Character guide
Mama
from Memphis
Mama is Huey Calhoun's mother in Memphis, the 2009 Broadway musical with music by David Bryan.
- Show
- Memphis
- Broadway premiere
- 2009
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- David Bryan
Who is Mama?
Mama is a working class white woman in 1950s Memphis who initially shares the prejudices common to her time and place, disapproving of her son Huey's love of Black music and his relationship with Felicia. Her early scenes establish the social attitudes Huey is pushing against throughout the show.
As the story progresses, Mama's exposure to the music and the people her son cares about begins to soften her views, and she undergoes one of the more meaningful transformations in the show, coming to see the world differently than she did at the start.
Mama's role in Memphis
Mama is a supporting role whose journey provides a counterpoint to the show's central romance, illustrating how attitudes could and sometimes did shift even amid entrenched segregation. Her late number, Change Don't Come Easy, is a standout moment that reframes her earlier resistance as the beginning of real growth.
Cass Morgan originated the role in the 2009 Broadway production. Mama's transformation offers audiences a note of hope within the show's otherwise clear eyed depiction of a divided society.
Mama: frequently asked questions
What show is Mama from?
Mama is a supporting character in Memphis, which opened on Broadway in 2009.
Is Mama a lead or supporting role?
Mama is a supporting role as Huey Calhoun's mother.
Who wrote the music for Memphis?
David Bryan composed the music, with lyrics by Bryan and Joe DiPietro.
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