Open a New Window

FINAL WEEK OF "MAME" AT GOODSPEED MUSICALS!
NEXT UP:  "HAMLET: THE BAD QUARTO" AT FOLGER THEATRE AUGUST 6!

And so, we head into our final performances of "Mame."  What a trip it has been!  I want to express my gratitude to Goodspeed for bringing me back into the fold for my third production here in as many seasons. What an honor!  "Mame" has been a jazzy, glittering, hilarious romp and I have great admiration for all my fellow actors and the many hardworking people who make things tick here at this jewel of a theatre.  I have made a few new incredible friends and have had the pleasure of watching our leading lady, Louise Pitre, live out a dream in playing Auntie Mame.  Her discipline and drive have been a marvel, never missing a performance and performing this marathon role, complete with 17 costume changes, all of them quick, with enthusiasm and energy.  Brava!


A post-mortem on this production is premature, but I thought I might reflect a little on what I have learned about this classic show by doing it, and offer some acerbic commentary, just for fun.  After all, it's my blog!

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT "MAME:"

• Lindsay Woolsey is in the show in order that he might AGE.  The play spans nearly two decades and Patrick goes from being a 10 year old to being a father himself.  No female star 'of a certain age' in their right mind will "age up" in a glamorous musical... so Lindsay has the honor of-- according to the stage directions-- "greying nicely."
   He is present when the news of the great stock market crash comes, but Vera brings that news and Lindsay only underscores it by confirming it.  
  He comes up with the idea of Mame writing her memoirs and convinces her to do it, but this serves only one purpose in the musical: to give Agnes Gooch a reason for being there in Act Two.  Since the original play's characters of Nora Muldoon, Patrick's nanny, and Gooch, Mame's secretary, are conflated in the musical, once Patrick is in college Gooch has to transition from nanny to secretary.  The memoirs are the way to do that, and since Lindsay is a publisher it is assigned to him to give Mame the idea.  But it's a red herring.  Once Gooch comes back pregnant, the entire plot line of the memoirs is dropped; in the original play, Lindsay brings the galleys of Mame's book to the final party with the Upsons and it is remembering all the stories of their times together that finally turns Patrick away from the Upsons and back to Mame.  In the musical this doesn't happen.
  This is not to completely denigrate the importance of the character since he does perform a couple functions, but on the whole, Lindsay is sort of the kind of small principal role that an old fashioned musical with an enormous cast could afford to have around back in 1966, on a Broadway principal contract.  To any producers out there who might be considering a Broadway revival of the show: I am available, greying hair and all, to return to the role at your convenience!
• I would be remiss if I did not goof on one of the oddest things about my job in this show.  In my second scene, Mame and I come in to Beekman Place laughing, having enjoyed a full day of shopping in Manhattan together. In rehearsal, I was given a single box to carry in, wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine.  I figured, well, this is a place marker-- a prop to use for rehearsal purposes until we get the real packages that would look like a shopping spree in New York (maybe bags from Bendel's or Bergdorf's).  When we got to the theatre, there was that brown box tied with twine.  One can't quite imagine what's in that box but nevertheless, my job at the start of that scene is to stand center stage for about 4 minutes holding that box, while Mame and Babcock argue over Patrick's schooling.  It is one of the oddest things I have ever done on stage.  And that's saying a lot!!
• It will never be revealed what the 'M' stands for at the front of M. Lindsay Woolsey's name.  After asking many their opinion of what it might be, Judy Blazer won hands down for best answer.  She thinks Lindsay is really a nice Jewish boy and his first name is "Moishe."
• I always wondered why the scores of Jerry Herman shows are set so incredibly high in the voices of the ensemble.  In a Herman show, baritones sing tenor notes, tenors sing alto, altos sing soprano.  When legendary music director/conductor Donald Pippin gave a talk recently at Goodspeed he told us that in his singing choruses for the shows he worked on with Herman, he had a mezzo who could sing incredibly high notes and he always incorporated these into his arrangements.  Thus the final note of the "Mame" number in the soprano part (magnificently nailed by MJ McConnell in our production) is a C sharp.
• While the score of "Mame" is chock full of wonderful songs, it's not my favorite Herman score.  Nor is "La Cage," even though I have done the show three times and have a deep affection for it.  I feel "Hello, Dolly!" is Herman's best-- most stylistically cohesive, most expressive of, and true to, the source material the show came from,  and full of variety. Of course this is like comparing one priceless, many faceted diamond to another.
• There is one glaring anachronism in the script.  It's 1929 and Mame's lost her money in the Crash.  She meets Beau and refers to him as reminding her of Rhett Butler in "Gone With the Wind."  That book wasn't written until 1936.
• If you do a kickline, even if the kicks are not even waist high, the audience will applaud.  The Rockettes are working far too hard in my opinion.
• Agnes Gooch is the long lost cousin of those two nameless gangsters in "Kiss Me, Kate."  They all come in in Act Two and completely steal the show with one musical number, after the leads have been working their tushies off the whole evening. Even Mame's 11th hour torch song, "If He Walked Into My Life," cannot extinguish the impact of "Gooch's Song."
• As for that famous torch song, I have decided that, as beautiful a song as it is, "If He Walked Into My Life" is rather uncomfortably wedged into the show.  It's a fact that Herman wrote MAME with Judy Garland in mind-- and if you listen to the score you can hear how perfectly tailored it is to Judy's special gifts.  One of her gifts was singing heart rending ballads and of course there has to be one at the eleventh hour spot in the show.  But the character of Auntie Mame, in the original book and in the play, is not a torch singer.  She takes disappointments in stride, she doesn't dwell on them, she makes lemonade.  Her conflict with Patrick in Act Two of the musical is rather uncomfortably skewed to set up the singing of this blood and guts song of regret and self doubt.  But it's not in keeping with the character as we have come to know her.  It also doesn't really set up what Mame does next--which is to sabotage Patrick's engagement.  If she were that terrified of losing him, she'd suck it up and let him marry Gloria.  I feel somewhat the same about Albin's big anthem, "I Am What I Am" in LA CAGE AUX FOLLES.  Having played the role, it is a big challenge to go from the vainglorious camp queen Albin is to the defiant, political creature who stands up for his individuality at the end of Act One.  But it can be done.  It's just tricky.
• While it is undisputed that Rosalind Russell will forever be identified with the role of Mame, she is not the only one from the 1958 film whose impact will forever be felt on any version of the Auntie Mame story.  Joanna Barnes, who brilliantly played the stiff jawed Gloria Upson, has left an indelible imprint on the character which audience members, especially of a certain age, can never forget.  During performances of "Mame," when Patrick first announces her name, the audience is already buzzing in anticipation of seeing Gloria and hearing that first drawled "I can't TELL you how pleased I am to make your acquaintance!".
• And finally, and this is something I have always known about the Auntie Mame story: as nutty as it is, as full of mischief and outrageous antics, the story is about love and about family.  It's a story of people making the absolute best out of life by loving each other.  This is why it will continue to be done and enjoyed by audiences for decades to come.

