Mack & Mabel

Musical

Writers: Michael Stewart Francine Pascal Jerry Herman

Overview

Show Information

Music
Lyrics
Category
Musical
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1974
Genres
Drama, Dark Comedy, Romance, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
New York, Los Angeles, 1911-1938
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
Heavy
Licensor
Ideal for
College/University, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male
Casting Notes
Mostly male cast
Includes adult, mature adult, young adult characters

Synopsis

Mack & Mabel depicts the days of the silent film era "when movies were movies". Based on the real life story of the director, Mack Sennett, and his star and lover, Mabel Normand. Narrated in flashback by Mack himself, he begins the show a broken man. His beloved silent two-reel comedies are no longer hit with the audiences in the late 1930s. The silent film industry has been made obsolete by talkies and Mack is forced to sell his Hollywood studio. Alone on the stage, he reminisces about the past, recalling his early days in New York, his rising success in Hollywood, and his turbulent love affair with Mabel. Mack discovered Mabel when she was just a sandwich delivery girl and made her a star. Although he loves her deeply, he cannot bring himself to fully commit to her. Frustrated and humiliated, Mabel is driven into the arms of William Desmond Taylor, an unsympathetic director who leads her into a life of drugs and partying.

Lead Characters


Mack & Mabel guide sections