To celebrate the opening of a season long delayed by pandemic restrictions, Sophie Tucker: Last of the Red Hot Mamas returns to Florida Studio Theatre where the show originated in 2000. The latest in subsequent reprises, this year’s has more scenic opulence. That matches goings-on as an older, wiser-cracking Kathy Halenda interprets Sophie Tucker’s big fat life.
Sophie as a “Red Hot Mama” first welcomes all via song on an old-fashioned microphone to what seems her own private party. She also tells jokes, some risqué (as she’ll do throughout the show), insisting “You Gotta See Mama Every Night” and dance “The Dark Town Strutter’s Ball”. Because “A Good Man’s Hard to Find”, she goes into the audience looking for one.
The show’s pattern is set: Engaging listeners, Halenda details Sophie’s personal and professional life, loves, attitudes embellished by song, with some strutting, and abundant jokes. She gets audience participation on a Hula number that ranks with cruise-ship-type comedy—definitely not my favorite kind, but winning lots of applause.
Though “Sophie” mentions her first performances in her parents’ restaurant, Broadway appearances (notably for Ziegfield), and spots in movies (lessened by L. B. Mayer who thought she weighed too much), it was on radio that she won a national following. To the end of her life, she topped a list of favorite night club performers, throughout the country and even internationally.
In the night club at FST, Halenda’s Sophie covers her marriages with comical stories and feeling “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.” On parting with her third husband, she sings “After You’ve Gone.” She never finds “The Man I Love” that she often sings about.
Act II brings the star to travels and finding “50 Million French Men Can’t Be Wrong.” In the South Pacific, sailor jokes fill her banter. With a silly hula act, she brings guys on stage to don goofy costumes featuring coconuts. After the skit, she obeys the command to “Follow a Star”. That leads to the final stirring songs “I Am What I Am”, her distinctive “My Yiddishe Momme”, and her theme “Some of These Days.”
Throughout, Halenda’s performance profits from the piano arrangements and incomparable playing of Jim Prosser. He acts as Teddy, Sophie Tucker’s pianist and sidekick, introducing each half of the show and enhancing some of her routines (notably, her getting up on the piano with some difficulty). His formal tuxedos use such bits as ties of the colors of her gowns in each act. His hair grays for Act II.
Bruce Price’s sumptuous set design uses three carved and lit up proscenium and back arches, the far upstage one being lavishly red-velvet draped with large gossamer bow-tied curtain under it. Flowers multicolored adorn the grand black piano, matching an array of Oriental carpets. Footlights (among Michael Pasquini’s important light scheme) are set in square wooden holders.
The Act I period seems to be that of Sophie Tucker’s early career. Showy costumes in red, then blue (for an Act II change of time period) are garnished in gold via jewelry as well as hems on skirts slit back and front. There are matching feather boas and no lack of rhinestones and sequins from head (elaborately wigged) through heels. They work in this show, although anyone who saw the real Sophie (as I did) perform, it was as a light blonde with a tiered, neatly rolled up-do, not piled-on little curls.
Director Richard Hopkins has kept the show fast-moving and audience-pleasing. He had the original idea behind it and engaged Halenda and Jack Fournier to carry it out. I knew Jack when he was working on the development and how much he depended on the other two involved, as he brought biographical research and material into the debut script. Development seemingly didn’t completely stop later with Jack’s death, however, and the show has aged well along with excellent Kathy Halenda in the title role.
