Though I do find a lot to like in the score of Mame, I would have to say that I find Dolly a better show in every way.
In terms of the "silliness" in the shows' books - for me, Dolly is rooted in a comedic style that complements the story and the score, while mame seems (to me, at least) to rely much more on witty exchanges for the sake of witty exchanges, and lots of zinger punchlines for the sake of zinger punchlines. There's an "elegance" (word choice intended) to Dolly that makes the humor seem natural - in Mame it feels much more like they had a bunch of jokes they wanted to cram in. |
