New "Gypsy" very underwhelming- Page 2

[alterego]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 2:21am

Anika Noni Rose would sell, lets see um, 8 tickets. No name see.

This latest presentation isn't exactly setting the box office on fire, I think the public are a bit Gypsy-ied out. They are after something new. With the regularity that this show seems to be presented in recent times they probably think "...it'll be back in a few years, let's see something new".

[jeniferrenepatricia]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 2:41am

I can never understand the comparison between Ethel Merman and all of the other women that played MaMa Rose. I love Ethel Merman and I feel that she is a wonderful and talented performer. But, vocally, I think that she had nothing on Patti LuPone. I can listen to Patti LuPone sing for hours, but I can only take so much of Merman. The same goes for Bernadette Peters- maybe she didn't have the "acting chops" but, vocally, I still liked her better than Merman.

[alterego]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 8:55am

No! No! No!

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:34am

In the Tyne Daly production, Crista Moore held a real baby lamb. It was adorable, and that scene was very sweet.

[gettinhep]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 9:43am

If they insisted on a puppet, why didn't they hire Lamb Chop?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 11:37am

Now, that's good "stunt" casting.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 11:52am

Now it kind of makes sense as to why "Little Lamb" now works (in terms of interpretation), because Louise doesn't have to worry about it getting away (I always remember Christa Moore struggling to keep the lamb in check whenever she sang).

[callmemadam1953]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 12:34pm

I new it all along. I don't even thing Angela Landsbury could do the show any justice. All the ladies who do this show should take in mind that they have some mighty big shoes to fill. The only person who did the show and made the critics spin in their seats was the legendary Ethel Merman. I think it should definitly stay that way!!!

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 12:41pm

Could Debra Monk pull this role off?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 1:11pm

Yup.

[morosco]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 1:37pm

I can't picture Debra Monk as the lamb.

[Mutts2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:49pm

Are you saying Anika Noni Rose is a midget? I could see Chenoweth headlining the 5-foot and under Gypsy revival, but Noni Rose??

As for the lamb, at least it was a better looking stuffed lamb than that cheap looking stuffed dog the poor actors have to play with. If that guy didn't run onstage making those riduculous baaaaing sounds, one of the aging farmboys could simply carry it onstage as the last revival did with the live lamb that was used. If this production is going to be that cheap or someone is worried about being upstaged by a couple of animals, maybe the producers could pay for someone to run over to Mary Poppings and get some tips on creating a more realistic stage dog. As it is now, I'm afraid people unfamiliar with the show will think that Rose is a crazy old lady who carries around a stuffed dog.
Updated On: 3/17/08 at 10:49 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:50pm

Regarding the fake "Chowsie", when Rose handed it off to Jocko on Thursday, he literally grabbed it from the head!

[Mutts2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:55pm

LOL - Well some people just don't know how to handle dogs?

[alterego]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 12:02am

When you think about there really isn't any reason why the lamb has to be real. I always think having a lamb in diapers on stage looks strange anyway (Gypsy and Pippin have had diapered animals). As for the fake chowsie, that is wrong.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 12:05am

If Anika was Louise how about a mother/daughter reunion and bring on Tonya Pinkins as Rose?

[NYCblurb]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 12:49am

Loved the Tyne GYPSY.
Berna GYPSY was not-so-good.
This GYPSY just gets a 2 out of 10.

Bobby Lambert, singing as Tulsa in Tyne's GYPSY still rocks my world singing "All I Need is the Girl." He was beautiful on stage doing it, and sublime on the OCR.

One of my favorite memories of all time on Broadway, was Bobby dancing and singing and I thought, wow, now that is just amazing!

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 1:23am

Different strokes for different folks.

See, I thought, "wow, now that is just amazing!" and THEN SOME during pretty much the entire performance of this current revival of Gypsy.

If my biggest quibble is that the damn dog is a plush toy, then they're doing just dandy!

P.S.- and by "just dandy", I mean THIS CAST IS ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL!

[Not Barker, Todd.]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 1:41am

I think Debra Monk can be Chowsie. She doesn't even have to change her costume from Curtains! Just run down the street, bark!, run back, belt!

Not saying Anika is a midget. Just the post got me thinking. If one is going to shake up a show, we need an all-black cast before the all-midget version.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 2:12am

I haven't seen the production yet, but I'm pretty positive I'm going to agree with everything the original poster stated once I do see it. I strongly dislike Patti LuPone with every fiber in my body. She is God awful! And I actually don't know anyone who enjoys her.

Bernadette's Mama Rose was phenomenal.

I'm just a little biased because I hate Patti LuPone. But I'm glad some people found her performance enjoyable.

Laura on the other hand...she's amazing.

[singingbackup]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 12:22pm

I find myself agreeing with the original poster as well. As background, GYPSY is a favorite show of mine, I did not see the City Center summer offering of it and I am a longtime Patti fan.

