If you haven't read Thomas Mallon's article on Washington hostesses in the Jan. 27 issue, I recommend you do. It isn't long, and it's quite entertaining. Much of the focus is on Perle Mesta, a storied hostess of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties, who was close to Harry Truman and co-chaired his inaugural ball. Truman rewarded her by making her ambassador to Luxembourg. She was the inspiration for the Irving Berlin musical "Call Me Madam" (as in "madam ambassador").
I always feel attracted to that show, even though I've only seen it once, because it was the spring musical one year when I was in high school. (I forget if it was my sophomore or junior year. I wasn't in it, and I know it wasn't my senior year because that was "Oklahoma!" and I was in that!) The show has a song that describes Sally Adams, its main character, as "the hostess with the mostes' on the ball."
There is also a line that still surprises me for being left in a school production. Sally says to some officious State Department functionary, "I'm the madam and you're just one of the girls."
(I think the music teacher who directed the shows chose "Call Me Madam" for the graduating senior he already knew he wanted for the main role of whatever show he did. In this case, the young lady had a nice soprano voice, but she was also already ... matronly ... enough that with makeup and a wig she could pass for a middle-aged woman.)
Anyway, do read the article if you have not already.
