For those of you who have questioned Tyne Daly's Tony win as Momma Rose...

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 9:43am

For those of us who didn't see it, all we have is the cast recording to judge by. Many on this board, myself included, have been displeased with what we hear and have questioned how she could ever have won a Tony for that. Well, Here is the New York Times Review for the 1989 revival of GYPSY starring Tyne Daly. Think again.

http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=950DE1DF163CF934A25752C1A96F948260

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 09:43 AM

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 9:47am

It's a well documented fact that Tyne Daly was sick with a cold when recording her Mama Rose, but the recording could not be rescheduled.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:02am

She really didn't sing it much better onstage than she did on the recording - she is not a singer.

That didn't matter - her powerhouse performance was much bigger than any vocal issues. It doesn't work on the recording because her performance had to be experienced 3-dimensionally.

Anyone who questions her Tony win didn't see her play Rose. No one who saw her would have any doubts.

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 10:02 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:06am

popcultureboy, I'm well aware that Tyne Daly was sick for the recording. I am posting the review because, of the people on this board who actually saw the production (like Rathnait62, above), many have said, as compared to Merman, Lansbury, and Peters, Tyne Daly's performance stood out as the best because of her acting, described so eloquently in the review.

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 10:06 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:29am

She was the best Mama Rose I've ever seen. And I've attended many productions of "Gypsy" over the years. I agree with Rath, all the way.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:34am

Actually I think Daly IS a singer. Her vocals on the Encore's Call Me Madam disc are quite stunning, in my opinion.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:37am

Maybe it was choice she made for the character?

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:42am

She's much better on Call Me Madam. And that's because she was "vocally rested."

The problem was that Daly wasn't a trained singer and she couldn't sustain the part of Mama Rose for 8 shows a week. She was pretty much hoarse for the entire run in L.A. as well as on Broadway afterward. She managed to stay in the game and missed far less performances than many recent "divas." But she was holding on for dear life. I, too, believe she wasn't really "sick with a cold" when she recorded the Gypsy cast album. She is a bit more strained on the CD than when I saw her live, but not by much. The magic was in the electrifying, dead-on, live performance, not in her vocal prowess. Her acting was magnificent.

And at the beginning of the out-of-town run of "Gypsy," she sounded more like she does on the Call Me Madam recording. I agree she sounds pretty damn good there, too!

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 10:42 AM

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:49am

I agree Best12. I was shocked at the difference between the 2 recordings, as I did not see her in Gypsy, and only know that performance through the recording. She gives a less forced performance on the Call Me Madam disc. I've also seen her sing a few times since, on PBS and whatnot, and she sounds great there too. I think since Madam is a lighter piece, she was able to balance the voice with the performance. Gypsy is a monster acting and singing role, and I think the actress in her (at least on the recording) pushed past vocal technique.

But again, if you doubt Daly's worth as a vocalist, get Madam. I listen to it all the time. Even more than Merm.

[TheEnchantedHunter]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 10:52am

Since GYPSY, Daly's intonation and timbre have improved considerably.



Desiree Armfeldt
Malmo, Sweden (on tour)

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:04am

I saw her and didn't think she was that impressive. She was ok, but the performance wasn't legendary.

Her competition in that Tony year was nothing. There were no female leads in City of Angels. Liliane Montevecci was nommed for Grand Hotel and Georgia Brown for Threepenny Opera, but neither of those roles are really "lead". The Tony committee totally snubbed Ann Crumb in Aspects of Love, who should have been in the Leading Actress category and performed better than Daly.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:09am

i saw this show many times. as a sneaky pete i second acted it many times as well because it was just that amazing to me. she was BRILLIANT and the production was equal to her portrayal. i was watching a recent THEATER TALK salute to jule styne and they had a few minutes of her Rose's Turn and every time she says "For me!" it's just an electric shock.

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 11:09 AM

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:25am

Daly's vocal problems in "Gypsy" could hit any one of us, no matter how trained or talented, if the role is demanding and illness, fatigue, or allergies come along. It's how a singer handles this when they come along that is the real challenge. Trained singers are better suited to deal with the "bumps and bruises" of an 8-show-per-week run. They also have better vocal muscles to rely on. But vocal problems are bound to happen to everyone, during an open-ended run.

