AUDRA GYPSY Reviews- Page 44

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 7/16/25 at 5:30pm

Matt Rogers said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "Starting July 20, Glover will play Rose on Sundays through August 31."

Unfortunately, this show is not going to make it to Labor Day. Told to me by a reliable source. That’s all I can say but you’ll hear more details sooner than you think."

Yeah, I definitely believe your anonymous source.

[bear88]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 12:43am

I understand why some people, especially those who have seen Gypsy many times over the decades, didn't love this production or thought Audra McDonald wasn't ideally cast because she's not a classic belter or believe she overacted.

But I had never seen the musical before, though I was familiar with the plot and songs, and I'm in the category of people who is very glad I saw it - especially from the front orchestra. It's one of those performances that will stick with me, because Audra's acting performance - culminating in "Rose's Turn" - was captivating and made so much emotional sense to me.

I've since read about various ways the show has ended in its various incarnations. And I must say I thought that this particular version ended the right way. That doesn't mean the last revival, with Louise turning her back on Rose and laughing, was wrong for the LuPone-Benanti version. I saw a clip of it and it's impressive in its own way, as was Bernadette Peters' final scene in the 2003 revival. But I think this conclusion, more traditional, fits with this production.

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 7:58pm

i wonder if this production will tour.. if she continues Montego Glover reads very young , unless they cast a Louise that reads younger and a Herbie too.. ..Kecia Lewis or Fantasia Barrino to me would be good choices also,  of course the keys may need to readjust to original perhaps though both could belt the new changes.

Updated On: 7/17/25 at 07:58 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 7/17/25 at 8:29pm

This production minus Audra is the exact opposite of what anybody wants.

That said, I'm not happy about the show closing, although it had a decent run. With the loss of the Tony for Audra, this was a fait accompli. Are Gypsy and Sunset Blvd closing within essentially the same time frame? 

Updated On: 7/17/25 at 08:29 PM

[SeymourInBrooklyn]

Posted: 7/18/25 at 3:06pm

I caught this during one of the final previews and meant to post then but forgot. I was so excited to see it—because duh, Audra (I haven’t seen her on stage since Lady Day, but wow, did that performance leave an impact on me), I’d never seen any iteration of Gypsy but knew of its accolades as one of the greatest American musicals of all time, and (I know this is silly) I was excited to see the new Majestic.

Left the performance pretty disappointed overall. Audra is one hell of a performer—that was absolutely true here—but ultimately, it just didn’t work for me. I was less bothered by her singing than my friends were, but I’d still agree that something about her (incredible, well-trained) voice doesn’t quite match this role. The staging and direction were unremarkable, and from our seat in the front of the mezzanine, everything felt dwarfed by the size of the proscenium.

The decision to have so much of “Rose’s Turn” take place on the passerelle left most of us up top craning our necks to try and see her—if we were lucky. I can’t believe no one in rehearsals sat up there and flagged that a good chunk of attendees wouldn’t be able to see the show’s most iconic number. It kind of makes you feel like the creative team just… didn’t care?

I love Danny Burstein, but the performance felt phoned in. The two sisters left much to be desired. Loved the strippers, though. My friends and I all have pretty different taste, but we all agreed this was a misfire. And while I get that the show may have been groundbreaking at the time, I do struggle a bit with whether or not it still deserves to be considered one of the greatest musicals of all time.

 

[binau]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 8:01am

Is Audra back now? Any word on how she is/how her voice is? 

[theatreguy]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 10:24am

Mskuphantm said: "i wonder if this production will tour.. if she continues Montego Glover reads very young , unless they cast a Louise that reads younger and a Herbie too...."

Not that being completely true to real life has ever mattered with Gypsy, but everyone in the show is relatively young compared to the actors who typically play them ...

• Rose was born in 1890
• Louise was born in 1911
• June was born around 1912 (approximately - Rose said it was 1916, June thought it was earlier)
• June eloped in 1928
• Louise started in burlesque in 1929 and was performing at Minsky's by 1931

Gypsy takes place from the early 1920s to the early 1930s, meaning Rose ages from about 31 to 41, Louise goes from 10 to 20 and June goes from 9 to 16 by the time she leaves.

[Blow Gabriel]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 1:41pm

I completely agree, I hate all the commentary complaining about people’s ages, either too old or too young. It’s theater.  Jessie Mueller (42) to Donna Murphy (66) can and should play the role of Rose right now. 

