Musings on casting MAME

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 1:09pm

We all agree that MAME is a show that needs to be revived. There are many reasons why this hasn't happened but one of them is casting the title role. In one of my conversations with Jerry Herman he told me that the role always works better for him when a British actress is playing the role. That was his opinion

As a devoted fan of TV's CALL THE MIDWIFE, it occured to me that Helen George  (Nurse Trixie Franklin) would make a splendid Mame; she wears clothes beautifully, she sings and acts very well (does anyone recall the episode where she performed an emergency C-section in the wildrenss?)

Larie Maine (Sheleigh) has already played Gooch to considerable acclaim in England and Ollie Rix (Matt) would make a fine Beuregard.

Would this be a box office smash? Dunno, but the casting would be marvelous.

Updated On: 1/14/23 at 01:09 PM

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 1:42pm

How about Kate Hudson as MAME?

[Robbie2]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 1:59pm

 Hannah Waddingham would be amazing  

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 2:07pm

Dollypop said: "We all agree that MAME is a show that needs to be revived."

ALL? I certainly don't. 

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 2:53pm

MAME is a show that needs to be reviSed before it gets reviVed.

It would, of course, require a major star –– someone far bigger than Waddingham or Helen George or Toni Collette or Jane Krakowski or Sutton Foster or Chenoweth (all would be wonderful, but you'd probably still need a bigger name than that to last longer than 4 months).

Kate Hudson is an interesting idea. Emma Thompson has always been the dream but she's a little long in the tooth now. Lady Gaga at some point in the next 20 years could be perfection. There are some major names who'd be wonderful, but getting them to drop everything for a year is challenging: Nicole Kidman, Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Renée Zellweger, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams (has showed us a lot of Mame qualities between THE FABELMANS and FOSSE/VERDON). Can Olivia Colman and Cate Blanchett sing well enough for Mame?

And the issue with any suggestion of a star name for Vera is that most notable women who'd be offered Vera would prefer to play Mame (Sheryl Lee Ralph, Baranski, Janney, Mullally, Vanessa Williams, etc).

Updated On: 1/14/23 at 02:53 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 2:54pm

I agree re Hannah Waddingham.  She is 'larger than life', a warm performer, and sings extremely well.

When all the rumors started about Anne Hathaway possibly being in NYNY, I thought that she would be a better Her Mame.  Perhaps not 'larger than life', I think she'd do well, and has the sophistication and warmth that I think are needed for Mame, and she sings well enough.  Her name would help sell tickets.

I think Sutton Foster is suited to the role, and I wish Donna Murphy were younger, because IMO she can do anything.

And how about Ariana Dubose.  Who says that Mame needs to be over 40?

Please, not Kate Hudson.  Perhaps unfairly attributing it to her, but I think her big number in Nine may be the worst musical number in movie history.

And how about Lady Gaga: charisma, warmth, great singer, can dance.

 

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 2:59pm

Wouldn't reviving it put an end to the fantasy casting threads?

Updated On: 1/14/23 at 02:59 PM

[inception]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 3:15pm

Mame needs to be able to pull off comedy as well as sing and be warm.

I read the sequel novel, Around the World with Auntie Mame, over the holidays.  It is just her getting into & out of one mess after another, many times due to her vanity, much like the whole Man in the Moon sequence in the show.  The comedic aspect is probably why they cast Lucy on the film.  I love he film despite Ball's flaws in the role. 

I just can not see any of the more glamorous performers mentioned being right in the role.  They just aren't funny enough.  I could see someone like Melissa McCarthy or Megan Mullally or Amy Poehler doing it justice.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 3:22pm

But slapstick comedy is hardly the most essential aspect to the role’s requirements. I think most of the women mentioned have had some acclaim in comedic roles. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 3:46pm

QueenAlice said: "But slapstick comedy is hardly the most essential aspect to the role’s requirements. I think most of the women mentioned have had some acclaim in comedic roles."

yes, I think the warmth is far more important for Mame. Yes she has to be a bit eccentric, but most of the above actresses could handle that level of comedy (at least on paper).

One of the issues with the Lucy film is they cast someone whose sense of humor doesn't really align with the character, and couldn't bring enough warmth to it. Though Gene Saks' direction (which did not translate to screen) and the Ralph Burns musical arrangements also aren't helping either.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 4:17pm

In 5-10 years:

Lea Michele.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 4:55pm

NoItAll said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "In 5-10 years:

Lea Michele."
Are you serious? Everyone hates her. She’s a pariah. Canceled. No one will come."

