For those of us going along to see Alex Borstein at the Soho Theatre with the expectation of backstage gossip from the Emmy Award-winning television series, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, there was a propensity for disappointment.
This was not the ballsy manager Susie Myerson in the wings with her trademark baggy pants and flat cap, this was Alex Borstein on stage behind the mic in a glamorous dress. Borstein does acknowledge that Maisel-mania is why most of us were there, so she gave us what we wanted and treated us to some anecdotes and insights – she’s a proper crowd-pleaser.
This particular show is a personal project created in Borstein’s adopted home city of Barcelona. She sings original songs and hilarious versions of classics accompanied by her live band, the Amstergang, who add to the humour (they reminded me of the musical comedy combo, Raw Sex the French and Saunders Show house band) as well as being accomplished musicians. The result is halfway between a musical show and classic stand up.
The success of Borstein’s role in The Marvelous Mrs Maisel ensured that the audience were already invested and they probably would have enjoyed the show whatever she had thrown at them! This demonstrates how fame can be so one-dimensional, particularly given the fact that Borstein has already had a long and successful career as an actor, voice artist, comedian, writer and producer.
Borstein is known for voicing Lois Griffin on the animated comedy series Family Guy for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award from multiple nominations. She has also had numerous roles in comedy series and films including MADtv, Getting On, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, Catwoman, Ted and A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Catch the live show if it comes back to the UK, particularly if you are a Maisel fan! In the meantime, you can enjoy series two of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel where Borstein’s Susie really comes into her own. She really is my favourite character and reinforces why I would never want to be a manager!
No spoilers here and if you missed seasons one and two, I recommend catching up so you know where it all began. I am currently enjoying season three streaming on Amazon Prime now.
