Character guide
Agnes Gooch
from Mame
Agnes Gooch is a supporting character in Mame, Jerry Herman's 1966 musical, playing Mame Dennis's mousy secretary who is transformed under her employer's influence.
- Show
- Mame
- Broadway premiere
- 1966
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Jerry Herman
Agnes Gooch on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1958 film Auntie Mame and the 1974 film Mame
Agnes Gooch almost went to Madeline Kahn on film. Kahn was cast in the 1974 film Mame but was replaced during filming by Jane Connell, who had originated Agnes on Broadway in 1966. In the earlier non-musical film Auntie Mame (1958), Peggy Cass played Agnes, repeating her role from the Broadway play and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
The musical gives Mame's mousy secretary her own number, Gooch's Song, which Connell introduced on Broadway.
Who is Agnes Gooch?
Agnes works as Mame's secretary, a shy, timid woman who has spent her life following rules and avoiding attention. Under Mame's encouragement to live more boldly, Agnes is pushed out of her shell, with consequences that are both comic and complicated as she embraces a more adventurous life than she ever expected.
Agnes's transformation becomes one of the show's most memorable subplots, a comic illustration of Mame's philosophy of living fully, taken to an extreme that lands the once cautious secretary in unforeseen trouble.
Agnes's role in Mame
Agnes is a supporting comic role best known for her feature number, often called Gooch's Song, in which she reflects on how dramatically her life has changed since taking Mame's advice to heart. The part requires strong comic delivery and the ability to shift convincingly from meek to emboldened.
Jane Connell originated the role on Broadway in 1966. Audiences remember Agnes as one of the show's funniest supporting characters, a walking punchline about the risks and rewards of taking Mame's live for today philosophy too literally.
Agnes Gooch: frequently asked questions
What show is Agnes Gooch from?
Agnes Gooch is a supporting character in Mame, which opened on Broadway in 1966.
Is Agnes Gooch a lead or supporting role?
Agnes is a supporting role, serving as Mame's timid secretary.
Who wrote the music for Mame?
Jerry Herman wrote the music and lyrics for Mame.
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