Judy Garland was going to be Mame?- Page 2

[PUPPETMAN]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 12:53pm

I keep bringing up this book, but it all cronicled "But Darling I', Your Auntie Mame". The producers all felt she could not keep up an 8 shows a week schedule.

Side note, they would have had to change the title to "Judy" as she could sing it, but not convincingly play it as written. She was too much the star to assume a character.

[Mojojo5]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 1:30pm

Oh, I think Judy could have created a believable character out of Mame. Probably would have played her as a riff on Kay Thompson (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) and good God to hear her sing "It's Today!" just once would have been thrilling.

Z.

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 2/13/08 at 1:37pm

philcrosby, I got it from an early 90's late 80's televsion interview with Sondheim. He said that Merrick was "that close" getting Garland and Minnelli. Sondheim was visibly awed by the idea.. and a bit regretful that it never happened.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 11:12am

Someone sent me a bootleg of her completing "If he Walked into My Life," but it's from a late concert and I didn't save it. There are a few recordings of her doing "Don't Rain on My Parade" and it exists on video as a duet with Liza at the Palladium concert.

But there is not recording of "Everything's Coming Up Roses"--just the duet she does with Ethel on the TV show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbjvsFHwtzE

Updated On: 2/14/08 at 11:12 AM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 11:40am

PalJoey-
Didn't save it because it was bad, or didn't save it just because.

[philcrosby]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 12:11pm

I think Garland would have been amazing in either a film of GYPSY or MAME, when she was up to snuff. And Garland AND Minnelli in GYPSY would have been something to dream about.

[jv92]

Posted: 2/14/08 at 5:15pm

Yes Judy wanted Mame very badly and Jerry Herman was all for it. The producers were not due to Judy's personal problems.
She would have made a fabulous Mame, a fabulous Madame Rose and, in my opinion, a fabulous Sally Plummer.

[Theatrical Landladies]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 4:56am

In her show "SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME" Lorna Luft says that JERRY HERMAN wanted Judy for the movie of MAME but that no-one would insure her.

The movie would have been the best vehicle for Judy to do MAME since it would not have been as grueling as a Broadway run.

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 6:46am

I seem to remember Jerry talking about how he wrote IF HE WALKED INTO MY LIFE with Judy's voice in mind.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 3:14pm

Sondheim. He said that Merrick was "that close" getting Garland and Minnelli. Sondheim was visibly awed by the idea.. and a bit regretful that it never happened.

Was this for a revival? Didn't Merman have a run of the show contract?

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 2/16/08 at 3:33pm

I couldn't say. I'm just reporting what I remember from the TV interview I saw. I'm thinking it was around the time of the Midler TV movie.. Good Morning America perhaps?

Updated On: 2/16/08 at 03:33 PM