Clumsy gets PWNED by Lupone at Gypsy! [6-20-08, 8pm] *Spoilers*

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:46am

My friend and I were going to go see Xanadu, but I really wanted to see Gypsy, for many reasons. From not having seeing it and loving the Tony performance to wanting to see Laura Benanti and of course, Lupone! So my friend and I stood in line and got student rush for the show. We were in Orchestra Row K, partial view. I was so psyched to be seeing Lupone in a role that many are calling her finest hour.

After wondering around for a while, which included a stop by the Eugene O' Neil, to check the understudy board for the weekend and witness the cast come in, my friend and I made our way to the St James. I had never been to the St. James, but it's truly a very beautiful theater and the curtain for Gypsy was so lush and beautiful. From our seats, the side of the stage on left was a bit hard to see [Example, we didnt see Laura during her changing into the outfit for her first peformance as Gyspy Rose]However, it didnt matter.

The opening announcement about Patti and her shoes scared the crap of the entire audience because they feared she was out or something, but as soon as the audience realized it, they applauded and laughed.

Patti Lupone had the audience from the moment she walked down the aisle saying: "Sing out Louise!" The audience applauded her so much that the scene stopped for a few moments. Her voice is incredible and she does such an amazing job. "Everything's Coming Roses" was incredible and "Rose's Turn" was too unbelievable for words. The audience stood and she blew kisses and waved for like a good five minutes. It was incredible. TRULY an experience. Her performance truly deserved the Tony and she moved me so many times, that I'm tearing up recalling it. Patti Lupone truly does PWN. :]

Laura Benanti was incredible. Her transformantion from shy second banana to sexy confident woman was wonderful. Her voice was amazing and she truly made me cry when she was confronting Mama Rose during Act Two. Highlights included the innocent "Little Lamb" to the seductive "Gypsy Strip (Let Me Entertain You)" [reprise]. I also loved when they are in the office of Mr. Getsaziger and she goes over to the desk and picked up the phone and said "No" and hung up. Her face when Dainty June ran off with Tulsa, killed me. I use to love Laura just based off The Wedding Singer, but that was NOTHING compared to this. Another deserved Tony win! I also loved her chemistry with Leigh Ann and "If Momma Was Married" was CRRRAAMAZING.

Boyd Gaines killed me. He was so incredible. He and Patti have such incredible chemistry. His voice was so wonderful and he truly made you want Herbie to get Mama Rose to commit and marry him. "Some People" was so adorable, it made me want to get up and hug him. I also loved how he proved to Louise he was not just in it for the entertainment, but because he wanted to love Mama Rose. It truly killed me to watch him leave her during Act Two, he finally stands up to her and loses everything. He broke my heart and he truly deserved the Tony win.

Other highlights included Leigh Ann Larkin as the bitchy, spoiled and resentful Dainty June and Tony Yazbek as Tulsa, who can truly danced and sang up a storm during "All I Need Is The Girl", and looks majorly sexy. Also, Emma Rowley and Sami Gayle as Baby Louise and Baby June, who they both LOOKED just like Leigh Ann and Laura. Alison Fraser as the crazy and hilarious Tessie Tura. I love when Tessie, Electra and Mazeppa sang "You Gotta Get A Gimmick" especially Electra's hilariously amazing costume. I also enjoyed the way how they aged them with the strobe light. So many highlights, it's hard to even speak about them. The show is full of amazing moments and highlights, it was hard to pick the few I listed.

Stage door was pretty crowded. Boyd Gaines and Leigh Ann Larkin could not have been nicer, same with Tony Yazbek, who I told I loved the Broadway.com video, which I had watched that morning. Lupone came out and signed, but no pictures.glitterandjazzhands was across the way from me, she saw Lupone's son and asked him for his autograph on her poster, he politely signed, but it was very awkard. My friend and I felt bad for her, but hey, she has balls to do that. Mad props to her! Emma Rowley was so cute, my friend and I couldn't get over how much she looked like Laura. Laura didn't come out, which made me sad, but it was understandable.

The show is incredible and the cast truly makes it. Lupone, Benanti and Gaines give their all and the ensemble, who plays many many roles work with 125 percent to make it look effortless, when you can tell their working very hard. The show was all I could have imagined and more. I knew this would be the most amazing experience ever and it was. This being my first time seeing Gypsy in any form was an experience, I shall never forget. I couldn't have asked for a more amazing cast that will certainly not have to ask if they "may entertain you" because they will entertain you and bring you to tears.
==========================================================

Pixs:








[Boyd Gaines, myself and my friend]


[Nicole Mangi->"Agnes"]


[Emma Rowley--->"Baby Louise"]


[Leigh Ann Larkin]


[Tony Yazbek]



[LUPONEEEE]


[For glitterandjazzhands]

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 02:46 AM

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:19am

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 03:19 AM

[logan0215]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:45am

What was the announcement about Patti's shoes?

