Broadway Veteran Paige Davis Set To Star In MAME At North Shore Music Theatre

Bill Hanney's award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) opens its 2018 musical season with the madcap musical comedy, MAME, starring Broadway veteran Paige Davis. Jerry Herman's classic musical tribute to unconventional family life opens Tuesday, June 5 and plays through Sunday, June 17.

"Mame is the perfect remedy for today's problems. The timeless musical offers audiences both a message about tolerance and the opportunity to laugh while enjoying the classic music and glamorous production numbers," said Bill Hanney, NSMT owner and producer. "Musical theater is a form of celebration and the character of Mame is the queen of celebration. I am so happy to have Paige Davis on board to bring this legendary character to life. I know her natural charm, warmth, and wit will lead our audiences in sharing Mame's enthusiasm for life."

Based on Patrick Dennis' novel "Auntie Mame," MAME tells the story Mame Dennis, a true American original-a sensational, inspirational freethinker who refuses to live by the rigid rules of 1920s society. She's irreverent, irrepressible, and irresistible. And when she takes on the rearing of her 10-year-old orphaned nephew Patrick, she turns his life into one wild adventure after another. Along the way, she shows him how to celebrate life and live each moment to the fullest.

The original Broadway 1966 production of MAME, with a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, won 3 Tony Awards and went on to run for more than 1500 performances. The classic Jerry Herman (LaCage aux Folles, Hello, Dolly!, Mack and Mable) score includes such tunes as "If He Walked Into My Life," "It's Today," "Open a New Window," "Mame," "Bosom Buddies" and "We Need a Little Christmas."

The cast of MAME will be led by Broadway veteran Paige Davis, as Mame Dennis, alongside Broadway's Ellen Harvey, as Mame's best friend and bosom buddy, Vera Charles.

Paige Davis has been seen in the Broadway productions of Boing, Boing, and Chicago as Roxie Hart, a role she has also played in the U.S. national tour and international productions. Other stage credits include the U.S. national tour of Sweet Charity (Charity), Act of God (God, the first female ever to play the role), the U.S. national tour of Beauty and the Beast (Babette), and appearances in numerous regional productions around the country. Paige Davis is best known for hosting the design reality show "Trading Spaces," which is currently enjoying a well-received reboot on TLC. She has also recently hosted Hallmark's "Home and Family" and Own's "Home Made Simple" for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. Ms. Davis is also the author of the New York Times best-selling book, Paige by Paige, A Year of Trading Spaces.

Ellen Harvey has appeared on Broadway as Miss Erikson in Present Laughter (starring Kevin Klein), Miss Jones in How To Succeed in Business... (starring Daniel Radcliffe), Madame Giry in Phantom Of The Opera, as well as in The Music Man, and Thou Shalt Not. Ellen has also appeared in numerous Off-Broadway, regional and touring productions. Eleen was last seen at North Shore Music Theatre playing Mother Superior in Sister Act. Ellen's television credits include Martha Wilson on "House of Cards", "Gotham", "Younger", and "Partners".

Also featured in the cast of MAME will be David Coffee (Dwight Babcock), Lauren Cohn (Agnes Gooch), George Dvorsky (Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside), Jake Ryan Flynn (Young Patrick), Carl Hsu (Ito), Jonathan Shew (Older Patrick), and Jim Walton (M. Lindsey Woolsey).

The ensemble of MAME includes Brittany Bigelow (Gloria Upson), Lindsay Bracco, Tricia Desario, Stacey Geer (Mrs. Upson), Beckett Guest (Peter Dennis), Madison Kinsella, Jeffrey Koch, Ryan Lambert, Kevin B. McGlynn (Mr. Upson), Jesse Michaels, Alaina Mills, Dennis O'Bannion, Jacob Paulson, Ellen Peterson (Mother Burnside), Brandon Stonestreet and Lindsey Weissinger. Luke Gold and Joshua Gillespie will be the standbys for Young Patrick and Peter Dennis.

The creative team for MAME is made up of Charles Repole (Director), Michael Lichtefeld (Choreographer), Milton Granger (Music Direction), Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design), Gregg Barnes (Original Costume Design), Paula Peasley-Ninestein (Costume Coordination), Kirk Bookman (Lighting Design), Don Hanna (Sound Design), Gerard Kelly (Wig and Hair Design), Natalie A. Lynch (Production Stage Manager), Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager), and Luke Flood (Assistant Music Director). MAME was cast by Matthew Chappell, and is produced for North Shore Music Theatre by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director), and Tom Amos (Associate Producer).

Tickets for MAME are priced starting from $59 - $84. Performances are June 5 - June 17, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm. Kids 18 and under save 50% at all performances. For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit www.nsmt.org, or visit the box office in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA.

Additional Free Audience Enrichment events: Meet the Theatre: post-show audience discussion with the artists on June 12 after the 7:30 pm performance and June 16 after the 2 pm performance; OUT at the North Shore, an evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community with a post-show reception (sponsored in part by Ryan & Wood Inc.) on June 14 after the 7:30 pm performance.

North Shore Music Theatre will continue the 2018 musical season with Peter Pan (July 10 - 22), Mamma Mia! (August 7 - 26), Jekyll & Hyde (September 25 - October 7), Hairspray (October 30 - November 11), and the 28th annual production of A Christmas Carol starring David Coffee (December 7 - 23).

Since opening in 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of 'Memphis' in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney since 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of 'A Christmas Carol' along with celebrity concerts, children's programming and year-round education classes.