BROOKFIELD — "Live, live, live!" cries the fictional 1920s eccentric and New York City socialite Mame Dennis. This is the central theme that runs through writer Patrick Dennis’s satirical 1955 novel, Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade, and its many subsequent adaptations. Many are familiar with the hit 1967 Jerry Herman Broadway musical Mame starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur. It featured such hits as “Bosom Buddies” and the instant holiday classic “We Need a Little Christmas.” Even before that, however, in 1956 there was a non-musical Broadway adaptation, written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, simply called Auntie Mame.

A brand-new production of the latter, Auntie Mame is being presented at Brookfield Theater for the Arts under the direction of Michele Leigh.

The original production was a star vehicle for Connecticut-born Hollywood star Rosalind Russell. Russell even claimed later in her memoir that she “wrote” most of the Broadway adaptation, submitting ideas and pages to the playwrights, although how true that is has never been proven.

Auntie Mame is truly a star vehicle for anyone taking on such a juicy role. The play tells the story of Patrick Dennis, a newly orphaned boy in New York City, and his worldly Aunt Mame Dennis (played in Brookfield’s production by Gillian Holt). Auntie Mame takes Dennis along for all her adventures across the globe, showing him not only what life can be, but how to, as she says, “live!”

Gillian Holt shines as the titular Auntie Mame. Her over-the-top performance, as well as her dry delivery of one-liners, is perfect. Many classic plays of this era, including this one, have a very specific acting style that is woven into the dialogue and Holt is a natural at it.

Taking on the role of her nephew Patrick Dennis are two actors; Ari Shelly plays Young Patrick in act one and Colin McCloone plays an adult Patrick in act two. Both actors show adept acting skill and really bring a fun lightness to the naive Patrick.

Stealing many of the scenes she is in is Becca Lynn as Mame’s sometimes friend (or as we might call it today, frenemy). Lynn has some of the show’s funniest lines and knocks it out of the park with her delivery. It’s always a joy when Lynn walks into a scene as the audience knows they are in for a treat.

Kudos to Lynn, who also serves as costume designer. This play takes place over decades, which isn’t an easy task to costume, and the costumes are spot on.

As with most older classic comedies, the show has a very large ensemble of supporting players. Standouts include Craig David Rosen as a befuddled Gale Gordon-esque bank executive, Tina Morrissette as the overly jealous Sally Cato MacDougal, and Lizzy Booth as Patrick’s upper crust fiancée Gloria Upson.

This show only works with a well oiled ensemble. Every cast member works well together to bring this unbelievable and larger than life world to the Brookfield stage.

Leigh has done a great job with such a complex piece. A very large cast and many moving set pieces can sometimes spell disaster, and that is not the case here. Everything works together smoothly and effortlessly for an enjoyable production.

As Mame Dennis might say, “Raise a glass to a top notch production.”

Performances continue weekends until July 18 (no shows July 3-4). Tickets and more info can be found at brookfieldtheater.org.

A brand-new production of Auntie Mame is being presented at Brookfield Theater for the Arts under the direction of Michele Leigh.