arts
Really cute moments
Theater Review | Thru May 18
Winner of three Tonys in the late "60s, Mame is a lighthearted musical romp spanning a period that begins in the 1920s and runs through the 1940s. Don"t expect swing music, though, as this is your standard issue Broadway musical.
Suzanne L. Stark stars as Auntie Mame Dennis in "Mame" at Beef & Boards
The story concerns Mame Dennis, a rich New York socialite, who inherits a child: her nephew Patrick. Mame grasps motherhood with zeal while never compromising her modern ideas about living life to the fullest. After blowing off the stock market crash that leaves her destitute, Mame takes on odd jobs until marrying into money and leaving Patrick to grow up in boarding school. Eventually there"s a reconciliation scene, and they live happily ever after.
Suzanne Stark, a Beef & Boards leading lady staple, is a buoyant, lively Mame. She plays her part with the same restrained eagerness that made her other roles in Hello, Dolly, The Sound of Music and Anything Goes the cornerstone of those productions. While the character Mame may be a little hard to believe at times (giving no second thought to the stock market crash?), Stark infuses her with a welcome dose of reality. Unfortunately, she is surrounded by caricatures: the stereotypical actress with an exaggerated throaty voice, the dingy Asian butler, the whiney, mousy nanny, etc.
The show has its really cute moments, and generates a fair amount of hearty laughs. Director Eddie Curry sets up some good scenes, and scenic and light designer Michael Layton and costumer Thom Hoffman provide fine visuals (though outfits for the women at a garden party seemed a little risquÈ for pre-1950).
Mame continues at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre through May 18; for tickets, call 872-9664.
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