Call Me Madam Down Under

Evie Hayes and Rene Paul with the ensemble in the Act 3 Finale—set in Sally’s Living-room in Washington. National Library of Australia, Canberra.

Judiciously  J.C. Williamson’s delayed the Australian stage production of Call Me Madam until after the film had been seen here. It was probably inevitable that the lead would go to the ebullient Evie Hayes. Seattle-bom Evie had come to Australia with her husband, star vaudevillian Will Mahoney, for the Tivoli Circuit in 1938. She had been remarkably successful as Annie Oakley in Williamson’s production of Irving Berlin’s earlier triumph, Annie Get Your Gun. Evie used to say proudly that it ran so long she ‘wore out three leading men’. Berlin himself suggested that Sally Adams would be an ideal role for her.

As was the custom of the time, the other two leads went to imports. Rene Paul, a tall, handsome Swiss-American was Cosmo, and ex-GI Sid Lawson was Kenneth Gibson. Neither could boast much in the way of meaningful Broadway credits, though Mr. Lawson had made a tiny contribution to Irving Berlin’s flop Miss Liberty, and had been seen briefly in a revival of Diamond Lil with Mae West (which he enigmatically described as ‘a wonderful experience’).

The lesser roles went to Australians, many of them JCW ‘regulars’: Alec Kellaway (Congressman Wilkins), Bobby Mack (Brockbank), Charles McCallum (Secretary of State), Richard Webb (Senator Gallagher), William Rees (Sebastian), John Huson (Grand Duke Otto) and Alton Harvey (the Butler). There was some notable new talent, too: Coral Deague had her first major role as Princess Maria, as did Graeme Bent, as Pemberton Maxwell. The singing and dancing ensemble was a miniature ‘Who's Who’ of future stars: Jill Perryman, Billie Fowler, Kevan Johnston. Garth Welch—and Clive Hearne.

Act 1, Scene 4—Reception Room in the American Embassy

Act 1, Scene 8 & Act 2 Scene 4—Sally’s Sitting-room in the Embassy

Act 1, Scene 6—The Lichtenburg Fair

Act 2, Scene 2—The Embassy Garden

To direct, Williamson’s chose John Casson. The son of the illustrious Dame Sybil Thorndike and Sir Lewis Casson, he was far more at home in the ‘classical’ theatre. He had directed only one other musical—a short-lived revival of Kiss Me, Kate with Hayes Gordon and Evie Hayes. George Carden came from London to recreate the dances, assisted by the ever reliable ‘ballet mistress’ Betty Pounder. Leo Packer was musical director. 

Call Me Madam hurtled into Australian theatrical history at Her Majesty’s in Melbourne on 5 September 1953. The gala premiere—described somewhat unfortunately by the Age as ‘A gay opening’—was attended by the Prime Minister, Mr. R.G. Menzies, and Mrs. Menzies. She wore ‘a gown of pewter grey stiffened Chantilly lace made with a gracefully draped bodice and matching jacket.’ They took their seats in the dress circle to ‘a round of spontaneous applause’. Among the other dignitaries were the United States Consul General and the US Army Attache, both there with their fashionably gowned wives.

Rene Paul and Evie Hayes

National Library of Australia, Canberra

Sid Lawson and Coral Deague

National Library of Australia, Canberra

After the show Evie Hayes and the principals were guests of honour at a party at the St. Kilda home of Mrs. Percy Henry, then Melbourne’s ‘Hostess With the Mostes’. Assisting her were William P. Carr of the National Theatre, and her daughters, Margot and Patricia (Mrs. Charles Norman).

The reviews were somewhat muted. The Age critic thought that though ‘this production is carried along pleasantly enough, it never seemed to get on top of the given material’ and the Herald’s H.A. Standish wondered, ‘how do you put on a musical show and make it lively and enjoyable, without a single good voice among the principals?’ Darrell Symmons in the Sun complained that ‘the music is merely tuneful and sparse’ and the Argus’s Frank Doherty agreed: ‘Mr. Berlin’s musical numbers are attractive enough but, apart from one or two, lack the catchy, whistleable quality one associates with most of his tunes.’ Everybody, though, thought that Evie Hayes was wonderful. Said Frank Murphy in the Advocate: ‘As Sally Adams she is supreme. She throws herself wholeheartedly into the role and is never dull.’

After a thoroughly respectable four and a half months, Call Me Madam transferred to the Theatre Royal in Sydney, where it opened on 30 January 1954. This time the gala opening lacked the extravagance of Melbourne’s. ‘With the Royal Tour now only days away,’ explained Truth, ‘most women who attended the premiere of Call Me Madam said that they were keeping their most glamorous gowns until after the Queen arrived. Although few of those present last night will attend either the State Banquet or the Lord Mayor's Ball, most are hoping to be present at the Royal Artillery Ball or the Red Cross Ball, both to be held during the Queen's visit.’

