Auntie Mame (play)
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Robert E. Lee
| Auntie Mame | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jerome Lawrence Robert E. Lee |
| Date premiered | October 31, 1956 |
| Place premiered | Broadhurst Theatre |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | East Village, Manhattan, 1900s |
Auntie Mame is a comedic stage play written by American playwrights Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee.[1] The play was adapted from the novel of the same name first published in 1955 by Patrick Dennis. The play was a critical and commercial success, and was nominated for five Tony Awards, running for 639 performances.[2]
The play premiered on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre on October 31, 1956, and closed on June 28, 1958, after 639 performances. The original Broadway production was nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Actress for Rosalind Russell, Best Stage Technician (Joseph Harbuck), and Best Scenic Design (Oliver Smith). Peggy Cass won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Agnes Gooch. Russell and Cass reprised their roles for a 1958 film of the same name, for which they were both nominated for Academy Awards.[3]
Following the Broadway production, the show went on a national tour starring Eve Arden in the title role,[4] and opened on London's West End at the Adelphi Theatre, starring Beatrice Lillie.[5] Lillie had also taken over the role of Auntie Mame in the Broadway production. After Rosalind Russell's contract ended, the role was taken over by Greer Garson, and then Lillie. Florence MacMichael replaced Peggy Cass as Agnes Gooch in the Broadway production, and then continued playing the role on tour.[6]
