AUDRA GYPSY Reviews — Page 3

Observer

Review: Audra McDonald Is One Mother of a Rose in a Stupendous Gypsy

Audra McDonald is the first Black actress to play Madame Rose on Broadway, and she and director George C. Wolfe deliver what may be the most heartstopping 'Gypsy' you’ll ever see.

https://observer.com/2024/12/review-audra-mcdonald-is-one-mother-of-a-rose-in-a-stupendous-gypsy/

Daily Beast

Audra McDonald Excels in Mixed ‘Gypsy’ Revival on Broadway

SING OUT!

The Tony-winning legend is a ferocious, unforgettable Mama Rose. But the production around her lacks the electric charge that she brings to every song and line reading.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/broadway-review-audra-mcdonald-excels-in-mixed-gypsy-revival/

Two stars from NY Post

‘Gypsy’ review: Audra McDonald’s Broadway revival is a badly staged letdown

https://nypost.com/2024/12/20/entertainment/gypsy-review-audra-mcdonalds-broadway-revival-is-a-bad-letdown/

"Which brings me to her singing. The actress’ silky soprano has been celebrated for decades. She’s won six Tonys. And her voice is as beautiful as ever here — unfortunately, often on songs that flat-out must not be pretty to fulfill their dramatic purpose: the raw desire to succeed in a harsh world.

Until “Rose’s Turn,” in which she powerfully cries and shakes as Rose breaks down, her numbers like “Some People” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” tend to float soothingly. In “Gypsy,” that’s tantamount to a parking brake. Imagine another Styne tune, “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” being sung like “Casta Diva,” and you get some idea."

A- from Entertainment Weekly

Gypsy review: Audra McDonald comes up roses in Broadway revival

Sondheim's OG stage mom is back.

https://ew.com/gypsy-review-audra-mcdonald-comes-up-roses-broadway-revival-8764592

"With a musical like Gypsy, full of flash and wordplay, it’s easy for spectacle to overtake storytelling, yet George C. Wolfe’s direction makes every lead character’s psychological arc crystal clear. Every member of the lead cast (including Danny Burstein as Herbie and Jordan Tyson as June) is excellent, and the chemistry between them feels highly realistic, even in the stylized form of a musical about vaudeville.

This production is the best conceivable adaptation of the 1959 musical (as opposed to the current avant-garde revival of Sunset Boulevard, which I would call the best inconceivable adaptation). It’s the Gypsy you know and love, but with casting and directorial flourishes that nod to the way Black culture has shaped show business. And an emphasis on the notion that Black people have not received adequate monetary compensation for those contributions. "

Five stars from TimeOut

https://www.timeout.com/newyork/theater/gypsy-broadway-revival-review-audra-mcdonald-rose

"There’s a specific Blackness to McDonald’s magnificently acted Rose as well. It’s there in the small details, like the spin she puts on certain phrases (“my babies,” “I am her mother”), but also in her overarching characterization. This Rose has a defiant pride and an aspiration to higher class, and they come together in McDonald’s unique voice; it’s like a physical manifestation of Rose’s will-to-fanciness. Yes, it’s an unconventional sound for Rose. Every song is a bit of a test, a rite of passaggio between McDonald’s chest voice and her head voice; she hits you with a switch instead of a belt. But she makes the tension work to her advantage. The big notes that fall into her upper register are not delicate; they throb with intensity and grandeur. Some people, Rose sings dismissively in her first song, have “the dream but not the guts.” McDonald’s voice has equal parts of both, and she uses it to deliver an unforgettable star turn. "

WSJ is positive

‘Gypsy’ Review: Audra McDonald’s Turn on Broadway

The six-time Tony winner takes furious hold of a legendary role in George C. Wolfe’s revival of the classic American musical.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gypsy-review-audra-mcdonalds-turn-on-broadway-ff528df3

"Those familiar with the beloved score, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, may need some time to adjust to Ms. McDonald’s golden-hued soprano in songs written for a vastly different voice. But her assured musicality and dramatic force should put to rest any qualms. When Rose expresses in clarion tones her desperation to forge showbiz careers for her young daughters June and Louise—in the classics “Some People” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”—Ms. McDonald deploys her powerful, smoky lower register to emphasize the ferocious ambition that drives her.

Ms. McDonald is the first black woman to play Rose on Broadway, and her daughters are also played by black actors: Joy Woods as Louise, who becomes the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, and Jordan Tyson as her younger sister, June, initially the focus of her mother’s obsessive attention. But the production does not notably alter Arthur Laurents’s book—it is unlikely that his estate would countenance many changes—and Mr. Wolfe’s staging can hardly be described as radical; although the production’s pacing could be tightened, he’s too intelligent to impose a heavy directorial hand on material of such durable stature."

NY Sun

Audra McDonald Delivers a Show-Stopping Performance as Rose in New Revival of ‘Gypsy’

The triumph of this production is that its star and her equally venerated director, George C. Wolfe, turn potential liabilities into assets.

https://www.nysun.com/article/audra-mcdonald-delivers-a-show-stopping-performance-as-rose-in-new-revival-of-gypsy

Theatermania

Review: An Extraordinary Audra McDonald in a Gripping New Gypsy

George C. Wolfe subtly reframes the best musical ever written for this intense revival at the Majestic Theatre.

https://www.theatermania.com/news/review-an-extraordinary-audra-mcdonald-in-a-gripping-new-gypsy_1758736/

It's interesting how these reviews differ from people on this board like me who absolutely disliked this show. I think this is why reviews have become increasingly less important when it comes to Broadway. Last year, The Outsiders was much more of a crowd favorite than a critics darling.

djoko84 said: "It's interesting how these reviews differ from people on this board like me who absolutely disliked this show. I think this is why reviews have become increasingly less important when it comes to Broadway. Last year, The Outsiders was much more of a crowd favorite than a critics darling."

The stark difference is really surprising. I expected the majority of reviews to be good, but I did think reactions to the production would be more mixed. These reviews are a great Christmas present to everyone involved.

This reminds me of the Sweeney Todd reviews where I thought the production was a bit meh but the leads excellent. Well, if these critics are loving this production I'm happy for them it only helps the Gypsy 'brand' (i.e. this is certainly no longer the last revival now) and I can agree with them that Audra delivers.