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As part of the Encores! series at City Center, I saw Call Me Madam<\/em>, a revival of the 1950\nmusical that starred the incomparable Ethel Merman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I saw the original and, even as a young teen, recognized Merman\u2019s talent, especially her ability to belt out a song and completely dominate the stage. This is a link to her \u2013with Donald O\u2019Connor in the 1953 movie– singing the counterpoint hit, You\u2019re Just in Love<\/em> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2LAijDQ2cIE<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the original\nstage production the young attach\u00e9\u2019s part was played by Russell Nype. The\nshow\u2019s music and lyrics were by Irving Berlin; George Abbott directed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Madam<\/em> was built around the doings of Pearle Mesta, Washington DC socialite, party-giver and Democratic fundraiser, who had been appointed as Ambassador to Lichtenstein. When the idea was first broached to Merman (who had no interest in politics) she reportedly said \u201cwho the hell is Pearle Mesta?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n This Encores! version has terrific choreography, great costumes that neatly summoned the 50s with ball gowns and fluffy skirts and, of course, that wonderful score with numbers like The Best Thing for you Would be Me<\/em>, It\u2019s a Lovely Day Today<\/em> and even They Like Ike<\/em> performed with panache by Adam Heller, Stanley Wayne Mathis and Brad Oscar, as two Representatives and a Congressman. There\u2019s also a number set at the faux Mittle European \u201cLichtenstein\u201d town fair complete with guys in lederhosen, girls in pseudo dirndls and ocarina music that\u2019s a hoot. What the production lacks is Merman or a performer of her ilk like Tyne Dailey who handled the role in another revival. In this version, the lead is Carmen Cusack who looks great but can\u2019t come close to matching Merman\u2019s chops. The performance was fun but Merman\u2019s oversize personality and great song styling gave the original a lot of pizzazz that\u2019s missing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah the 50s, when no one was gluten-free, girls wore poodle skirts and spinning was something kids did to make themselves dizzy. (Of course there was also the Civil Rights movement, Cold War and a lot else.) Before nostalgia overtakes, here\u2019s a recipe for something I actually served for h\u2019ors d\u2019oeuvres way back when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Salmon\nBall <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 (8 ounce)\npackage cream cheese, softened <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Tbls. lemon\njuice<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Tbls.\nhorseradish (from a jar)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 \/4 tsp salt<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dash of liquid smoke\n(It came in a bottle and was likely a carcinogen. As a friend once said, \u201ca\nbottle of this will last a marriage. Mine did. )<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 can of pink\nsalmon<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mix it all together, trying not to wince, and shape into a ball. I vaguely recall rolling it in chopped nuts. Serve with Ritz crackers and a lot of alcohol (Did we drink wine then? I recall Scotch.) In fairness, the salmon ball tasted pretty good but what did I know?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As part of the Encores! series at City Center, I saw Call Me Madam, a revival of the 1950 musical that starred the incomparable Ethel Merman. I saw the original and, even as a young teen, recognized Merman\u2019s talent, especially … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/marigoldonline.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/ocarina-1.jpg\")
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