A Sable Silver'd

"MAME" CLOSES ON JULY 8 AFTER A STELLAR RUN AT GOODSPEED!

NEXT UP:  JAMES BEAMAN PLAYS THE GHOST AND THE LEAD PLAYER IN "HAMLET, THE BAD QUARTO" WITH TAFFETY PUNK THEATRE COMPANY AT THE FOLGER THEATRE, AUGUST 6 IN DC!

Those of you who know my work know that my first and most enduring love is the classical theatre and acting Shakespeare.  I had the honor and privilege of training in classical acting at The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University, and since then I have had the chance to do some exciting roles and powerful Shakespeare productions. 

I am especially proud of my work with Taffety Punk Theatre Company, an exciting cutting edge theatre in Washington, DC, founded by fellow ACA alumnus Marcus Kyd and his multi-talented partner, Lise Bruneau.  For several years now, one of the most popular of their projects has been the Bootleg Shakespeare series, in which members of the Taffety Punk company and guest actors from around the country arrive at the Folger Theatre on the morning of the single performance of a Shakespeare play, having memorized their lines.  The day is spent doing rudimentary staging, fight choreography and dances, and at show time, with the actors never having run through any of the play, a  an audience packs the house, free of charge, and the actors catapult themselves into a breathtaking, impromptu performance.  I have had the pleasure of performing Posthumus in Cymbeline, Hubert in King John, Theseus in The Two Noble Kinsmen and this year I will perform the roles of the Ghost of Hamlet's Father and the Lead Player in Hamlet: The Bad Quarto.

