Review: AUNTIE MAME at Brookfield Theatre For The Arts

“Live, live, live!” That is the story of Auntie Mame; a story that we all need to remember from time to time. In this day and age, everyone is so preoccupied with doing the right thing, to set themselves up for success, and to grind until there is nothing left. So much so that they forget that we are alive, surrounded by good people, and that we should make the most of the time we have!

Auntie Mame was written in 1955 by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, adapted from the novel of the same name by Patrick Dennis. Directed by Michele Leigh, the play follows the life of Mame Dennis, a well-off woman in 1920’s New York- played lively by Gillian Holt- beginning with the arrival of her nephew, Patrick, who is to live with her after Mame’s brother passes away. We see Patrick- played as a child by Ari Shelley and again as an adult by Colin McLoone- experience the culture shock of growing up in a conservative household to a more liberal one; a life that Mr. Babcock, played by Craig David Rosen, desperately tries to keep him from. After the stock market crash that kicked off the Great Depression, Mame loses everything, which begins a montage of overcoming hardships together that greatly strengthens the bond between Auntie Mame and her charge. As an adult, Patrick begins to fall into that life of drudgery, rules, and elitism that Mame worked so hard to steer him away from, so she crafts a scheme to reminde Patrick about the community he grew up with and save Patrick from a fate he didn’t belong to.

Framing this tale sits the living room of Mame’s NYC Apartment, bedecked in extravagant paintings and stylistic furniture. Designed by Andrew Okell, constructed by Bob Lane, and decorated as a team by Leigh, Rosen, Lou Okell, and Vincent D’Ambrosio, the set properly exudes the luxury of the roaring 20’s. For all of the scenes that don’t take place in Mame’s apartment, the curtain is mostly closed and a scrim is drawn to create a backdrop for projections to set the scenes. The use of the projections, designed by Lou Okell, were clever, but the scene transitions suffered with the addition of preparing for the projections on top of the normal movement of set pieces.

Auntie Mame has the added challenge of a large, ensemble cast. Not only do you have the stars, but each chapter of this story has its own minor characters: such as Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside (Jon Barker), Agnes Gooch (Jennifer Baran-Pesaud), Ito (Andres Idrovo Castillo), and Brian O’Bannon (Liam McGrath); all of whom host distinct personalities that clash and paint Mame’s life with a bouquet of different colors! All of these actors need to be clothed, and Costume Designer Becca Lynn, who also played Vera Charles, rose to the challenge: The costumes were as vibrant as the egos who wore them!

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