LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO MACK & MABEL
Rare, fully staged and choreographed presentation comes to El Portal with a 40-member cast and an 18-piece orchestra, Feb. 16-18, 2024
Some of the most charming musical experiences are fully staged and choreographed “in concert” presentations of revivals from Broadway’s heyday, the 1930s through the 1960s, and a few from the 1970s on, somewhere near the onset of Broadway’s slow and painful decline into jukebox musicals. From Pal Joey (1940), The Pajama Game (1954); The Most Happy Fella (1956) to Amour (2002) and Woman of the Year (1981), I have marveled at these wonderful evenings (most run just a few performances or less). To varying degrees, some contain problematic librettos (known as “books” in Tony-voter parlance), but an awkward book will look like an afterthought when each show contains songs that can stand on their own. Remember songs? Those things with clever lyrics and great melodies — versus today’s musicals which have songs that are overpoweringly characterized by pop rock stylings and a crazy high belt.
This is why I’m champing at the bit to see the beloved and rarely produced Broadway musical Mack & Mabel, the inaugural production from LA’s new Equity company, All Roads Theatre Company (ARTCO). For four performances only, Feb. 16-18, 2024, you’ll get to hear Jerry Herman’s score, one of his best, performed by a powerhouse 40-member cast — led by Dermot Mulroney, Jenna Lea Rosen, and Caroline O’Connor — and an 18-piece orchestra.
But get tickets fast — Sunday is already sold out.
In this 1974 musical, famed workaholic silent film director Mack Sennett (Mulroney) reflects on his artistic legacy: his Bathing Beauties; the Keystone Cops; pies-in-the-face and, of course, Mabel Normand (Rosen), the waitress from Flatbush that he turned into a movie star. Set against the backdrop of the early days of cinema, this rarely seen work depicts the bittersweet love story between two of film’s early icons. Two of the songs, “I Won’t Send Roses” and “Time Heals Everything” have been well-covered, and “Tap Your Troubles Away” is a confectionary delight (expect a huge tap number). And while “When Mabel Comes in the Room” is almost shamelessly identical in structure to “Hello, Dolly,” it really works. “Movies Were Movies” is a clever pastiche of silent film accompaniment, and “Look What Happened to Mabel” is as jaunty as a flapper.
Scott Thompson will direct and choreograph, and the full live orchestra at El Portal Theatre (which has some of the best sightlines in L.A.) will be conducted by music director Fred Barton. ARTCO is the brainchild of founders Thompson and Barton, will follow this revival with a 2024/2025 season of three productions: a classic play, a second classic musical, a digital new works play festival, and the rollout of a concert series dedicated to the work of classic Broadway composers featuring an orchestra and major musical theatre performers.
This is a HUGE undertaking and we really need to support ARTCO. Remember L.A.’s Reprise and Reprise 2.0? After 14 years of producing amazing evenings of rarely revived musicals, the simple sets and costumes became huge, so under Artistic Director Jason Alexander Reprise ran out of money, causing Founder and Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson to shutter the company. After five years, she started Reprise 2.0, which died after two shows, one of which was Sweet Charity with Laura Bell Bundy. So, with Musical Theatre West closing its Reiner Reading Series, Musical Theatre Guild is the only outfit in town to offer concert-stagings of musicals, but with book-in-hand and just for one night (The Wedding Singer plays March 10, 2024). ARTCO’s will be fully memorized, fully choreographed, and fully full of Broadway pros.
Dermot Mulroney and Jenna Lea Rosen in rehearsal for Mack & Mabel
Along with Mulroney, Rosen, and O’Connor, the cast will feature Chad Doreck, Lee James, Michael Shepperd, Robert Yacko, Glenn Rosenblum, Arthur L. Ross, and Myriam Ali. The ensemble will include Nichole Beeks, Amanda Carr, Julianna Cauterucci, Wes Dameron, Brody Ensor, Barb Erfurt, Iva Erwin, Adam Fried, Skylar Gaines, Ariana Nicole George, Sylvie Gosse, Caleb Green, Carissa Hamann, Flynn Henry, Alex Hogy, Shira Jackman, Danielle LaRauf, David Leppert, Holden Maples, Mark Marchillo, Julia Marley, Hisato Masuyama, Donovan Mendelovitz, Alexandra Mitchell, Laura Rensing, Gabby Rosales, Erica Schaeffer, Brennan Schmidt, and Nick Signor. Set and lighting design are by Paul Black, costume design is by Shon LeBlanc, sound design is by Julie Ferrin, projection design is by Larry Saperstein, prop design is by Bouket Fingerhut, and hair and makeup design is by Carter Thomas.
The original Mack & Mabel was plagued with problems, most notably Michael Stewart’s book. The idea came in 1971 from legendary Hollywood writer Leonard Spigelglass and producer Ed Lester (founder in 1938 of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera). Lester brought in Herman, who gave up on the collaboration with Spigelglass after a year. Herman turned to Stewart, who had adapted Wilder’s The Matchmaker (1955) into Hello, Dolly! (1964). Any musical theater instructor will tell you DO NOT write a book around existing songs, but that is exactly what Stewart had to do. Plus, the David Merrick production, directed by Gower Champion and starring Robert Preston, tried desperately to stage it like Hello, Dolly! but never had the proper central story to work with. It received scathing reviews and flopped after 65 performances. Whatever the ultimate fate of Mack & Mabel, it finally established Bernadette Peters as a star.
Because the songs are so infectious (and the era so ripe for a musical), revisions to the book have occurred a few times; Michael Stewart was working on the 1988 Paper Mill Playhouse update when he died. ARTCO’s rendition is based on a revised script by Stewart’s sister, Francine Pascal, written for a hugely successful 1995 London revival (which starred O’Connor, who earned an Olivier Award nomination as Mabel). Subsequent amendments of the libretto have also changed some character names to their real life counterparts from the era. Hence, Frank Wyman is now Frank Capra. I won’t give away the new ending, but it’s rather certain that the Fatty Arbuckle rape and murder scandal, removed from the libretto in 1988, will still be excised (don’t ask).
Mack & Mabel in Concert
All Roads Theatre Company (ARTCO)
El Portal Theatre, 11031 Camarillo Street in North Hollywood
Friday Feb 16 at 8pm | Saturday Feb 17 at 2pm & 8pm | Sunday Feb 18 at 3pm
for tickets ($65–$130; $200 opening night gala), call 818.508.4200 or visit Ovation Tix
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Just for the record, the Fatty Arbuckle scandal was never a part of Mack & Mabel. Fatty wasn’t in the Broadway version of the show, but was added later. They steered clear of the Virginia Rappe situation, though. The William Desmond Taylor murder has always been a part of the show, but not the Arbuckle/Rappe scandal.
Thanks for clearing that up, Greg. My sources said the first draft, but I see the Arbuckle business was added later — and then removed.