Mame

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A musical with a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. First produced on Broadway at the Winter Garden on 24 May 1966 with Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. [1]

The first London production was on 20 February 1969 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, with Ginger Rogers and Margaret Courtenay.

The original text

Originally titled My Best Girl, it is based on the 1955 novel Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis and a 1956 Broadway play by Lawrence and Lee.

Translations and adaptations

Fivor

Performance history in South Africa

1982 - It was first produced in South Africa by Brickhill-Burke at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre, opening on 27 November 1982. Gala opening attended by co-writer Jerome Lawrence. The cast included Joan Brickhill (Mame), Jean Dell (Vera Charles), Janice Honeyman (Agnes Gooch), Ivor van Rensburg (Beauregard), Victor Melleney (Dwight Babcock), Lance Maron / Stuart Langeveldt (Young Patrick), Mark Richardson (Older Patrick), Pieter Abrie (Lindsay Woolsey), Drummond Marais (Ito), Gloria Rosen (Mother Burnside), Denis Smith (Mr. Upson), Ann Stradi (Mrs. Upson), Jervis Pennington (Junior Babcock), Nico Lovell (Uncle Jeff) and Marjorie Dickie-Clark (Aunt Fan). Also starring Mandy Wildman It was directed by Louis Burke, with Bill Fairley as musical director. The choreography was by Keith Galloway, decor and costumes by Andrew Botha and the vocal director was Irene Frangs.

1989: David Matheson directed a production for the Performing Arts Council of the Orange Free State (PACOFS).

1990: Staged by CAPAB and the Port Elizabeth Gilbert & Sullivan Society at the Port Elizabeth Opera House, again directed by David Matheson.

1991: Staged by CAPAB and the Dramatic Society of East London at the Guild Theatre, again directed by David Matheson, with Michele Maxwell as Mame and Darryl Nel as Patrick Snr.

1994: Presented by CAPAB Musicals, first performed at the Nico Malan Theatre on 25 August 1994. Directed by David Matheson, musical director Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, choreographer Alfred Hinkel, set design by Johan Badenhorst, lighting design by John T. Baker, sound design by Robin Shuttleworth. The cast: Judy Page as Mame, also starring Diane Wilson, Glenn Swart, Steven Stead, Celeste Litkie and a large cast.

Sources

Review by Ralph Draper, The Rand Daily Mail, 29 November 1982.

Mame theatre programme (CAPAB)), 1994.

Scenaria, 15(168), 3 January 1995.

Tucker, 1997.

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