This show looked, for lack of a better word, unfinished. The whole 'deconstructed' set design (crumbling walls, torn curtains, etc that I assume was to represent a world that Rose was struggling to rise above) might have been fine for City Center, but not in a full fledged production. The orchestra on stage worked great for the overture, but once it faded behind the scrims, it lacked a full sound. I felt that the cast was uneven. The kids were fine (both young and 'grown up') as were the Toreadorables in Act II. Standouts for sure were the Strippers and "Gimmick" was really the only time that the show caught fire and excited me like past productions have (regional, local, etc.) Boyd Gaines (Herbie) was also very solid in a sometimes thankless role. As far as things that didn't work for me character-wise, I can only assume that it was the direction they were given (or not given?). Adult June was played with way too much bitterness, making her nearly insufferable. Prime example of how it didn't work was in "If Momma Were Married." That particular moment is really the only time we get to see June and Louise really connect as two little girls and sisters, instead of 'star' and 'support.' They find a commonality in their desire to see momma married and off their respective backs and June's bitchy delivery, while maybe done for comic effect, tainted the moment. I thought LB's take on Louise was going great, until the screaming match at the climax, which was way over the top.

On to Patti Lupone. Her Rose seemed at times cloying, pleading, desperate but in all the wrong places. Rose is a force of nature for sure, one who would stop at nothing to get what she wants for her kids and herself. There were glimpses of that in Ms Lupone's performance but nothing consistent, no real character arch to follow and relish. And because of that, some of her big numbers lacked the goosebumps that they usually produce. (She does sing everything quite well, but so much more could have been wrung from these musical masterpieces) Again, it could the direction. Case in point, when Herbie meets Rose for the first time, he should be swept up in 'Hurricane Rose' and is almost 'forced' to take her and the act on. Instead it is played where Rose tries to lure him in with sex (or attempted sexiness), a desperate move on her part that was way too soon. Also, a lovely moment was squashed when Rose and Herbie rolled around on the floor during "You'll Never Get Away From Me." That should be the first tender moment btw the two, where we get to see the softer side of Rose, and a glimpse at things Herbie really finds behind all the bravado.

The dog and the lamb=Bad Dinner Theater. Years ago, I actually produced a 99 seat production of Gypsy and we had a real dog! We solved the lamb problem simply by making the present a stuffed lamb, which Louise added to her menagerie and sang to all her stuffed pets as if they were real, retreating to a make believe world where she was in control (or similar metaphor)

Lupone did show some real sparks in the climax, but little things like that horrible smock was a real distraction. Still have no clue why she wears it in the second act. She should be in that coat made from blankets from before, as a subtle dig at Louise who made it, 'look at where you came from.' Her Rose's Turn was a tad maudlin at times, but delivered with great emotion. BUT was totally erased by the ending. Here we have just been through a breakdown with Rose, where she finally comes to terms with not being the star and then her and Louise find a common ground and some newfound respect for what the other has been through. SPOILER ALERT

Traditionally the show ends with the two of them walking off together, a wonderful button to the piece. All that is shattered when instead we see Rose turn to the brightly light "ROSE" above her, for one more grab at glory, only to see the lights deteriorate, essentially slapping her (and us) back into an uncomfortable and jarring reality that frankly I feel wasn't needed. We spend 2 + hours routing for Rose, and then we are left with that sad image. I don't find it fresh or new or daring. It bummed me out for lack of a better description.

I hope that, while still in previews things will be viewed and revised as they see fit. I am afraid that their current vision of GYPSY is very skewed.
Updated On: 3/18/08 at 12:22 PM

[H.Higgins]

Posted: 3/18/08 at 12:34pm

I'm sorry to see that an adjective I used was listed in your examples of "overused adjectives on this board."

Forgive me, but if I found the cast to be "phenomenal" and I'm entitled to say so without having my word choice judged by someone who simply had a different experience than I.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 9:34pm

See my problem wasn't the stuffed lamb she sings with, that worked fine to me. It was the Bunraku style lamb that walked in with it's puppeteer in tow. It was a different style of theatre and needs to be set up properly. In this production it wasn't the magic of puppetry as it was "Who the hell is that guy with a lamb on a stick? and why did he just barge in?" style of theatre.
As far as the dog goes, some actors can manipulate props to give them a life of their own or they can carry them around making them look like inanimate objects. I have seen people hold scraps of fur on stage and you would swear they were holding a squirming puppy or kitten.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 3/19/08 at 10:27pm

Bring on Tonya Pinkins and Anika Noni Rose as Rose and Gypsy, PLEASE.

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 3/20/08 at 12:49am

Here's what Patti adds to the show....a cold, mean-spirited take on the role of Rose. Bitter, pained, painful. She makes Rose's sense of humor limited to sarcasim. Why would I like this Rose?

(Go ahead, argue that the real Rose was like this)

This mean spirit is present throughout the entire production. I've never seen a dainty June play SO mean. She was played as a hateful bitch. Didn't enjoy that.

The end of the show is just plain wrong. Just plain wrong.

GYPSY is my favorite musical. This was my least favorite revival.