We posted about various and sundry Mames earlier, but only recently discovered these fantastic shots of the Texas Fireball, Miss Ann Miller, on her wonderful tribute website. The producers created a tap dance showcase for Miss Miller when she stepped into the role; as it should be.
Two Mames which, truly, blew my mind (and I never saw their performances to know how good or BAD they ever were!) were Morgan Brittany (!) and Stefanie Powers (!!) They came through town on tours of thwe show, maybe 10 or 15 years ago. Scary... I bet Miss Ann Miller was good, though.
ReplyDeleteAnnie supposedly slayed 'em; she got such strong notices on tour, they brought her into the B'way production.
ReplyDeleteBrittany Morgan, absolutely not... I could see Stefanie Powers carrying it off, in an odd way. One production I wish I'd seen was a one-night only benefit starring Charles Busch as Mame, and Peggy Cass reprising her role as Gooch!
Well, I saw Ms. Miller in the role at the Broadway Theatre (where the show played out its final weeks) while I was in law school. I also Muhammad Ali (a/k/a Cassius Clay) that afternoon around the corner at the George Abbott Theatre in his 7 perf. flop, BUCK WHITE. I've seen MAME since with Lansbury in two separate productions and it's terrific, but on that day, BUCK WHITE was the better show.
ReplyDeleteBUCK WHITE co-director Jean Pace, sitting in a side box, sporting an *enormous* but fashionable "afro" which would barely fit through the door, was gorgeous, Ali was earnest and the show tried hard.
If you liked Miller's self parodying "Great American Soup" commercial from a year or three later, you'd have enjoyed her version of MAME.
"If you liked Miller's self parodying "Great American Soup" commercial from a year or three later, you'd have enjoyed her version of MAME."
ReplyDeleteWe would have LOVED it, then! LOL.
PS. Jean White probably had even bigger hair than Ms. Miller that night, which was an achievement in itself.
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