1983 Revival of Jerry Herman's Hit Musical Was Shockingly Short-Lived

She captivated TV audiences for 12 seasons of Murder, She Wrote. But there was also Angela Lansbury the theater actress, making her mark on numerous musicals.

There was one in particular where she simply shined, and at two different “stages” of her career, believe it or not.

To explain: This week marks 43 years since the Broadway revival of Jerry Herman‘s hit musical Mame, which saw Lansbury returning to the lead role. The staged production had launched years earlier, in 1966, where the late actress also played the character of Mame Dennis.

Interestingly, though, when Mame premiered at the Gershwin Theatre on July 24, 1983, it would light up the stage for a mere 41 shows.

Nonetheless, The New York Times gave the revival plenty of praise in its review published exactly 43 years ago. “Angela Lansbury is back as Patrick Dennis’s high-living, freethinking aunt – still kicking a leg clear to heaven in the irresistible title song, still pouring her soul into the ballad ‘If He Walked Into My Life,’ still exhorting one and all to ‘Live, live, live!'” reads the July 25, 1983 Times write-up.

The review continues, “There are… moments that perk us up, many of them featuring Miss Lansbury. One feels a rush when she enters, a vision in gold from her toes to her raised bugle, to play queen bee to her Beekman Place party guests. It’s still fun to watch her exchange insults with Miss Francine in ”Bosom Buddies” or teach teen-agers how to jitterbug in ”That’s How Young I Feel.” Like everyone else, the star sometimes seems to be pushing herself to be merry – but, as always, she is a charismatic actress and a paragon of glamour.”

Here’s the play’s official synopsis, according to Playbill: “Roaring Twenties socialite Mame Dennis teaches her orphaned nephew the nature of free living and free thinking, attempting to keep him from the clutches of the uptight world of his late father’s estate executor and, later, his fiancée.”