Coral Deague, Evie Hayes and Sid Lawson

National Library of Australia, Canberra

Evie Hayes and Rene Paul

National Library of Australia, Canberra

So enthusiastic was the Sydney first night audience that Evie invited them to join in the chorus of ‘You're Just In Love’ while she executed some unscheduled somersaults and splits. ‘l knew it was pretty risky,’ she told the Telegraph reporter, ‘but I just felt the audience was with me.’ Indeed they were—by now the show was thoroughly run in and the reviews were kinder. W.A. O’Carroll in the Mirror announced that Evie had improved on Ethel Merman’s performance in the film. In the Sun John Kardoss praised her ‘sparkling humour’ and described the show as ‘eye-filling with its opulence, light, gay and refreshing, with a big number of notable assets—rapturous score, witty dialogue, colourful costumes, impressive scenery—all resulting in an enchanting performance.’ There was one dissenting voice. Perhaps echoing Jack Hylton’s concern for his London audiences’ reaction, ‘L.B.’ in the Sydney Morning Herald complained, ‘So many of the political jokes are out of date that the show’s authors ought to have complimented their Australian audiences by writing fresh material for them. Perhaps they were too lazy, too cynical, and too rich for that.’

Probably to the annoyance of the carping ‘L.B.’ Call Me Madam ran in Sydney for almost as long as it had in Melbourne. Then the entire company set off for a marathon tour of New Zealand. They opened in Auckland on 15 June and concluded in Wellington on 2 September. In between they played eleven other centres, big and small, including arduous one night stands at Wanganui, Napier, Masterton and Oamaru. Then it was back to Australia for a three-week season at Her Majesty’s in Brisbane. By now there had been some cast changes. Sid Lawson had returned to America and Graeme Bent had replaced him as Kenneth Gibson; and Clive Hearne had been promoted to the roles of Supreme Court Justice and Court Chamberlain. After three weeks in Brisbane, the final curtain fell on t6 October 1954, bringing to a close a happy 57-week run.

Act 1, Washington Square Dance

National Library of Australia, Canberra

Act 1, Scene 3—Public Square in Lichtenberg with Rene Paul as Cosmo singing the song ‘Lichtenburg’

Theatre Heritage Australia

In 1956, according to Evie Hayes’s biographer, John Crampton, Irving Berlin offered Evie the lead in a new touring production of Call Me Madam. She played eleven United States cities, including her hometown. Seattle, where the local paper welcomed her with the headline ‘Return of the Native’.

Encore!

In 1967 Call Me Madam was in the news again. A television version was announced and for it Irving Berlin came up with two new numbers—‘You Got to Be Way Out to Be Way In’ and a title song. The last songs that he ever wrote, they were, from all reports, sadly lacklustre. They, and the television production, disappeared without trace. Ethel Merman rarely took her shows on tour but, probably because of her vested interest in it, she headed a touring production of Call Me Madam in 1968. Another tour was proposed for 1972, but failed to materialise.

In London, a new production of Call Me Madam opened at the Victoria Palace on 14 March 1983 with Noele Gordon, Basil Hoskins, Veronica Page and William Relton. Two years later there was another revival, this time in Australia—perhaps appropriately in Canberra, considering the musical’s ‘diplomatic’ theme. Directed by Ken Boucher, this joint production by the Canberra Philharmonic Society and the Canberra Theatre Trust opened at the Canberra Theatre on 17 October 1985. In an inspired piece of casting, the role of Sally Adams went to the beloved June Bronhill. The program carried a message from Evie Hayes: ‘It was a great show to appear in and will bring me many happy memories. I know June Bronhill will be wonderful in the role of Sally Adams’. And, indeed she was.

In 1995 Tyne Daly headed an acclaimed concert version in New York City Center’s Encores! Series. This triggered a flurry of revivals including a production at New Jersey’s Papermill Playhouse starring Leslie Uggams. Other notable ‘Madams’ have included Joan Blondell, Constance Bennett, Penny Singleton, Martha Raye, Jo Anne Worley, Maxene Andrews, Kim Criswell and Helen Reddy, who starred in revivals of two of Merman’s greatest hits, Call Me Madam and Anything Goes for the Sacramento Music Circus. When a critic complained she neither looked nor sang like Ethel Merman, Helen quipped, ‘As the good lady was already deceased, I was gratefully relieved.’

Call Me Madam returned to Australia in 2000. Using the New York Encores! production of 1995 as its starting point, it was a highlight of the Production Company’s season at Arts Centre Melbourne’s State Theatre in May 2000. Geraldine Turner was a perfect choice or Sally Adams. Supporting her were Grant Smith as Cosmo, Spencer McLaren as Kenneth, Rachael Beck as Princess Maria, Adam Murphy as Pemberton Maxwell, Reg Gorman as Congressman Wilkins, David Ravenswood as Senator Brockbank and Clive Hearne as Senator Gallagher. Clive had made his theatrical debut in the ensemble of the J.C. Williamson production way back in 1953.

As Gary Young so succinctly put it in his Director’s Notes: ‘The show is audacious, brash and funny, and from a time many regard as the golden age of musicals. A time when “musical comedy” meant exactly that: theatre to entertain. It wasn’t just for the music but for their extraordinary energy and spirit.’       

And if that’s not ‘Something to Dance About’, I don't know what is!