MAME

New Neglected Musical to get Revived

Neglected Musicals will present MAME at Hayes Theatre Co for a week from Wednesday 5 July. Directed by Richard Carroll, this 1966 Broadway hit will be the first time the musical has been performed on a professional stage since 1968! With the hit songs My Best Girl, It’s Today and Mame, MAME will star Virginia Gay in the title lead with Laura Bunting, Sheridan Harbridge, Anthony Gooley, Rob Johnson and Madeleine Jones.

Established in 2010, Neglected Musicals presents musical theatre that has never or rarely been seen in Australia. Presented with scripts in hand, and with piano accompaniment after only a day’s rehearsal. They most recently had a successful encore season of Calamity Jane, also starring Virginia Gay.

“I couldn’t wait to get back together with a bunch of the Calamity Jane cast,” said Director Richard Carroll. “I’m thrilled to be adding some more incredible actor-comedians to the cast of this presentation. Although the characters of Calamity and Mame are very different, the same thing draws me to both – their rejection of conservatism and conformism, and their bravery in living life outside of society’s rules.”

Mame is a musical with the book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman. Based on the 1955 novel Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis and a 1956 Broadway play, by Lawrence and Lee, that starred Rosalind Russell. Set in New York City and spanning the Great Depression and World War II, it focuses on eccentric bohemian Mame Dennis, whose famous motto is “Life is a banquet and most poor sons of bitches are starving to death.” Her fabulous life with her wealthy friends is interrupted when the young son of her late brother arrives to live with her.

Laura Bunting, Anthony Gooley, Sheridan Harbridge, Madeleine Jones and Rob Johnson.

This new production will be directed by Richard Carroll, produced by Michelle Guthrie, choreographed by Cameron Mitchell and musical direction by Jeremy Brennan.

“MAME has always been one of my favourite musicals,” said producer Michelle Guthrie. “It’s truly Neglected and with a wonderful Jerry Herman score, I can’t wait for this cast to get it on its feet.”

Neglected Musicals is not for profit, where the participants are volunteers. All proceeds from ticket sales fund the next Neglected Musical.