This is absolutely the worst musical adaptation EVER with the most inadequate, atrocious, inept performance ever recorded by a major star. Lauren Bacall is soooooooooooooooooooooo bad in this it is not to be believed. She can't sing or act. I've seen better acting in my high school productions by almost everyone. That being said her performance is so bad that it must not be missed. Truly a howl - I have parties where I show this on TV and my friends and I sit there screeching with laughter and disbelief. One must see this to believe the travesty that APPLAUSE truly is. Bacall is like a drag queen doing bad drag. When she tries to croak the horrible tune "HURRAY BACK" it sounds like she is saying "HAIRY BACK". This adaptation has bought me endless hours of pleasure and laughter for all the wrong reasons. How Bacall ever won a Tony for this is beyond belief. I heard a story that Ethel Merman was sitting in the audience of this (or maybe WOMAN OF THE YEAR) and the minute Bacall opened her mouth to try to sing she screamed out "JESUS Christ" Don't know if this story is true or not but it is a great tale. Why Lucille Ball is derided in MAME and Lauren Bacall is praised in this totally bewilders me. While Lucy is no great MAME she is monumentally better than Bacall could ever hope to be and LUCY can ACT! Rent this, by this and get your hands on it - it is an unintentional comedic masterpiece!!!
