MAME - Broadway Revival

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 1:27am

How come Mame hasn't been revived on Broadway in recent memory?

 

 

 

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 1:32am

because Broadway is waiting for Jessie Mueller to be old enough to play it :)

[hork]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 2:08am

Because we live in the worst of all possible realities.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 2:30am

Because the revival with Angela didn't run past Labor Daaaaaaay!

(my all-time favorite Forbidden Broadway bit)

 

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 2:49am

the original ran for a long time so I'm not surprised the revival didn't run long

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:00am

La Cage stole all its fire

And their Queeny Choir 

Upstaged Ann Francine

[Phillypinto]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:21am

oh i didn't even realize that! well that was dumb! why would they revive Mame when Jerry Herman had a new show opening a month later?

[gypsy101]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 3:24am

NO MORE REVIVALS

[SweetLips]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 4:39am

Toni Collette as Mame surrounded by lots of young spunk.Vera--Tracey Ullman.

Agnes--AN UNKNOWN

 

spelling edit

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 04:39 AM

[tazber]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 6:48am

I don't know why this hasn't been revived yet either.

I recall some discussion recently about Bette Midler bandying the idea around, but in the end she opted not to do it.

Conventional wisdom has it that without the right star, this star vehicle would sputter and crash.

I personally disagree. I've seen many productions of the show (with local or unknown talent) and it's always a great night of theater.

 

 

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 6:53am

Mame Dennis, much like Fanny Brice, is an extremely difficult role to cast. In addition to having to be able to play Mame at a variety of ages and stages of her life, the actress must possess both a warmth and undeniable charm for the whole thing to work. She almost never leaves the stage, sings about 11 songs, and as if all that weren't enough, has to be able to "dance her shoes off." No one with the right amount of box office clout and star power has been around to give it a go.  

All of which makes the performance Lansbury gave that much more special and legendary. 

Its also an extremely expensive physical production to mount. Mamie's NY apartment needs to look significantly different in each decade, and you need to also depict a southern plantation, Connecticut, and other locales. 

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 06:53 AM

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 7:42am

Here's my casting for Mame and Vera....

Mame-Donna Murphy 

Vera-Bebe Neuwirth 

[Patash]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 8:25am

"I personally disagree. I've seen many productions of the show (with local or unknown talent) and it's always a great night of theater."

Clearly you didn't see the production at Bucks County Playhouse with Andrea McArdle (just OK at best) and Lea Delaria as Vera (simply awful!)

Updated On: 8/3/15 at 08:25 AM

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 8:54am

"NO MORE REVIVALS"

 Well, that'll never happen. 

[tazber]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 9:25am

""I personally disagree. I've seen many productions of the show (with local or unknown talent) and it's always a great night of theater."
Clearly you didn't see the production at Bucks County Playhouse with Andrea McArdle (just OK at best) and Lea Delaria as Vera (simply awful!)"

 

Yea, I missed that production.

The one's I've seen are very amateur theater so perhaps sub-consciously my expectations are low.

 

 

[MOUSTACHA]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 11:19am

I've always been under the impression that Jerry Herman wasn't willing to make any updates to the script/score - i.e. he wants it performed just as it was in the original run.  The show (especially the jokes) needs to be updated for a modern audience.

That said, as mentioned above, casting, production costs, and timing have all presented major problems for a possible revival. 

 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 11:23am

It is a show that would not resonate with todays theatergoers unfortunately.

Great score but I simply do not think it would succeed even though it should. Add to that, it is not on the list of musicals that are OK for revival.10 or 15 musicals are on it. All the great shows not on that list will never be revived. It is a shame but there it is

.

[Finch]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 11:25am

About 6 years ago, a pre-B'way/revival/reconstitution of MAME was done at Kennedy Center/DC with Christine Branski (Mame) and Harriet Harris (Vera), directed by Eric Schafer.  Sounded like a good idea, but overall the production was weakly directed.  I remembered seeing the third performance of Mame in Philly (pre Broadway, 2nd day)and feeling the warmth and love of this heroine reach well into the balcony along withe the splash, and class of Gene Saks working with the Ekarts fabulous sets and the perfect cast.  The Kennedy center prod was almost the direct opposite-- it was flat and nowhere near where it should, and could of been.

i would love to see this again, but this is one show that need too much in performers, directors and technicians to make it work.  Also, it needs a lot of $$$$!!!

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 12:22pm

"It is a show that would not resonate with todays theatergoers unfortunately.
Great score but I simply do not think it would succeed even though it should. Add to that, it is not on the list of musicals that are OK for revival.10 or 15 musicals are on it. All the great shows not on that list will never be revived. It is a shame but there it is
."

Does this list actually exist? What are the musicals listed on it? I've never heard of this list before.

 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 12:53pm

Because the revival with Angela didn't run past Labor Daaaaaaay!

(my all-time favorite Forbidden Broadway bit)

 

Should I have walked out on it all?

And let Lucille Ball wreck the show again!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSpdu7ENIv8&list=PLUSRfoOcUe4ax2aGtNbMwsMlf9RMdeG_s&index=9

[gypsy101]

Posted: 8/3/15 at 5:49pm

""NO MORE REVIVALS"
 Well, that'll never happen. "

LOL i was continuing Newark's quoting of Forbidden Broadway.

I agree that this show would be hard to do on Broadway without a big star, and I can't think of many people who would be perfect for it.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 12:01am

I rather see a staged production of the original Auntie Mame.

[skies]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 1:04am

Mellisa Errico.

[carolineorchange21]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 1:20am

Errico would be inspired casting for Gooch.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 8/4/15 at 9:43am

""It is a show that would not resonate with todays theatergoers unfortunately.
Great score but I simply do not think it would succeed even though it should. Add to that, it is not on the list of musicals that are OK for revival.10 or 15 musicals are on it. All the great shows not on that list will never be revived. It is a shame but there it is
."
Does this list actually exist? What are the musicals listed on it? I've never heard of this list before.
 "

 You've apparently ignored Mr. Roxy then, since anytime there's any mention of a revival of any show we get a post about this "list." Of course, the fact that just off the top of my head I can think of numerous revivals we've gotten (Promises, Promises, The Apple Tree, On a Clear Day, Side Show, Gigi) and upcoming revivals for this season alone (She Loves Me, Dames at Sea, Falsettos, The Color Purple) that would not appear on this list in his mind kind of negates his point. Yes, there is another upcoming revival of Fiddler on the Roof, and Gypsy is always going to be a popular choice for a revival as well (both because of the potentially thrilling star turns that can come out of them), but we definitely see more than the 10 or 15 musicals he continually claims are the only ones we ever see revived.