3/19/14 at 1:19pm

This looks very interesting. When first saw the post I was afraid it was going to be a revival of the Richard Rodgers/Martin Charnin musical version. Thank God it is not.

[MartyO49]

Posted: 3/19/14 at 2:21pm

Going tonight

[RJ COMMUNICATIONS]

Posted: 3/20/14 at 10:52pm

Totally disagree with After Eight. While the actresses were wonderful, (but seemed shaky in their lines, don't know if they were but that was the sense I had) the entire concept was flawed. There were just too many different elements that required suspension of disbelief for this to work.

First of all, the "theater" is a GYM --there are no stage lights. It's difficult to create the setting of a cramped San Francisco tenement in the vast expanse of a gymnasium. Second, the senior actresses playing men and children, without the benefit of stage lighting of any kind, under harsh lights, doesn't work. Third, they were in modern street clothes, and costumes are another element that might have given the suggestion of turn-of-the-century. And that's all this inlay is, there is very little plot: it's a slice of life from the turn of the century. So what do you have left if the show doesn't create that??

I thought this was a colossal waste of time and talent.

An aside--how DARE this Transport Group charge you $35 on TDF and tell the audience that actors may call for lines, AND NOT EVEN GIVE YOU A PROGRAM?? What an insult to the talent involved, whose lengthy credits I really wanted to see--I recognized several of the (wonderful) actresses and wanted to know their names and where I'd seen them before. We the audience have a right to programs, and the talent has a right to proper credit.

Needless to say, I left at intermission, and will never go back to this COMPLETE GYP of a theater company, Transport Group, EVER again.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/20/14 at 11:10pm

RJ,


If you had stayed to the end, you would have received a program as you left. It was abbreviated, however, with no bios.

[stevenycguy]

Posted: 3/20/14 at 11:10pm

For some bizarre reason, this theater company hands out programs at the end of their shows. Without a program in front of me, I often find it very difficult to follow "who is who." This show runs 2 hours 37 minutes, for those who are interested (not the "two hours" that I was told.)

Many audience members knew the movie backwards & forwards (I overheard people comment how it was very true to the movie during intermission) and gave it a hearty standing ovation, while others found it interminable and there were a noticeable number of empty seats after intermission. The set is quite detailed with numerous tables and books throughout the space. They do use real coffee and Yoo-hoo chocolate drink throughout the show. The actresses themselves are extremely talented and have a wealth of theater experience. Many actresses play 3 or 4 roles - one second they are a man, the next second they are a 5 year old boy, etc. The lighting is sometimes quite harsh and extremely bright, such that it often hurt my eyes to keep them open. I believe this was a TV series as well and a lot of audience members found it very nice to reminisce about older times.


Updated On: 3/20/14 at 11:10 PM

[cardamon]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 12:03am

I stayed until the end tonight and didn't see anyone handing out programs. Maybe I left too quickly after it ended. Harumph. They did have photos of the cast with their bios posted on the wall in the lobby, so I was at least able to put names with faces during intermission.

Having never seen the movie or the tv series, I didn't have any trouble following the story, and was only very occasionally confused about who was playing who. I agree with After Eight that it was a beautiful production. There were a number of walkouts at my performance too, and looking around during the second act it seemed somewhat split between people who were sniffling/dabbing their eyes and those who looked very bored.

Can anyone who has seen the movie say whether it's worth seeing? I'm a bit curious now to see what the story is like with its traditional casting and setting.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 7:36am

The movie is well worth seeing. Irene Dunne gives a strong and touching performance as "Mama." A young Barbara Bel Geddes plays the daughter Katrin. Both were Oscar-nominated for their work, as was Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton) as one of the aunts and Oscar Homolka as Uncle Chris. I haven't seen the film in a few years now, but I have enjoyed it several times in the past.

[cardamon]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 9:20am

Thanks for the info on the movie best12bars. I'm going to move the dvd to the top of my Netflix queue right now.

[MartyO49]

Posted: 3/21/14 at 11:41am

I left during intermission. This is a wrong headed concept that just didn't work for me...I liked some of the actresses. The blocking, set design and lighting were awful

[round2]

Posted: 3/27/14 at 11:21pm

Saw this production tonight, and found it surprisingly moving. Lovely performances. I can't say how much the affection I brought to the performance for several of the actors meant to my surrender to the emotional effect of this non-traditional staging. I thought casting veteran women actors in all the parts might be awkward and gimmicky, but I found it effective and poignant. A good night in the theater for me. A treat.

[round2]

Posted: 3/31/14 at 11:22am

Brantley's review in the NY Times yesterday was pretty close to a rave, I think, if not one.
Brantley's review of "I REMEMBER MAMA"