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:47am

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 03:47 AM

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:47am

"What was the announcement about Patti's shoes?"

That she'd be wearing special shoes because she hurt her foot, but not her voice. It was so crazy because it began like an understudy announcement which caused gasps from the audience, including myself.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:26am

I'm so glad you loved it, Clumsy!

[thtrbear]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:27am

Does this mean the rush tix arent in the front row anymore?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:20am

Clumsy certainly likes to use the word "incredible". Incredibly so.

[folkyboy]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:23am

These pics were such fun to look at!

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:05pm

GREAT review and wonderful pics

Thank you for posting!!!

[heathurrr]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:12pm

"Her face when Dainty June ran off with Tulsa, killed me."

I know, didn't it just break your heart? I gasped out loud. Benanti is perfection.

[FOAnatic]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:17pm

I'm glad you liked the show. Lupone, Gaines and Benanti are powerhouses.

But...this quote kinda weirded me out.

After wondering around for a while, which included a stop by the Eugene O' Neil, to check the understudy board for the weekend and witness the cast come in

You don't think it's a little sketchy hanging out at the Eugene O'Neill to watch the cast arrive?

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 8:35pm

"After wondering around for a while, which included a stop by the Eugene O' Neil, to check the understudy board for the weekend and witness the cast come in

You don't think it's a little sketchy hanging out at the Eugene O'Neill to watch the cast arrive? "

FOAnatic--->I didn't intend to do so, but my friend and I were meeting a friend and sort of just witnessed it happening. I felt soo weird being there like that. Our friend never showed, so I felt like a complete nutcase.

heathurrr---> She's so amazing. I love her even more than I did before. She is just perfect, as you said.

Thanks folkyboy and EponineAmneris

Dollypop---> I love the word incredible. =]

thtrbear---> I got my tickets at like 6pm, so perhaps they had given away the rush for front row. I was just happy to see the show.

[AStack75]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 8:56pm

"I also enjoyed the way how they aged them with the strobe light."

From what I hear, that's a pretty famous scene that has been used in pretty much every Gypsy production and you can even see it in the original movie. But, yeah....I saw the CityCenter production not knowing ANYTHING about Gypsy other than it's about Gypsy Rose Lee. After that strobe light transformation scene, I was like..."WTF just happened!?!?" I love that scene.

[sally1112]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:03pm

That's what it's all about!

Glad you had a great time.

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:21pm

Uhhhhhhhhhh Tony Yazbeck!

Quit being so freaking adorable!

PS - The last pic posted took me a while - I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to be looking at... but then out of the darkness came Spawn of LuPone!

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 09:21 PM

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:27pm

"Uhhhhhhhhhh Tony Yazbeck!

Quit being so freaking adorable! "

He is so damn sexy!

AStack75---> I had no idea other than it was about Gypsy Rose as well. I LOVE the aging scene as well. How old are they suppose to be when they are aged?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:44pm

"I also enjoyed the way how they aged them with the strobe light."

That is part of the genius that was Jerome Robbins.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 9:50pm

"What was the announcement about Patti's shoes?"

That she'd be wearing special shoes because she hurt her foot, but not her voice. It was so crazy because it began like an understudy announcement which caused gasps from the audience, including myself. "

Ohh man. That announcement scared the crap out of me. I saw Gypsy the day of the Tonys so all day I had been praying the three nominated actors would be in it. Then they made the announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen due to a foot injury Patti LuPone...(uge collective NO!! from the audience)..will be wearing isatoners throughout the show." (Huge collective applause and whitles) It was insane. Glad you liked the show. It's one of my favorites.

And how damn talented are those kids? Children should not be able to do what they do eight freaking times a week.

Laura Benanti blew me away. I couldn't believe she was the same actress who played Julia in The Wedding Singer. I loved her then. I love her even more now.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 10:34pm

What time did you get to the Box Office for the rush?

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:24pm

"What time did you get to the Box Office for the rush? "

Like 6:00pm.
Because we were originally going to see Xanadu, but I wanted to see Gypsy badly.

------------

ILoveMyDictionary---> Amen to all of that.

Especially the kids!
They are some AAAMAZING kids.
I love the little girl in the balloons. hahaa. =]

[defyinggravity42694]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:44pm

Does Patti takes pictures with fans?

[defyinggravity42694]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:44pm

Does Patti takes pictures with fans?

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 11:46pm

Updated On: 5/3/09 at 11:46 PM

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 6/24/08 at 12:07am

"Does Patti takes pictures with fans?"

She didnt the night I was there.