The Spandex Diet

"No one looks good in spandex," said Judy McLane between sips of champagne in the mezzanine-level lounge of the Winter Garden last Wednesday, just minutes after finishing her first evening performance in Mamma Mia!. "I never even saw myself in the orange finale costume. I said, 'I'm just gonna go out there. I have no idea what I look like!' With spandex, you can't look in the mirror too much!"

McLane is one of nine new cast members over at the long-running ABBA musical and perhaps the biggest cause for celebration. After all, McLane hasn't been on Broadway since Kiss of the Spider Woman (having also appeared in the companies of Aspects of Love and Chess) in the early '90s, instead honing her leading lady skills around the country in national tours and regional outings. Off-Broadway's Johnny Guitar earlier this year put her back on the radar and earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination as well as a spot on the esteemed Drama League Award lineup.

"This has been a great year for me," McLane admitted. "I'm really grateful that I'm back on Broadway. I got more calls from friends saying, 'It's about time!' And believe me, I'm honored. There are many unbelievably talented women out there that can do these roles." "These roles" are earth mother Donna and longtime gal pals Tanya and Rosie--a former club act reunited on a Greek island for the wedding of Donna's daughter, Sophie. McLane plays Tayna, the leggy rich divorcee who's still got the goods to attract some of the younger men in the wedding party. Carolee Carmello and Liz McCartney play Donna and Rosie, respectively.

Even though the terrific threesome is the third group of stars to take on the roles in the show (which also celebrated its third anniversary last week), they weren't forced to look to their predecessors for inspiration. "They really let us play with each other in rehearsals," McLane said. "We created some new stuff. We didn't have to do cardboard cutouts." Although Carmello, McCartney and McLane only knew each other socially before rehearsals began, they've become fast friends. "It's a good group--down to earth, real gals," McLane gushed.

Mamma Mia! marks the eighth Broadway gig for Carmello, previously drop-dead terrific in shows like Falsettos, Kiss Me, Kate, Urinetown and Parade. Although she's a regular fixture on the Broadway scene (along with hubby Gregg Edelman of Wonderful Town), Carmello hadn't seen Mamma Mia! before being offered the lead. "I knew the songs, of course," she said. "Because I'm that age. But I didn't know much about the role or what I would do with it." So what did she think when she caught past star Dee Hoty and her cohorts in the show? "They looked like they were having a lot of fun and I also thought, 'Wouldn't it be great to be in a show that everyone loves so much?'"

[PAGEBREAK]Still, Carmello knew she had to get herself in fighting shape for the show. "I was petrified of the costumes," she admitted. "I went on a starvation diet about a month ago when I started rehearsals. I've shed a few pounds, so I feel a little more comfortable. Some outfits are not meant for some bodies, but I'm getting there!" Talk about a supertrooper!

Also benefiting from the Mamma Mia! Diet is McCartney, who said she's lost 10 pounds from the rehearsal process of the musical: "They say that exercise suppresses your appetite--which is why I never exercise!" Now I don't feel like eating and I'm sweating like a pig!" The newish mom (she had daughter Megan last December during her hiatus from Taboo) sums up the appeal of the show succinctly. "We get to jump around and be idiots for two and a half hours," she laughed. "We just scream and have fun."

Of course, the job security of a gig in one of Broadway's biggest hits is also quite a turn-on for McCartney, who has the awkward distinction of having starred in both Dance of the Vampires and Taboo, the biggest flops of the last two seasons. "I can't close another show," she mused. "I even closed Thoroughly Modern Millie! After Taboo closed, I signed my four-month Millie contract thinking, 'You'll be fine. This one won't close.' And then they said we were closing! It's all a cruel joke." The big joke these days that McCartney's sick of hearing? "Oh, you're going into Mamma Mia!? You gonna close that one, too?"

"I like to think," McCartney laughs, "that this one'll stay open long after I'm gone!"

GYPSIES, TRAMPS AND ME
Without a doubt the most swankified place in town on Sunday night was 65 stories above Manhattan, where the Rainbow Room was playing host to its first Broadway opening in years. (Could the last really have been 1998's High Society?) The occasion was the opening of Mario Cantone's long-brewing solo show Laugh Whore, which brought out an eclectic mix of guests from the worlds of Broadway (Bernadette Peters, Joey McIntyre), television (Kim Cattrall, Michael C. Hall, Denis Leary), comedy (Ben Stiller, Robert Klein) and gay porn (Matthew Rush). Throw in a handful of presidential assassins from Cantone's last gig on Broadway and you've got a guest list to be reckoned with. Cantone himself made a smashing entrance about an hour into the festivities, appearing from behind a screen on a balcony high above the dance floor to the cheers of his guests. "You know, Barbra Streisand had her opening for Funny Girl at the Rainbow Room," a verklempt Cantone told Broadway.com's Beth Stevens after making his way into a VIP area. "It's very overwhelming."

That's it for now. Talk to you next time. Please e-mail me any of your questions, comments or critiques!

Paul Wontorek
Editor-in-Chief

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