The Bad Quarto, as it is termed by scholars, is the first published version of Hamlet which appeared in 1603.  Since the First Folio of 1623 is considered the authoritative text for the canon of Shakespeare's plays, and the Bad Quarto of Hamlet differs significantly from the Folio text (character names are different, there are significant differences in the text etc.), it is thought to be a possibly pirated version of the play, taken down haphazardly by someone during live performances, or possibly drawn from early actor 'sides' from a beginning stage of the play's development.  At any rate, it's a fascinating and sometimes bizarre look at the most famous play in the English language.  Taffety Punk, drawing its inspiration from a devotion to classic texts combined with a punk rock sensibility, is the perfect company to present this odd and interesting artifact, and the Bootleg Shakespeare project will give it even more vital life and energy.

I am looking forward to enjoying the interesting task of being both the Ghost of Hamlet's Father and the Lead Player who represents the murdered Hamlet Senior in the play-within-the-play.  I think the dual role might be very interesting and effective for the audience.

As of now, this one night only event is the only project on the docket for me beyond MAME at Goodspeed.  Ah, the uncertainty of the actor's life!  Check this blog for updates and announcements of the next creative adventure.  Meantime, for more information on the amazing work of Taffety Punk and details on Hamlet, visit their website here.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

"MAME"  CONTINUES ITS RUN AT GOODSPEED WITH AN EXTENSION WEEK!  NOW THROUGH JULY 7!


An exciting thing happened this week:  I got to meet one of my idols.  Goodspeed Musicals has commissioned a musical adaptation of a charming children's book by Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, "The Great American Mousical."  The new show is slated to have its first production at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester this fall.  It is a valentine to Broadway and a wondrous tale about a company of mice putting on a show in a crumbling old theatre that is about to be demolished.

This week, a group of us actors from the "Mame" cast were asked to do a first reading of the script (written by Hunter Bell), which is still very much in development, along with the composer and lyricist, Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler, who performed the still unfinished (and marvelous) score.

The kicker was that the reading would be done for a small group of Goodspeed artistic staff, the show's musical director, the casting director, and YES!-- the director of the show, Julie Andrews herself.  I don't think I need emphasize how incredible it was to meet Julie Andrews, nor to gush about the influence she has had on my life and my love of theatre and film.  She is --and this expression is used far too often-- a living legend.  And she is everything one would expect-- gracious, eloquent, a lovely lady.  I managed to shake hands with her and her very kind daughter and co-author, Emma, and beg a photo with them. What a moment!!

As for "The Great American Mousical,"  I have no doubt that it will be a magical show.  The material, in these very early days, is already beguiling, clever and full of heart.  And Goodspeed is decidedly excited about this, as this is the first musical they have ever commissioned to be created from the ground up here.  It has enormous promise and I was delighted to be a part of the reading and to get a first glimpse of it.  Look for it this fall at the Norma Terris Theatre in Chester.

As for me, nothing has yet materialized as a next project beyond "Mame" but I am looking forward to having some summer vacation following our run here-- a nice break to enjoy family, sun, sand and relaxation before charging 'once more unto the breach' in this mad business of show.

"MAME" EXTENDED AT GOODSPEED!

Louise Pitre as Mame with the company in "It's Today!"  Photo: Diane Sobolewski

"Mame" can't be all flash or caustic wit, nor can it be overly sentimental. A successful needs a director who almost instinctively knows how to balance each of these components as well as a leading lady who is capable of suggesting the seriousness at the heart of her character's "live life to the fullest" message. Luckily, this Goodspeed production has both.

~ Andrew Beck, Hartford Arts Examiner

"Mame" is about the central philosophy of the title character: "Life is a banquet and most poor sons-of-bitches are starving to death." And there's plenty of life to be had at Goodspeed for audiences to sample or gorge on as they see fit.

~Christopher Caggiano, Theatermania

We opened our show to the press on May 9, and so far, as you can see, the response has been positive.  We are all very excited too about the audience reception for the show which has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic.  So much so, that word of mouth alone has boosted box office, and we are now extended to July 7.  All of us are looking forward to enjoying the next nine weeks of our run.

Lots of photos, teaser videos, and more are available for viewing at the Goodspeed website.  Additionally, you can enjoy a radio interview I gave this week about "Mame" along with our Vera Charles, the stellar Judy Blazer, by clicking the link here.  

Spring has been a mixed bag of weather out here in the Connecticut River Valley, but all the rain has brought a riot of blossoms, color and greenery.  Always a treat to watch the seasons change in this beautiful part of Connecticut.  I am making my plans for the summer, visits with family, a beach getaway, my annual trip to DC to do Bootleg Shakespeare with Taffety Punk Theatre Company at the Folger, and continuing the search for the next great acting opportunity.  Wishing you a glorious Spring and a sensational summer to come.

