A rib-tickling revival of 'Auntie Mame'
Say
your community theater group wanted to
revive an old comedy classic with a
sizable cast. You could do far worse
than blow the dust off "Auntie Mame."
Just don't let your backstage volunteers
know right away what'll be expected of
them.
"Auntie Mame," the biographical saga
that inspired the musical version that
cemented Angela Lansbury's place in
entertainment history, remains a very
enjoyable piece of theater. To present
it in all its scenic glory, however, is
a technical nightmare, one with which
the Huntington Beach Playhouse has its
hands full. Intricate set and costume
changes demand rather large chunks of
empty stage time.
Once the bulky set pieces are in place,
however, the large company, under the
direction of Allison Bibicoff, turns in
a quite presentable production, turning
back the clock to the late 1920s, when
original author Patrick Dennis was 10
years old and being ushered into the
care of his rather bohemian aunt — his
only living relative — whose philosophy
on life, to recall Herb Gardner's words
in "A Thousand Clowns," fell somewhere
to the left of "whoopee."
Most actresses would commit mayhem to
snag the "Auntie" role, and Rose London
— who's already impressed playhouse
audiences this year in "Moon Over
Buffalo" — makes it her own. London
accomplishes with sly asides and
gestures what Rosalind Russell did more
outrageously on the screen. London's
Mame is a beautifully etched portrait of
a carefree lady who truly believes that
"life is a banquet and most poor SOBs
are starving to death."
As her boozing bosom buddy, Broadway
actress Vera Charles, Dawn Vasco also
eschews the theatrical for the more
down-to-earth — and accessible —
portrayal, landing verbal zingers
repeatedly. And Cole Fletcher is simply
terrific as young Patrick, erudite and
assured far beyond his tender years.
"Auntie Mame" and its musical cousin
contain a relatively small character
role that, in the right hands, can steal
the show — the nerdy transcriber Agnes
Gooch, and Norma Jean Riddick is an
absolute howl as she undergoes a "My
Fair Lady" transformation in five
minutes and a more defining lifestyle
alteration during the next nine months.
James
Manley Green hits one of the show's few
sour notes as banker Dwight Babcock,
playing him more as a street hood than a
lordly financial wizard. Carl Wawrina
lends solid support as Mame's perennial
swain, while Ivar Vasco has some choice
moments as Beauregard, the Southern
gentleman who sweeps Mame off her feet.
Later in the play, bigotry and
stuffiness emerge as villains to be
vanquished. These qualities are
eminently represented in Randy Fletcher
and Stephanie Keefer as the patrician
parents of Patrick's fiancee, played in
somewhat of a low key by Victoria
Strong, who just partially captures the
irritating nasal tone of her character.
Miriam Lebental is solid as both
Patrick's nurse and the cantankerous
Mother Burnside. Katelyn Bowen
charmingly enacts the decorator who
ultimately snags Patrick.
Andrew Otero's myriad settings are
effective, and the costumes of Larry
Watts and Tom Phillips reflect the
Roaring Twenties and the more subdued
'30s. The show would, however, benefit
with the addition of some "bridge music"
to cover the lengthy transition times.
"Auntie Mame" may indeed be a piece of
antique theater, but it's been spruced
up nicely in this revival.
