Soap Stars Take Bucks County By Storm
Bucks County Playhouse, The State Theatre of Pennsylvania, proudly presents Linda Dano as Mame also starring Anna Stuart as Vera Charles June 8 through June 19, 2005.
Linda Dano (Lena, GL) is honored to be making her musical stage debut in the title role of Mame. An accomplished television and feature film actress, talk-show host, designer and author, her Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress is for her work as the flamboyant romance novelist, Felicia Gallant. Dano embraced that role on NBC's Another World for seventeen years and it's actually the similarities between Felicia and Mame Dennis that drew her to this new endeavor. Accepting the title role in Mame was, in part, because Dano and her late husband, Frank Attardi, have lovingly restored a house that dates back to 1730. When invited to the Bucks County Playhouse for her first stage performance in (of all things) the musical of Mame, she knew that if things didn't go well she could be out hunting for seventeenth and eighteenth century furnishings for her home - always confident that within this very talented ensemble of singers, dancers and actors, the theater would find a wonderful understudy for Mame!
Dano, shown at left with co-star Bob Marcus (Beauregard) thanks everyone for taking the ride with her, particularly her good friend and former Another World castmate, Anna Stuart, who plays Vera Charles, a role she was born to play. Stuart was Donna Love on Another World and now plays snobbish socialite Mary Smythe on All My Children. Stuart’s lifelong desire to be part of the musical theatre is being realized in this production. Her very first performance on stage was in The Fantastics. Her other theatre credits include Barefoot in the Park, As You Like It and Look Back in Anger. Her audiences best know her as one of daytime television's most popular divas for over 30 years. However, this opportunity to be on the musical stage again, brings her back to a place she loves.
Mame opened on Wednesday, June 8th with a matinee followed by an evening performance and followed by two more shows on Thursday. Off to such a fast-paced start, Dano then hosted a luncheon for fans on Friday at the Mansion Inn in New Hope, PA. I understand everyone had a great time both at the luncheon and the performances.
I saw the play on Friday, a couple of days after I had planned. I was thrilled to see two of the great ladies in such a fine musical with fine performances. Dano was what I had imagined as Mame. I had seen it many years ago and remembered the theme of the story. Dano and Stuart were elegantly clad and sang a wonderful song, It's Today, which was in Mame's apartment. (Photo of Linda in red - being picked up and Anna in a colorful outfit). Stuart seems like she has done this before with great dance moves and great voice. When it came to the famous riding to the hounds scene, Dano (Mame) is with Bob Marcus (Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside) as the riders cheer them on. This ended the first act.
In the second act, Dano and Stuart sang Bosom Buddies. Then came the song If He Walked into My Life which Mame sang about her son Patrick Dennis played by Patrick Ludt - age 19-29. This song was sung with such emotion and I loved it. I know that I enjoyed the show and it looked like the cast had fun with it so that makes it a fun night all around for the audience, too. After the show, the cast including Stuart and Dano came out to greet the fans. Also with them was John DiFerdinando who played Patrick Dennis - age 10. Two fans (pictured here) came to see the show four times in a row and also came to the luncheon.
Linda Dano and Anna Stuart and a great cast star in Mame at the Bucks County Playhouse, 70 South Main Street, New Hope, PA. Performances run from Wednesday, June 8, 2005 through Sunday, June 19, 2005 with shows Wednesday and Thursday at 2 pm and 8 pm, Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 pm and 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm. For reservations, call the box office at 215-862-2041.
The Program
Curtain Call. That's Dano as Mame at the top of the stairs.
These fans traveled to Bucks County to see four performances of Dano as Mame!
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