Hailed as the first female "superagent," Sue Mengers launched her career at a time when women talent agents were unheard of. Rising from poverty and a refugee of Hitler era Germany, Mengers worked her way up thanks to her signature pluck, charm and wit. By the '70s she represented a slew of Hollywood stars and went on to become the town's most renowned hostess.
What Is the Story of I’ll Eat You Last?
Set in 1981, the solo comedy I'll Eat You Last takes audiences into the parlor of Tinseltown’s number one agent, Sue Mengers (Bette Midler). Mengers is about to throw one of her legendary, star-studded dinner parties, but her plans are overshadowed by having just been fired by superstar client Barbra Streisand. As Sue awaits an explanatory phone call from the Funny Girl star, she shares an array of juicy Hollywood stories. This jaw-dropping comedy charts Sue Mengers’ rise from a child of the Holocaust to movieland power player.
"The role fits Midler like a glove and she does not disappoint under Joe Mantello's direction. And anyone who likes both Midler and gossip about 1970s Hollywood ought to have a good time."
AM NY
Matt Windman
"Under Joe Mantello's pitch-perfect direction, Midler dives into the role with predictable relish -- which is not to say that she chews the scenery. However brassy her persona, Mengers clearly valued taste and discretion, as Pask's spacious, elegant scenic reminds us. Holding court over an audience whose members, as she repeatedly informs us, aren't nearly distinguished enough to warrant an invitation to her house, the actress brings an element of wry detachment to even some more personal observations."
USA Today
Elysa Gardner
"Midler's consummate ability to deliver brassy chutzpah, fierceness and silky comic seduction at the same time is harnessed to perfection, allowing just a judicious whisper of vulnerability. Infusing her performance with equal parts Sue and Bette, plus a dash of her old Sophie Tucker routines, she makes this role her bitch."
The Hollywood Reporter
David Rooney
"As a performer [Midler] shares certain qualities associated with her subject: an ability to make the crassest vulgarities sound like crystalline repartee, an earthy glamour and a preening, kittenish imperiousness that's somehow warmly endearing. It is hard to imagine any other actor imbuing the character with the same seductive effervescence - or giving a feeling of perpetual motion to a 90-minute monologue without even standing up."
The New York Times
Charles Isherwood