Up and Running!

"MAME" AT GOODSPEED MUSICALS IS IN PERFORMANCE NOW THROUGH JULY 7! REVIEWS TO COME!

"Mame" is launched and we are all basking in the rapturous response of our audiences. Everyone involved with the show is delighted at the way folks are embracing the story we are telling and especially the way they are falling in love with the Auntie Mame of our fearless and glamorous leader, Louise Pitre.

Our opening night party was great fun, with much festivity and photo ops. Everyone, from staff to crew to creative team to performers, enjoyed a night of celebration and a few well earned cocktails.

 I am delighted that my 'best girl,' my Mom, is coming out to see the show this weekend. She's my biggest fan, and was always Auntie Mame to me-- encouraging me to dream big, be uniquely myself, and take a big bite outta life! Glad she can see me strut in my gorgeous Gregg Barnes costumes.

We are six weeks into our time here at Goodspeed, with ten more to go. I am filling my time with writing projects, teaching Pilates to the cast, engaging in some great education outreach with the Goodspeed Education Department, and of course keeping the hustle going back in New York for the next gig. That process of drumming up work never stops! As of now, the next thing for me will be a return to DC for the annual Bootleg Shakespeare presentation at the Folger Theatre with Taffety Punk Theatre Company. This year it is "Hamlet: The Bad Quarto" which should be a blast. Shakespeare's play was published in a quarto version that has stymied scholars for centuries-- it contains so many errors and discrepancies that many believe it might have been a pirated version of the actual play we all know. But it reveals some interesting things about the piece and will be fun to explore. I am slated to play the First Player, and will get to have fun with the "Mousetrap" play within a play sequence.

The weather out here in the Connecticut River Valley is schizophrenic to say the least, with wild extremes in temperature, but the lush foliage and bright blossoms everywhere herald the Spring and the promise of warmer days to come!

It Takes a Village

OPENING WEEK! "MAME" STARTS PERFORMANCES THIS FRIDAY, APRIL 20 AT GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE!


with Louise Pitre as Mame and Judy Blazer as Vera

I am excited to begin performances of "Mame" and of course will report on the opening of our glittering, fabulous production after our first weekend of previews. If you plan to come and see the show, I recommend buying your tickets right away-- we are selling fast! I thought I would take a moment here and sing the praises of Goodspeed Musicals' new actor housing.

One of my first jobs out of college was a season of summer stock at a non union theatre in upstate New York-- a dilapidated old venue literally in the middle of a cornfield called Fort Salem Theatre. My Mom drove me from Boston and I arrived at the theatre, excited to do my first full season of musicals. I was directed to the house where I would spend the next three months of my life, and was shocked and appalled to see the ratty, filthy old place that awaited. In my shared room, the floors had buckled, the beds were mattresses on the floor, one window had been shattered and glass lay everywhere, and the place smelled of the mold that had gathered under the damp, peeling wallpaper. It was, in short, a hovel-- one I would not wish on a squatter. But being non-union, there was no recourse to correct the problem, and since I was young and stupid and had signed a contract, I remained. By mid-season, the upper floors of the house had been condemned by the local building inspector, and all of us crammed into the remaining bedrooms on the ground floor, and were forced to share one mildewed bathroom amongst eight performers. This is an extreme story, but it illustrates the plight of the itinerant actor, who must uproot himself continually and take up residence temporarily at each theatre where he works.

As mentioned in previous posts, this is my third show at Goodspeed, but this time the experience has been immeasurably enhanced by the amazing new actor housing that the company has created. In the past, actors likened their time here to a sort of summer camp, referring to it fondly as "Camp Goodspeed." This was partially due to the homey feeling of quaint East Haddam and the surrounding Connecticut River Valley; but it also had to do with the kind of housing the theatre provided. Actors shared old 19th century houses that offered few amenities, and it was a sort of given that we all had to get into the spirit of things and make the best of our communal arrangements if we were to enjoy our three to four month sojourns here at Goodspeed. And we did! Good times were had in those well worn old houses. But Goodspeed, a place where theatre is done according to the highest possible standards, wanted better for its artists and after years of planning, the company built 17 new artists' houses. The Artists Village initiative represented the largest capital project in Goodspeed history. In total, the project cost $5.5 million, $2.5 million of which was provided through a grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the remainder through private donations. Over 120 jobs were created as part of this project, most in the construction field and all within the state of Connecticut. It is estimated that the creation of Goodspeed’s Artists Village caused an economic impact of $17.5 million on the local economy.

