Ah, Mame. You echo triumphantly down the years, a beacon of pure joy. You remind us to “Live, live, live!” You challenge young minds, and 42nd Street Moon has brought you to life on the Gateway Theatre stage.
Mame is based on Auntie Mame, a real person, created by Patrick Dennis. Mame, a socialite and free thinker, adopted her orphaned nephew in the Roaring Twenties, and that’s when his thrill ride began. Placed in a ‘progressive’ school that featured universal nudity, his life was anything but dull.
The lights came up on a man in a fedora entering a wild, bathtub gin-soaked party featuring the ensemble of singer/dancers. The tiny stage felt overpopulated much of the time, but when the group was narrowed down to half a dozen dancers for That’s How Young I Feel, they formed a charming stage picture.
When consummate performers are involved, the size of the theater doesn’t matter. We were lucky enough to be treated to three of these. Azzy David was a standout as young Patrick. The compulsively watchable youngster exuded exuberant innocence. Jillian A. Smith (Gloria Upson) was unapologetically cloying. And Larissa Kelloway proved a comic delight as Sally Cato.
Cindy Goldfield starred as Mame. Her performance was impeded by a puzzling array of costumes. The character Mame is a vibrant, avant-garde socialite. But Goldfield looked dowdy in most of her scenes.
Outfitted in a prim, ankle-length church dress, complete with lace collar and sensible shoes, Goldfield looked like Patrick’s grandmother instead of his aunt. Real-life Mame wouldn’t be caught dead in sensible shoes. Despite this, the actress had an affecting moment in Act 2, singing If He Walked Into My Life.
Mame is chock-full of can’t-miss standards, notably Mame and the inspiring <em>Open a New Window. In The Moon Song, loudly crooning background singers surprised the audience in a weird-but-good way. In Bosom Buddies, Goldfield and Elizabeth belted out the great lyrics effortlessly: “Who else but a bosom buddy will tell you how rotten you are?”
I polled audience members at intermission and the production earned unanimous raves. So If you’re looking for a perky musical with a homespun, “let’s put on a show in the barn!” feel, Mame is the show for you.
Mame plays at 42nd Street Moon through November 19th at the Gateway Theatre, 215 Jackson Street in San Francisco. Call (415) 255-8205 for tickets.
Reported by Deb Polfus
