About the Show

The Encores! season opens with Mack & Mabel, which tells the story of one of silent film’s first great pioneers, Mack Sennett. Starring Douglas Sills ("War Paint") and Alexandra Socha ("Head Over Heels").

From the show:

The Encores! season opens with Mack & Mabel, which tells the story of one of silent film’s first great pioneers, Mack Sennett, played by Douglas Sills (War Paint, The Scarlet Pimpernel), and his first great discovery and muse, the comedienne Mabel Normand, played by Alexandra Socha (Head Over Heels, Spring Awakening). Mack makes Mabel a star and love blossoms. But Mack’s insatiable drive to succeed and Mabel’s natural vulnerability—the key to her audience appeal—turn their love affair into a high wire act with no net.

Critic Reviews (9)

"Lights! Camera! Passion! Jerry Herman’s buoyant score is the highlight of this Encores! production about a troubled silent-movie-era romance."
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"‘Mack & Mabel’ balances bright music with layers of sadness and regret"
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"Great Songs, Great Stars, Weird Show: Alexandra Socha and Douglas Sills star in Jerry Herman's Broadway flop at New York City Center."
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"Encores! is doing what it does best with this first-class production of Jerry Herman's foray into darkness."
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4/5 Stars. "A fond, agreeable interpretation of Jerry Herman's imperfect darling of a musical."
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4/5 Stars. "Brushed off and spiffed up, the cult favorite 1974 musical finally gets the Encores! treatment"
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"MUSICAL MAKEOVER: Jerry Herman’s 1974 flop has been reborn and reformed into a splendid show."
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"This production also has its problems, but it was enormously entertaining and worth seeing, mostly because of the Herman score and the delicious musical numbers."
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Cast and creative team

Director / Choreographer