“Mother said straight ahead, not to delay or be misled. I should have heeded her advice,” sings Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods. Mothers — especially mothers on Broadway — seem to have an endless supply of words of wisdom for their children, whether wise or misguided. And what’s even more common — on stage in a musical, at least — is that the children don’t always obey.
But, as the Witch in the same musical famously sings, “Children will listen.”
In honor of Mother’s Day, here are the five iconic mothers of Broadway, starting with one infamous mom who belts out showstopping hits eight shows a week.
Mama Rose
There’s not a Broadway fan who will argue that Mama Rose is the greatest mother role of all time. The character in Gypsy, written in 1959, is based on the real-life Rose Hovick. Madam Rose, as she’s referred to in the musical, is a tour-de-force stage mother who pushes her two daughters, June and Louise, into show business. June runs away from her mother’s misguided demands, and Louise eventually resents her pushy mother. Rose sings most of the songs in the show, including the famous “Rose’s Turn,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “You’ll Never Get Away From Me,” and “Some People.” Gypsy is currently playing at the Majestic Theatre starring six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald. Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, and Patti LuPone also played the role.
Golde
After more than 25 years, it’s nice to know that Golde from Fiddler on the Roof will forever be synonymous as one of the most iconic mother roles of all time. The character is married to a poor milkman named Tevye and the couple has five daughters. Fiddler of the Roof, about a Jewish community forced out of Anatevka by the czar, first opened on Broadway in 1964 and is based on the short stories by Sholem Aleichem. Golde has a strong head on her shoulders and sings some of the most poignant songs in the show, including “Sabbath Prayer,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and the duet “Do You Love Me?” Maria Karnilova, Thelma Lee, Marcia Lewis, Randy Graff, and Jessica Hecht have all had the honor of playing the role on Broadway over the years.
Edna Turnblad
Edna Turnblad danced into audiences’ hearts as the mother who encouraged her daughter, Tracy, to dream big and go after what she wants. The plus-sized matron is featured in the 2002 musical Hairspray, adapted from the 1988 John Waters film. The role is traditionally written to be played by a man. In the show, Edna Turnblad gets locked up in the Big Doll House while helping Tracy fight for racial integration on The Corny Collins Show. She gets a makeover with Tracy in “Welcome to the ’60s,” and has a soft-shoe duet with her husband, Wilber, in “You’re Timeless to Me.” Harvey Fierstein, Michael McKean (Glengarry Glen Ross), Bruce Vilanch, and Paul C. Vogt all played the role on Broadway.
Mae Peterson
Mae Peterson may be just as overbearing as Mama Rose. In the classic 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie, she nags her grown adult son, songwriter Albert Peterson, and he doesn’t want to listen to his mama either! The musical centers on the Elvis Presley-esque famed musician Conrad Birdie, who is heading into the Army. Albert plans a big send-off celebration for him on The Ed Sullivan Show. A widowed and racist Mae doesn’t like Albert’s secretary, Rosie. So she pushes bimbo blonde Gloria Rasputin on him to replace Rosie. Mae sings “Swanee River” and “A Mother Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” Kay Medford and Jayne Houdyshell played her on Broadway.
The Witch
As like all the other moms of Broadway, the Witch from next door in Into the Woods comes with her own storied past. A magic spell cast on her turned her into a shrewd, old, and ugly woman. The Baker and the Baker’s Wife go into the woods to find ingredients for a potion to turn her back into a beautiful woman. But it can only do so much. She’s still heinous on the inside. Her daughter, Rapunzel, is locked up in a tower with no door. When The Witch finds out a prince tries to climb up her hair, The Witch chops most of it off. One of the most haunting and truthful songs in the show, “Children Will Listen,” is sung by The Witch along with “Last Midnight.” Bernadette Peters, Phylicia Rashad, Vanessa Williams, Patina Miller, Montego Glover, and Joaquina Kalukango have portrayed the role on Broadway.