Best of all, we artists get to enjoy wonderful, comfortable, state of the art accommodations in a green-friendly village of charming houses that fit perfectly into the historic landscape of beautiful East Haddam. I can't emphasize enough how greatly enhanced our work life is here at Goodspeed, waking in comfortable beds, cooking in well equipped, clean kitchens, and enjoying each other's company: sharing a glass of wine on the porch, or creating communal meals. We all feel so well taken care of, respected and nurtured by the theatre. How can we not do our best work? To learn more about the Artist's Village at Goodspeed, you can visit their website here.

Bosom Buddies

JAMES BEAMAN OPENS IN "MAME" AT GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE APRIL 20!



Most actors have a wish list. It's the roster of plum roles that they desire to play before their career has run its course. Whether we share this wish list with others or just keep it close to our hearts, it's there. And one of the bitter truths of the profession is that as one matures, some of those roles have to be crossed off the list; we move beyond them and they go unplayed. When I was an aspiring and precocious little boy, my dream was to play the title part in "Oliver!;" when that didn't happen, and I was a teenager, it was time to dream about The Artful Dodger. That didn't happen either. Now, it's the role of all roles in that show, Fagin, that I hanker after. I often tell friends that the best thing about being a character actor is that your best years are always in front of you!

Knowing this truth about the actor's journey, I can understand the intense desire our leading lady, Louise Pitre, has had for years to play Auntie Mame. This passion for the role inspires the great joy and abandon that she is bringing to the part, and her enthusiasm is infectious--truly, she leads us all with a feeling of giddy fun. Her Mame is unique; rather than an arch, flamboyant performance, Louise is giving the role a free wheeling, fresh and genuine interpretation, bringing a femininity and natural quality to this traditionally eccentric character. It's disarming and it works. I didn't know Louise prior to this production, and all I knew of her career was that she originated the role of Donna in "Mamma Mia!" and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance. But this is only one of her many accomplishments. French Canadian by birth, Louise has performed the role of Fantine in "Les Miserables" in English and in French in Canada and in Paris, and has played the iconic French chanteuse, Edith Piaf. She has been nominated for three Dora Mavor Moore Awards for her work in her home country. She has recorded several albums and is an acclaimed concert performer. I would call Louise an 'athlete.' She is clearly a type-A personality, a hard worker and a highly disciplined performer, as evinced by her taut, athletic frame (Louise is a wonderful dancer) and the concentration and dedication she brings into the rehearsal studio. You can tell she is having the time of her life playing this dream role! Star vehicles like these do not come along every day, and "Mame" offers one of the finest star turns an actress could have-- the glittering central role of an extravagant musical comedy, complete with a glamour wardrobe of 17 different looks.

One of the gifts of my recent career has been the chance to work with performers like Louise, who have paid their dues and have refined their craft to the highest level. And sometimes I get to work with actors who have truly inspired me as I have come up as a performer.
How delighted I was to learn I would have the chance to work with, and get to know, the fabulous Judith Blazer. We met in the hallway outside the studio where "Mame" auditions were being held and I just had to approach and tell her how much I admire her work. Judy could not have been more gracious and down to earth. She is a genuine, warm and incredibly funny lady. The first time I saw her was as the doomed Caroline Neville in "Titanic" on Broadway, and I will never forget her luminous presence, fantastic voice, and who can escape those big, soulful eyes of hers? Her career has been extraordinary, and one of her first professional gigs was right here at Goodspeed, in the title role of "The Bloomer Girl." She has starred on Broadway, in daytime drama, as a major concert performer, and opera artiste. She has worked with some of the best in the business: Neil Simon, Michael John LaChiusa, Michael Tilson Thomas, and the legendary Hal Prince, with whom she worked as "Brecht's Woman" in the Broadway show "Love Musik." Judy is an accomplished woman who speaks several languages fluently, is a masterful musician, teacher and founder of a company and school in Ohio. She is, in short, the real deal, and the kind of performer that makes you a better performer just observing her work and playing along with her. I also just adore talking with her, hearing her amazing show business stories and sharing a laugh. She is playing the outrageous, boozy stage star Vera Charles with incredible comic mastery and her rapport with Louise Pitre makes their "bosom buddy" relationship come to delectable life. It is something to behold.

How fortunate am I to be playing Woolsey, who is the close chum of both Vera and Mame and to get to do all my scenes with these two powerhouse actresses?? Truly, this is a gift of an experience I do not take for granted.