MAME REVIVAL!!! Needs to happen!

[Aden_Siegel]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:17pm

I have waited long enough!!! It's time for a MAME REVIVAL. And no. Not a stripped down concert production. A full blown flashy production!!! We need someone good to play MAME too. Call all Jane Krokowski, Jessie Mullers, Kristen Chenoweths, etc... This revival needs to happen fast. It should also play at a great theater. Something that screams old Hollywood like the Palace, Broadway, or Winter Garden. I can't believe a revival hasn't happened since 1983!!! And the last Jerry Herman show to play Broadway was the second revival of La Cage and the future whatever number revival of hello dolly is about to play, so I believe MAME deserves its chance too!!! Rant done. :)

Updated On: 8/18/16 at 12:17 PM

[slumdogdelaware]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:22pm

...you should probably change the title of this thread.

[MyFavoriteBrunette]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:25pm

slumdogdelaware said: "...you should probably change the title of this thread.

I know...I got excited then "WHOOMP WHOOMP" set in.

[Oak2]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:26pm

Well that title really brought my hopes up only to be disappointed at seeing it was just a hope for one rather than an announcement of one. But I agree, a revival would be neat.

[Huss417]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:27pm

I also agree about changing the title of this thread.

[slumdogdelaware]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 12:50pm

There ya go.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 1:02pm

I enjoy this show a lot, despite the fact that it's rather dated.  However, I can't think of an actress right now that has the right mix of star power, box office appeal, charisma, and talent to headline a commercial revival. 

[Pippin]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 1:11pm

Three Christines come to mind: in order of preference

 

Ebersole

Baranski

Andreas

other options: 

 

Bernadette

Donna McKechnie

Patti

Beth Leavel

nancy Opel

Imelda Staunton (she's my top choice for every female part in the history of musical theatre)

 

[TNick926]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 1:18pm

Since Ebersole will be busy for quite a while with WAR PAINT (we hope!), let's pull this one out for Bernadette!  Can you imagine her singing If He Walked Into My Life?!  Would be great, IMHO...  And if it opens this season (just dreaming) she would compete with Bette for a Tony!  Battle of the Herman leading ladies! :)

[Pippin]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 1:26pm

Bernadette would SLAY "If he Walked Into My Life"!!! That's the first thing that made me think of her......getting a chance to see her live through that number!

[newintown]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:03pm

"Bernadette would SLAY "If he Walked Into My Life"!!!"

I think she might have slain it 15 years ago at the latest; at 68, her voice is, I believe, no longer sufficiently strong or flexible to sing and act this role even 6 times a week.

Don't you think Mame should pass for no older than 40, at least during Act I? And perhaps there would be no commercial Broadway revival unless the actress hired was a genuine star to more people than just a few thousand rabid musical theatre devotees? That said, here are thoughts about actresses suggested above:

Jane Krakowski - 47, somewhat well known, not a very strong voice, would be a rather trashy/sexy Mame;
Jessie Mueller - 33, good voice, difficult to glam up (as Clear Day showed), not much of a national star;
Kristen Chenoweth - 48, soprano not belter, terribly short, known to America primarily from supporting/bit roles;
Christine Ebersole - 63, soprano, not a star;
Christine Baranski - 64, belter/soprano, moderately well known, less a leading lady then character actress;
Christine Andreas - 64, soprano, not a star;
Bernadette Peters - 68, voice very delicate these days;
Donna McKechnie - 73, belting soprano, not a national star;
Patti LuPone - 67, still in great voice, short, stout, would be a sort of Long Island Mame;
Beth Leavel - 60, not famous;
Nancy Opel - 59, not famous;
Imelda Staunton - 60, slightly known to US audiences, generally plays frumpy/dowdy, but a terrific actress.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:14pm

adamgreer said: "I can't think of an actress right now that has the right mix of star power, box office appeal, charisma, and talent to headline a commercial revival."

It doesn't necessarily have to be a commercial production. Someone suggested to Roundabout Theatre Company about producing it in a future season. Roundabout responded to the suggestion with:
“A great show that is overdue for revival. Again, who would you cast in those iconic leading roles? It’s hard to follow Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur!”

 

[10086sunset]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:17pm

The last revival was considered a pretty big failure. 

Believe it only lasted 40 or so performances with Lansbury in 1983.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:31pm

"I enjoy this show a lot, despite the fact that it's rather dated.  However, I can't think of an actress right now that has the right mix of star power, box office appeal, charisma, and talent to headline a commercial revival."

I doubt anyone would have thought that Lansbury had that kind of box office appeal in '66.  But she did.  Because she was brilliantly cast and she had the star power, charisma and talent.

More effort needs to be put into that kind of inspired (star-making  and legend-making) casting than prefab box office casting.


 

[barcelona20]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:41pm

Audra of course, duh.  After she has her baby that is.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:42pm

When Lansbury played Mame in 1966 (at 41), she had already starred in the hit play A Taste of Honey on Broadway, as well as co-starred in a mildly successful revival of Hotel Paradiso with Bert Lahr. She was also quite famous for such films as Harlow, Dear Heart, The World of Henry Orient, In the Cool of the Day, The Court Jester,  Gaslight, and scores more, beginning in her youth. Although always a supporting actress (like Robert Preston before The Music Man), she was definitely a true star (which was why she was above the title for Anyone Can Whistle prior to Mame).

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:44pm

Ebersole played Mame at the Papermill many years ago, and was disappointing.  Not even Kelly Bishop as her Vera couldn't save it.  Maybe Catherine Zeta-Jones?

[lovebwy]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:47pm

I agree that there is no one today can really play Mame. Maybe there never will be again. There are no CHARACTERS anymore. No one could GET IT like Roz or Angela. The thought of most of those women who have been mentioned doing is so dreary. Chenowith? Oy. Maybe maybe maybe Ebersol. But then who would play Vera? Nope, it's impossible to do now.

[imeldasturn]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:51pm

bebe neuwirth as Vera?

[barcelona20]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 2:52pm

Audra and Allison Janney. Done.

[newintown]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 3:00pm

Maybe a real out of left field choice, like Amy Poehler, Jane Lynch, Toni Collette, Kristen Wiig, Amy Adams?

[TNick926]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 3:11pm

Audra and Alison Janney!  I would DIE to see them do that!  Plus, having Audra play that role, with all that Dixie "south will rise again" stuff in the 2nd act would give it a retro-progressive tongue-in-cheek kick...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 3:25pm

I enjoyed Ebersole as Mame more than most people did (but I was like...16 at the time), but she's too old now, and certainly wouldn't be able to headline a Broadway revival.  Catherine Zeta-Jones is probably the most viable suggestion to come out of this thread thus far. 

[madbrian]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 3:35pm

I love the idea of Alison Janney or Jane Lynch as Vera.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/18/16 at 3:39pm

newintown said: "Maybe a real out of left field choice, like Amy Poehler, Jane Lynch, Toni Collette, Kristen Wiig, Amy Adams?

 

Why should Toni Collette, well known, much loved and highly acclaimed, Broadway credits, musical, Tony and Oscar nominated, and seemingly perfect for the role be considered "out of left field"?

 

Updated On: 8/18/16 at 03:39 PM