Mame Angela Lansbury info

[Schuyler]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 8:44pm

Anyone know if she did a pre broadway production. When did Anne Francine, Jane Connell and Willard Waterman star in a production of Mame with Angela? I don't know if this was pre broadway or post broadway. It was at the Academy of Music. ANy help would be much appreciated.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 8:50pm

http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=4230

[Schuyler]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 8:54pm

Thank you! So that was the cast at the gershwin theater. but also the cast at Academy of music was the same, I am now assuming that was pre broadway? Is that correct?

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:30pm

I'm pretty sure they toured after Broadway.

[Rudy2]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:54pm

"Mame" tried out in Philadelphia and I believe Boston as well before hitting Broadway. She took the show to San Francisco afterward, and possibly other markets, but I know San Francisco. Eventually she toured with it across the United States as well, although I believe that was around the time of the Broadway revival.

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:06pm

I had the pleasure of seeing this production at the Academy of Music in Philly. Truly a wonderful experience!

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 6/18/10 at 7:52am

It would have helped if you had said you were talking about the 1980's revival instead of the original 1960's production. Jane Connel and Willard Waterman joined Angela Lansbury in the original, but Bea Arthur had the role of Vera, not Anne Francine.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 6/18/10 at 10:03am

The following info is on another thread, but I will recreate as best I can.

This revival of Mame was booked into the Phila Academy of Music for a summer run of, give or take, six weeks. However audiences stayed away in droves, and the producer, Mitch Leigh, did something radical.

Mame shuttered after a week in Philly and began previews in NY the following Wednesday evening. There was absolutely no advance for the show since I wasn't supposed to come in for another month or more. They papered those first previews like mad. I know because I was there. It seemed like everyone had unlimited comps and there was probably all of a hundred dollars in sales sitting in the house total.

The decision to come into town early was made so late that there was no time for a display ad in the Sunday Times which goes to bed on about Wednesday, so the first ads ran Monday. There were tv spots, but they had no head start either. The box office had not even been open.

That first preview was one of the most memorable evenings I have had on Broadway. From the start, the audience of friends truly showed the love like I have never seen before or since. Song after song got sustained applause. Bosom Buddies stopped it cold - literally Angie and Anne Francince had to get up and each take a bow because the audience wouldn't stop applauding until they did. Angie's first entrance at the top of the stairs with the bugle was received like the second coming (which in a way, it was).

The reviews were acceptable, but the show lost money weekly even with royalty cuts. However the grosses inched up every week and actually came close to breakeven when they pulled the plug after 5-6 weeks. They probably ran out of money.

If you saw the show in Philly, you saw one of about 8 performances there.

[robinycus2]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 12:22pm

Why wasn't there more interest in this revival as it had not been seen on Broadway since the original production closed in '70 ... and Lansbury left the Broadway production in '68. Incidentally, it has not been seen on Broadway since. I've read that she was, once again, fantastic in the role.

Updated On: 6/20/10 at 12:22 PM

[sondheimfan2]

Posted: 6/20/10 at 2:00pm

Yep, saw one of those 8 performances in Philly. Have the Playbill. I remember tears of laughter streaming down my eyes whenever Anne was on stage. A thrilling and hilarious production.