I'll Eat You Last "A Chat With Sue Mengers"

The show is playing at the Booth Theatre, located at 222 West 54th Street. It runs one hour forty minutes with no intermission. The play closes on June 30, 2013.

Sue Mengers was a talent agent from the 1960’s to the early 1980's. During that time she was the most powerful female agent. She died in 2011 at the age of 79. Some of her clients were Candice Bergman, Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, Cher, Faye Dunaway, Bob Fosse, Ali McGraw, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichlos, etc.

Bette Midler has been nominated for two Academy Awards for “For the Boys” (1991) and “The Rose” (1979). She received a special Tony Award in 1974 for her contribution to Broadway. Bette won three Grammys Awards “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1990), “The Rose(1981)” and “Best New Artist”(1974). She won four Golden Globe Awards for “Outrageous Fortune: (1987), “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” (1986), “Divine Madness” (1980) and “The Rose (1979). She has won three Emmy Awards for “Diva Las Vegas”(1997), “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson” (1992 individual performance) and Ol’ Red Hair is Black”(1997).

John Logan is the playwright. He won a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Circle Critics Award and Drama League Award in 2010 for “Red”. He was nominated for an Academy Award for “Hugo” (2011), “Aviator” (2004) and “Gladiator” (2000).

Joe Montello is an actor and director. He is directing this play. He won a Tony Award (director) for “Assassins” (2004), “Take Me Out (2003) and Drama Desk Award “Wicked” (2004), (actor) Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” (1993). He has been nominated for several awards. In 2011 for The Normal Heart (actor), 2005 Tony Award “Glengarry Glen Rose”, 2004 Drama Desk Awards “Assassins”, 2003 Drama Desk Award “A Man of No Importance” , 1998 Drama Desk Award “Mizlansky/Zilinskyor “Schmucks”, 1995 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award “Love! Valour! Compassion!”, 1994 Tony Award “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”(all for director).

The play takes place in the living room of Sue Mengers Beverly Hills home 1991.

Sue talks to you as if you are in her house. She says I just got the rug cleaned. I’m sitting on the coach because I want to keep the rug clean for the party I am having tonight. There is a coffee table in front of the coach with cigarettes, flowers, candy dish and a glass filled with liquor.

In the back ground you can see another room with shelves filled with books nic nacs and mementos. In between is a gravel road. In the cackground it starts getting darker and darker as night approaches.

Sue tells us something about herself, how she got started as an agent and the clients she had. One thing is she is a chain smoker of all kinds of cigarettes.

When she runs out of cigarettes she coaxes a man in the front row to come up on stage and get them for her. He steps on the rug, she reminds him about the rug. He removes his shoes and goes back on the rug to get her the box of cigarettes. Sue tells him not to put his shoes on again, I might need you again. I’ll ring this bell if I do. She did, to get a bottle of liquor.

The show is simply divine.

Bette mesmerizes the audience throughout the show without missing a beat. She does a fantastic job.

Joe Montello direction is superb.

John has written a humorous, great play. In one scene she says if you can’t say something nice about someone, sit next to me.

What a surprise there were no Tony Award nominations for this play. What a shame. This is a wonderfully funny one woman show. This show is not to be missed.

Review by Rozanna Radakovich.

Photos by Annazor.

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