Musings on casting MAME- Page 3

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/16/23 at 6:56pm

Bette Midler. Donna Murphy. Bernadette Peters. Age isn't overly important, just make Patrick her grand-nephew or something if it concerns you that much. I'm only thinking here of who would be best, not who would sell the most tickets. Kirstie Alley would have been good.

I don't really understand why Jerry Herman thinks a British actress would be better. He obviously had a very narrow view of what British means. Joanna Lumley could play either Mame or Vera, or just give it to Imelda Staunton, she gets everything else. I don't think singing talent is crucial.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/16/23 at 9:09pm

FANtomFollies said: "What was so disastrous about Christine Baranski? She seems like such a great choice?"

 

Go to YouTube and check out "Baranski MAME"

 

Updated On: 1/16/23 at 09:09 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/16/23 at 9:55pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Bette Midler. Donna Murphy. Bernadette Peters. Age isn't overly important, just make Patrick her grand-nephew or something if it concerns you that much. I'm only thinking here of who would be best, not who would sell the most tickets. Kirstie Alley would have been good.

I don't really understand why Jerry Herman thinks a British actress would be better. He obviously had a very narrow view of what British means. Joanna Lumley could play either Mame or Vera, or just give it to Imelda Staunton, she gets everything else. I don't think singing talent is crucial."

He was probably prejudiced based on Lansbury’s performance.  After her, there have not been a lot of good Mame’s.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/16/23 at 11:02pm

As I recall, Jerry said that English actors have a way of delivering dialogue precisely and have better posture than most Americans. Also, he and Angela were very close and that had to affect his view on the matter.

Updated On: 1/19/23 at 11:02 PM

[The Other One]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 8:57am

The only way to make a hit out of a revival of this show would be to cast Hugh Jackman as Mame and I don't think he wants to do it.

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 9:34am

Baranski was put in the wrong role, unfortunately.  CZJ would be a top choice, but I doubt she would do it at this stage.  Someone with "crossover" appeal like Bette (10 years ago) would be ideal.  I'm thinking Jennifer Coolidge (can she even sing?).  

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 10:17am

Impeach2017 said: "Baranski was put in the wrong role, unfortunately. CZJ would be a top choice, but I doubt she would do it at this stage. Someone with "crossover" appeal like Bette (10 years ago) would be ideal. I'm thinking Jennifer Coolidge (can she even sing?)."

 

CZ was so erratic in NIGHT MUSIC that she won't be welcomed back to Broadway for a long time--if ever.

 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 10:31am

Dollypop said: "Impeach2017 said: "Baranski was put in the wrong role, unfortunately. CZJ would be a top choice, but I doubt she would do it at this stage. Someone with "crossover" appeal like Bette (10 years ago) would be ideal. I'm thinking Jennifer Coolidge (can she even sing?)."



CZ was so erratic in NIGHT MUSIC that she won't be welcomed back to Broadway for a long time--if ever.

"

Erratic in what way? 2010 was a heavy year for her: tongue cancer, depression/bipolar.

[binau]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 10:48am

I agree, would be good to know if by erratic you mean performance or backstage behaviour etc. At least from a front of house/audience perspective, CZJ actually achieved quite a lot in Night Music - she was clearly a draw who could bring in the crowds to pay top dollar, she gave a Tony-winning performance that when I saw it at least was glamorous, well-sung and warm (much better than the awful Tony performance itself), she had very good attendance. At the end of the day, she seemed to do what was asked of her (cf. nightmare cases like Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl). At least if some of the factors hold true again, I'm not sure why a Producer would run away at the chance to have her again except that if she can only commit for this short amount of time it's probably difficult to recoup costs (this was rumoured to be the reason why other A-listers approached did not move forward with the production...Kate Winslet at one point or Cate Blanchett? I can't remember). 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 10:57am

I do think that Baranski had a good Mame in her, but she needed a better director than Eric Schaeffer and a good production surrounding her. She's capable of warmth and pathos, but it wasn't brought out in that production –– which is odd because she wanted to play that role for years. She was also in the process of recovering from major knee surgery due to a fall. Her passion for the role is palpable, but now at 70, I think her time for playing Mame has passed.

