the making of GYPSY!

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:44am

buy the book.


* FUN FACT*
Mary Louise Wilson & Christine Ebersole both played the role of Tessie Tura!
Mary Louise Wilson in the Lansbury revivial & Christine Ebersole in the Midler film!

Updated On: 8/25/06 at 12:44 AM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:47am

Ethel Merman looks exactly l;ike my grandma in those pics.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 1:01am

One day last week I was walking back to my apartment, and as I passed a used book stand on the street, the ALNM logo caught my eye. On the top of a pile in a crate under the table was this book. I don't know how I saw it because the logo on the sleeve is so small, but I did, and I asked how much it was. 7 dollars. Which is what I had in my wallet at the time, because I had been debating stopping by the bank, but hadn't. I took it for fate, and bought the book, figuring I was meant to read something in it, or it all wouldn't have worked out so perfectly. I'm not done with it yet, but I'm finding it to be VERY good so far. So I thought I'd share that story.

Posted: 8/24/06 at 1:04am

i love that marquee:
"BEST DAMN MUSICAL I'VE SEEN IN YEARS"

[Chip1012]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 2:03am

AND Wilson understudied Lansbury!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 7:37am

I've said it before on this board but Zan Charisse was the best Louise I've ever seen. Maybe not as touching as Natalie Wood in the "I'm a pretty girl" scene, but no one has ever made the tomboy-to-stripper change as convincingly.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 8:24am

I wholeheartedly agree about Zan Charisse. Her transformation out on the runway was a joy to behold.

I wonder what she's doing these days?

[luvliza89]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 8:40am

Rosalind Russell is gorgeous in that picture.

Thanks for scanning!

Posted: 8/24/06 at 9:12am

ive only heard the cast recordings, but i ****MUCH***** prefer Charisse to Sandra Church!
Charisse's Louise is likeable, has humor & personality, which gives you tension between her & Rose...while Church's Louise just seems like a sadsack pill.

I heard the Lansbury recording first, & i couldnt understand why people didnt care for LITTLE LAMB...Charisse's version is perfectly charming!
then i heard Church's take on it & i wanted to slap her myself! when she sings "i wonder how old i am?" i want to yell "at LEAST 38!!!"

[philcrosby]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 9:41am

Sandra Church, the original Louise, was a (koff, koff) "favorite" of composer Jule Styne and was cast in the show at his behest. Merman hated her, partially because of the that relationship, but also because Church shoved her "favored nations status" in the Merm's face.

I saw the Lansbury revival and Charisse's transformation into Gypsy was stunning.

[Horton]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 10:51am

Look how far away that mic is from Merman!

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 10:56am

I MUST get that book! I found a few on eBay. It looks wonderful!

[moljul]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:15am

Does anyone know if its been updated in recent years? I have the book but would love an updated version.

[allofmylife]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 11:28am

copyright, anyone?

ten pages is WAY past fair use.

let's not get the moderators in do-do

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 1:24pm

The making of GYPSY is discussed at length in the book BROADWAY
SONG & STORY, edited by Otis L. Guernsey jr., copyright 1985 by
The Dramatists Guild, Inc. The book is basically the transcripts
of seminars sponsored by the Dramatists Guild. For GYPSY, the
moderator is Terrence McNally and the 3 participants are Arthur
Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Jule Styne. Jerome Robbins, director and choreographer of GYPSY, was not included on this panel and has this comment to make about its discussion: "Arthur
Laurents, during the WEST SIDE STORY symposium, called our discussion 'a sort of RASHOMON WEST SIDE STORY' and he also said, 'I don't think that's the way it happened.' Those remarks
summarize perfectly my own reaction to the GYPSY symposium."
The panel discusses the making of the musical as a true
collaborative effort. It is interesting and informative and you should try to find the book. I got my copy at the Dramatists Book Store which used to be on the 2nd floor of a building near the Winter Garden. I don't know if it's still there. Maybe you could look on Ebay, or the NY Public Library.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 1:44pm

I'm guessing that the copyright laws of the U.S. mean nothing to you.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 2:07pm

Geez, it took the moderators less than a few hours to deleate my "Jen Cody has a tail" thread....

And that wasn't even against copyright laws....