Mem’r dat?
Shanda Duro was back onstage in Wednesday night’s rebirth of the Mammoth Follies
Lionel Burt, who has at one time been a tennis guru, June Lake ski instructor and Los Angeles comedy writer, and local stage and song veteran Cookie Phillips debuted a free test performance of a revival of the musical comedy revue “Mem’r Dat?” before a mostly full house Wednesday night at the Mammoth Lakes Arts Center. The satirical look at skiing during the 1970s and 1980s is a novel mix of the “Saturday Night Live” sketch and the tried and true Hollywood variety show formats, with snappy dialogue and songs, such as “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” with some clever lyrical rewrites.
The show has been in the works for months, but plagued by cast changes that forced numerous rewrites, as well as technical delays.
Burt said the show, which also features area stage vets including Kevin Worden and Shanda Duro, is one of at least three versions, including “Cookie and Friends,” a miscellanea show, and “Whassup?,” another ski and snowboard satire, covering the 1990s and present day. He added that the shows’ bits are changeable, meaning audiences can see several performances of “Mem’r Dat?” and never see exactly the same show twice. Look for the performances to crank up Wednesday nights sometime in the fall or early winter during next ski season.