[Ftworthguy]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 1:40pm

JSquared2 said: "Loretta Swit"

 

With Joyce DeWitt as Vera

 

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 1/17/23 at 3:27pm

The Sheridan Smith/Funny Girl thing had a happy ending, didn't it?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/18/23 at 6:00pm

Jay Lerner-Z said: "The Sheridan Smith/Funny Girl thing had a happy ending, didn't it?"

 

How does that even remotely apply to the topic of this thread?

 

[inception]

Posted: 1/18/23 at 6:55pm

Sheridan Smith would probably be good enough for a London/UK revival.  She would probably be a better Mame than she was a Fanny.  

[Penna2]

Posted: 1/18/23 at 8:47pm

Sutton Foster - Mame. Sierra Boggess - Vera. They were wonderful together at the Hollywood Bowl "Into the Woods" concert. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/18/23 at 10:22pm

Penna2 said: "Sutton Foster - Mame. Sierra Boggess - Vera. They were wonderful together at the Hollywood Bowl "Into the Woods" concert."

 

Sutton is an exceptional performer but she has a wholesomeness about her. Mame should be worldly.

 

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 1:00pm

Impeach2017 said: "Baranski was put in the wrong role, unfortunately. CZJ would be a top choice, but I doubt she would do it at this stage. Someone with "crossover" appeal like Bette (10 years ago) would be ideal. I'm thinking Jennifer Coolidge (can she even sing?)."

Yes, Baranski should have played Vera. The roles should have been reversed.  She is too cold a performer for Mame, but her Vera, Harriet Harris (the underrated Harriet Harris!!) had both the warmth and delivery to have made Mama special.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 3:00pm

Somewhere along the way, the character of Mame underwent a glamor make-over. I don't mean to be harsh, but in the original comedy, Roz Russell, Greer Garson and Beatrice Lillie weren't exactly pin-up girls. Now the role is associated with women who wear designer clithes well.

[Penna2]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 3:37pm

Dollypop said: "Penna2 said: "Sutton Foster - Mame. Sierra Boggess - Vera. They were wonderful together at the Hollywood Bowl "Into the Woods" concert."



Sutton is an exceptional performer but she has a wholesomeness about her. Mame should be worldly.

Okay, before you say no to this one, think about it a minute. Kristen Chenoweth. 

 

[Jarethan]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:09pm

Penna2 said: "Sutton Foster - Mame. Sierra Boggess - Vera. They were wonderful together at the Hollywood Bowl "Into the Woods" concert."

I could definitely see that working.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:21pm

Sutton will be absolutely perfect for this in a few years. 

[MrsSallyAdams]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:31pm

Emily Blunt? A British film actress who has done musicals, broad comedy and restrained glamor. 

[hork]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:32pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "Sutton will be absolutely perfect for this in a few years."

I mean, she's already several years older than Angela Lansbury was at the time.

 

[Penna2]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:48pm

BCfitasafiddle said: "Sutton will be absolutely perfect for this in a few years."

She's going to be 48 in March. Sierra just turned 40. How old are they supposed to be? Patrick is 10. The real Mame was likely in be in her late 30s to mid 40s. She was his aunt, not his grandmother.

(As a side note, someone posted boots from Music Man on YouTube if anyone is interested). Both she and Jackman very much look their ages. In her case, I think the wig was part of the problem, but she has aged, just like the rest of us. I am a senior citizen, so I think I can get away with saying that. 

My other suggestion was Kristen Chenoweth for Mame.

[Penna2]

Posted: 1/19/23 at 5:52pm

hork said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Sutton will be absolutely perfect for this in a few years."

I mean, she's already several years older than Angela Lansbury was at the time.

True, Angela was 41. Rosalind Russell was 51.