Angela Lansbury wants Gaga on Broadway as Mame!

Well.. that's the way this story spins it.

Check out 00:59 for the start of the Lansbury/Gaga/Mame segment:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2011/06/06/sbt.the.buzz.today.06.06.hln?iref=allsearch

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I'd love to know how they got that out of the quote from Lansbury, who basically said she thought Gaga was eccentric enough for the role because she wears outlandish costumes. She never (at least in the clip they showed) said anything about whether or not she had the talent for the role. In fact, if anything, she sounded a little incredulous at the notion, when she said she couldn't imagine her singing If He Walked into My Life.

Gaga was a musical theatre major...

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And so do I

That's poor journalism at its best, I suppose.

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I LOVE Gaga and would love to see her on Broadway. But....Mame Dennis? No.

Ok, there is one question you really need to ask when casting that role:

Would you trust [actress] with the child?

No way in HELL would I give Gaga that child.

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Would you trust [actress] with the child?

No way in HELL would I give Gaga that child.

Well... giving Mame a child is pretty foolish in itself. She isn't exactly the ideal in parenting.

The thing that the piece hits on that is so often overlooked with Mame is the "eccentric" aspect to her character. We should be afraid that Patrick is in the hands of a crackpot. Mame is hedonistic and self-centered, but it is through Mame's responsibility to and love for Patrick that she grows-up a little. Later on, she is able, in return, to save Patrick from trapping himself into a limiting relationship.


Right now the musical Mame has devolved into a boring show piece for any post menopausal actress looking for a little diva worship. It would be interesting to inject the piece with someone truly eccentric and pump some danger and excitement in the old warhorse.

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A revival of Mame starring Donna Murphy would run about 3 months.

Um, Gaga is 24.

She went to NYU briefly, leaving to pursue her music career.

While I agree that we should worry about Patrick being in Mame's hands...she should have some amount of warmth and eccentricity that would make you feel better about sending him there than to an orphanage...with Gaga I'd want him anywhere but there. (They did actually approach Gaga about Funny Girl, though.)

Murphy would make a better Vera.

The real problem with casting Mame, which Almira hit on a bit is you have to find someone who:
a) Is eccentric without being forced
b) Looks like someone who has had money forever
c) Is reasonably naive enough that the Upson's disdain for Jews would surprise her
d) Is warm and loving, remember she has to deliver "My Best Girl"

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Double post.

Updated On: 6/8/11 at 03:49 AM