Not "Today"

You gotta take the rough with the smooth...so here goes. We looked at Seth Rudetsky's fantastic deconstruction of Angela Lansbury leading the company in "It's Today" from the original cast album of Mame last week. Well, I just stumbled on this clip of the same number from the notorious film version starring Lucille Ball. The film does everything it can to cater to its highly miscast star, who apparently put up the money for the project. The keys have been dropped, the tempo is erratic and the orchestrations have been muted from their brassy highs. The emotions are forced, the energy lacking, plus Onna White's choreography seems a bit much for such a cramped looking apartment. (I wonder how many people got kicked in the head during rehearsals/shooting). The most criminal thing: there is absolutely no joy. The only thing impressive about this entire mess is Lucy's hitch kick toward the end of the number (well, she was 62 and recuperating from a broken leg...)

While I'll always love Lucy, it will never be for Mame.