Christine Ebersole seemed like she was completely inspired casting when she was announced to do the show at Papermill back in the late nineties, but it was rather universally agreed upon that she just didn't quite soar in the role (her Vera was Kelly Bishop, who was terrific.) Similarly, Christine Baranski didn't work in the Kennedy Center production either- as one of the reviews said, she seemed like a second banana wearing ill-fitting clothes. She's much more of a Vera than a Mame, and that was the problem.
The absolutely perfect commercial casting for a revival of MAME remains Bette Midler (Goldie Hawn would have also been incredible,) but the odds of her ever returning to theater are few and far between. There was talk of her doing a television version for CBS following her GYPSY, but, like the Barbra Streisand film adaptation, it never came to pass.
Tonya Pinkins: Then we had a "Lot's Wife" last June that was my personal favorite. I'm still trying to get them to let me sing it at some performance where we get to sing an excerpt that's gone.
Tony Kushner: You can sing it at my funeral.
Updated On: 12/30/11 at 11:05 AM