 

ok

https://playbill.com/article/broadway-grosses-analysis-welcome-to-the-2-million-club-funny-girl

[NoItAll]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 6:08pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "NoItAll said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "In 5-10 years:

Lea Michele."
Are you serious? Everyone hates her. She’s a pariah. Canceled. No one will come."



ok

https://playbill.com/article/broadway-grosses-analysis-welcome-to-the-2-million-club-funny-girl"

I’m well aware of the numbers.
My entire post has been deleted by the mods. You apparently didn’t see all of it. I went on to suggest hiring Beanie instead, in a brilliantly (trust me) satirical manner. Updated On: 1/14/23 at 06:08 PM

[nealb1]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 6:26pm

Catherine Zeta-Jones in the title room.  Jerry Herman said many times that he would love her to revive it.  With Jane Krakowski as Vera Charles.  

Updated On: 1/15/23 at 06:26 PM

[NoItAll]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 7:21pm

nealb1 said: "Catherine Zeta-Jones in the title room. Jerry H said many times that he would for her to revive it. With Jane Krakowski as Vera Charles."

Catherine Zeta-Jones kills “Send in the Clowns.” Literally. https://youtu.be/aX2OFBiDuls Updated On: 1/14/23 at 07:21 PM

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 9:46pm

nealb1 said: "Catherine Zeta-Jones in the title room. Jerry H said many times that he would for her to revive it. With Jane Krakowski as Vera Charles."

I always go back and forth with her as Mame. She has many of the qaulites needed but I think her biggest strength as an actress is that her natural state always reads as subdued or aloof. Which then makes the moments she notches it up and shows what's underneath hit harder. A lot of her most memorable roles have scenes where we watch her character "turn it on." From my understanding Mame is a pretty exuberant character from start to finish, no? Still, I'm a big CZJ fan so I'd see it no matter what. 

(SN: We get it, the Tony performance wasn't good. Does that mean we should forget all the times we've seen her do great and stop bringing her name up in these conversations? That's such a bizarre quality that I only see in theatre. "Well they weren't good in this moment so clearly they can't do anything at all!"

[BJR]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 9:58pm

Ke3 said: "nealb1 said: "(SN: We get it, the Tony performance wasn't good. Does that mean we should forget all the times we've seen her do great and stop bringing her name up in these conversations? That's such a bizarre quality that I only see in theatre. "Well they weren't good in this moment so clearly they can't do anything at all!""

Especially since it's been much discussed how many saw a very different performance than the one she gave at the Tonys.

Good read on her, though. I agree I'd gladly see her on stage again and I'd see her in this. But you're right the role seems to want an over-the-top, outsized-to-the-point-of-delusional warmth. Who is that?

 

[NoItAll]

Posted: 1/14/23 at 10:09pm

The YouTube url I posted was NOT to the Tony performance, but to the live stage one. Her reading was dramatically clueless.

Judi Dench: https://youtu.be/yE3dLzIYKs8
Stephen Sondheim teaches: https://youtu.be/8-VXXZLh2a0

HELP!! I used to be able to embed links, but can’t find a way anymore. iPad, Safari

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 1:33am

By all accounts, CZJ's performance in ALNM greatly deteriorated as the run went on –– and she was only in it 7 months –– so I doubt we'd see her in anything longer than a 16-week "strictly limited engagement." And, name-wise, I don't think she means nearly as much now as she did in 2009. Chicago was 20 years ago, and her career as been pretty inert in the past decade (with the recent exception of her 2 episodes of WEDNESDAY).

(This mihght not have anything to do with anything, but for what it's worth she also publicly struggles with bipolar disorder and entered rehab for it in 2013.)

Updated On: 1/15/23 at 01:33 AM

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 1:52am

Love the idea of Hannah - she was excellent, so stunningly excellent in A Little Night Music years ago at The Garrick and I think because Ted Lasso is such a piece of the zeitgeist and so beloved that she would absolutely sell tickets and is a big enough name. 

Someone mentioned this on another Name thread but loooove the idea of Keke Palmer has Vera

[Soaring29]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 2:10am

I’d like to see Audra or Patti do it.

[binau]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 4:40am

As always, I’ll offer Bernadette!!! I think she could probably sing it better than Traci Bennett did recently in the UK (which I absolutely loved and found utterly charming, even if her performance and the production would not be anywhere near Broadway standards). 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 7:30am

Sheryl Lee Ralph would be marvelous. Why did't I think of her?

[Ke3]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 9:58am

Bernadette's production of AGYG should've been a production of Mame

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 1/15/23 at 10:06am

Ke3 said: "Bernadette's production of AGYG should've been a production of Mame"

Yes! With Tom Wopat as Beauregard, LuPone as Vera, Ann Harada as Gooch.