Character guide
Beauregard Burnside
from Mame
Beauregard Burnside is a supporting character in Mame, Jerry Herman's 1966 musical, playing the genteel Southern gentleman who becomes Mame Dennis's husband.
- Show
- Mame
- Broadway premiere
- 1966
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Jerry Herman
Beauregard Burnside on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1958 film Auntie Mame and the 1974 film Mame
Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside, the Southern gentleman who marries Mame, was played by Forrest Tucker in the 1958 film Auntie Mame and by Robert Preston in the 1974 film Mame, opposite Lucille Ball. Charles Braswell originated Beauregard on Broadway in 1966.
The musical gives Beauregard the show's title song: he leads Mame, the rousing tribute to her. Neither the 1958 film nor the 1956 play it came from had songs, so Beauregard's number exists only in the musical versions.
Who is Beauregard Burnside?
Beauregard is a wealthy Southern gentleman who falls for Mame and eventually marries her, bringing her into his world of Southern plantation tradition, a striking contrast to her free wheeling Manhattan life. He is charming and old fashioned, smitten with Mame's unconventional spirit even as it occasionally clashes with his own more traditional background.
His marriage to Mame gives her a period of stability and happiness, and his warmth toward young Patrick adds a steady, affectionate presence during that stretch of the story, even though the marriage does not last forever.
Beauregard's role in Mame
Beauregard is a supporting role concentrated in the show's middle section, centered on his courtship and marriage to Mame, including scenes set at his Southern estate that provide a change of pace from the show's New York settings. The part calls for old fashioned charm and genuine romantic chemistry with the title character.
Charles Braswell originated the role on Broadway in 1966. Audiences remember Beauregard as Mame's great love, a relationship whose warmth and eventual loss give the show some of its most poignant moments amid its otherwise buoyant tone.
Beauregard Burnside: frequently asked questions
What show is Beauregard Burnside from?
Beauregard Burnside is a supporting character in Mame, which opened on Broadway in 1966.
Is Beauregard Burnside a lead or supporting role?
Beauregard is a supporting role, serving as Mame's Southern gentleman husband.
Who wrote the music for Mame?
Jerry Herman wrote the music and lyrics for Mame.
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