If you don't have the technique to fall back on, you use tricks to try and "sing over" the rasps and the gaps that start fraying in your tone and pitch. That's where the trouble comes in. You can actually make everything worse by putting a "tricky" band-aid on your pipes, just to get through that night's performance. It's not a good idea to "sing wrong" just to make it "sound right," and it can lead to all kinds of long-term vocal issues.

Fortunately, Daly left the run in time before any permanent damage was done. She rested (long term), recovered, and life went on. And that's why she sounded "rested" again on Call Me Madam.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:30am

Tyne Daly was wonderful (having seen that production 7 times). I also saw the first time that Jana Robbins went on as Rose (on Broadway) and she was really good. The only person I had a problem with was when Linda Lavin took over the role. I really thought she'd be good, but, she wasn't.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:34am

I saw her and was also less than impressed. Even with her acting. It's a style that I don't like. She has tremendous acting technique and is one of those actors who 'shows' you their technique. I felt that she did that on Cagney and Lacey and every other TV piece I saw her in. The same thing was true for Gypsy (IMO). I couldn't enjoy the voice, because it was virtually non-existent. I didn't enjoy the acting, because I could see all the techniques she was using instead of seeing the character going through the struggles of her life.

Now I'm sure I'll get bashed for this, but I felt if Bette Midler's performance in the TV version of Gypsy was on stage (instead of the small screen), then it would be the strongest Rose I've ever seen. IMO it was just too big for television, but just right for the b'way stage. Other than that, I was blown away by Betty Buckley at Papermill. As many times as I've seen Gypsy, there were things about Rose as a person that I didn't fully understand until I saw her portrayal. As much as I love Bernadette (and treasure the fact that I FINALLY saw her live), the role didn't fit her. She was trying too hard to make herself fit the role. Based on that, I would say that she was the weakest of all the Rose's I've seen.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:37am

I guess, like Peters, it depends what night you went. My partner saw Daly, and he always raves about her performance.

[sanda]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:40am

My favorite is Peters.

I don't like either Daly or Midler. They are too forceable, too rough. I love Peters's sexy, charming Rose.

[Hanna from Hamburg]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:44am

It's totally based upon taste. I can see why people might like Tyne's performance. I didn't, but that doesn't make it a bad performance -- there just were elements that weren't pleasing to me. Based on the nominees, it probably shouldn't have gone to anyone but Tyne that year. However, even in 1991, she probably would have had a battle beating Lea Salonga in Miss Saigon or in 1992 against Faith Prince in Guys and Dolls.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 11:54am

Jana Robbins was also quite wonderful in the role. Lavin was just wrong - she didn't have any idea of what she was doing, and it showed.

I did not want to like Peters - I had too much sentimental attachment to the '89 production - but the night I saw her, she was on in every sense of the word, and I was blown away.

As for Midler's portrayal, it was much too technical and affected for my taste.

Updated On: 1/18/06 at 11:54 AM

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:24pm

I've seen Ms Lansbury , Ms Daly and Ms Peters on Broadway in Gypsy and I still think Tyne Daly's performance is the best. It was legendary.

[best12bars]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:39pm

SFM---God bless you!

...and your abs... (I mean avs.)

Nice to hear a perspective from someone who saw all three.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:42pm

I wish I had seen Angela Lansbury. But I have the recording and my imagination.

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:45pm

I am currently reading Gypsy's memoirs and the more I read, the more I say Bette was great.

Since I've never seen any other versions, but heard many other recordings, I can't say for sure if I like Merman, Peters, Daly, Lansbury's Mama Rose.

There is a Mexican recording I have been hunting down with Sylvia Pinal as Rose and her real life daughter Alejandra Guzman as Gypsy.

Also. Is Patti Lupone really doing Gypsy?

[Marquise]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 12:54pm

yes lupone is doing it at ravinia.

[zelda]

Posted: 1/18/06 at 1:12pm

i was fortunate enough to see her in minnesota on out of town tryouts...she was magnificent. it was a remarkable performance..and she sang and acted the hell out of the role. she totally deserved the tony.