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 2:06pm

Blow Gabriel said: "I completely agree, I hate all the commentary complaining about people’s ages, either too old or too young. It’s theater. Jessie Mueller (42) to Donna Murphy (66) can and should play the role of Rose right now."

missing my point of Montego reading too young... COMPARED to the actors playing the roles of Herbie, And Louise particularly at this moment...   Joy Woods looks more like her sister than her daughter....Herbie looks twice her age thats all.   
 

And yes I know age wise Joy woods is mid 20s and Montego is 50 or 51, so yes she is more than old enough to have a daughter in her mid 20s,  however she reads on stage a lot younger than her age.    

And being Gypsy is subtitled A musical Fable... basing it off of all the past Roses they have been in their mid 40s to late 50s ,  just at different times which a 40 something in the 1950s looks a lot older than 40 somethings today...   Ethel Merman 51, Angela Lansbury 48, Tyne Daly 43, Bernadette Peters 55, Patti Lupone 59, Audra McDonald 55.   

Tyne Daly being the youngest to lead this show on Bway, still looked older than 43 on stage her presence had that command.  so again yes Montego fits the age range but again to me not on stage with the current cast
 

Updated On: 7/19/25 at 02:06 PM

[east side story]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 3:54pm

Audra is performing at tomorrow’s performance, a Sunday. So I wonder if that means Glover is out, and McDonald is doing all 8 performances a week as the show closes?

[bear88]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 4:29pm

Saturday night’s show is almost a sellout, but there are plenty of tickets available for the Sunday matinee - which makes me think that people don’t realize Audra is performing tomorrow (assuming she is). Glover is still listed for the remaining Sunday performances except for the final week.

[Blow Gabriel]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 4:33pm

I think it’s probably because Audra already missed Tuesday and both shows Wednesday. Montego went on already this week, so maybe Audra is trying to make up a performance?

[bear88]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 4:50pm

That makes sense, but if Audra is performing Sunday, my guess is that a lot of people don’t know that because that may have been a recent change.

It would explain why tonight’s show is almost a sellout while the Sunday matinee has a lot of empty seats.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/19/25 at 5:28pm

theatreguy said: "Mskuphantm said: "i wonder if this production will tour.. if she continues Montego Glover reads very young , unless they cast a Louise that reads younger and a Herbie too...."

Not that being completely true to real life has ever mattered with Gypsy, but everyone in the show is relatively young compared to the actors who typically play them ...

• Rose was born in 1890
• Louise was born in 1911
• June was born around 1912 (approximately -Rose said it was 1916, June thought it was earlier)
• June eloped in 1928
• Louise started in burlesque in 1929 and was performing at Minsky's by 1931

Gypsy takes place from the early 1920s to the early 1930s, meaning Rose agesfrom about 31 to 41, Louise goesfrom 10 to 20 and June goes from 9 to 16 by the time she leaves."

I have been saying that for years.  When Leah Michelle did FG, I posted that I would really like to see her as Rose sooner than later, when she was the actual age.  When Gypsy starts, Rose was like 31…when it ends, 41.  
 

now if she ever does it, chances are that she will be in her mid-to-late 50s, continuing the history of wildly inappropriate Roses age wise.

I have wondered a number of times whether Audra has regretted doing Gypsy, given that it was such a critical and box-office disappointment.  I think the decision to emphasize her blackness was a serious error on her or George C.’s part.  It kept on taking me out of the show.  Only time will tell if she has damaged her voice.

[binau]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 7:49am

Maybe it didn’t work out exactly the way she’d want to in her wildest dreams but was it really a critical disappointment? She got great reviews. And the box office has been a little bit of a struggle as of late but that’s also because costs are high - on face value the revenue ESPECIALLY in the past didn’t seem anything to be embarrassed about. People want to see Audra in the role clearly and are willing to pay big dollars to see it. It’s not like it’s been staggering at 50% like some of the porgy and Bess weeks. Patti’s Gypsy had far worse weeks (if it was today I suspect the Patti Gypsy would have closed much quicker). 

I don’t think Audra has anything to regret, personally. I know it’s disappointing to lose out on a Tony especially for this role but she has won so many, I don’t think she needed the validation. 

I agree sales today likely reflect issue of swapping Montego at last minute. I’m always surprised at how many same day sales there are so I would expect a bit of movement. Curious to see what happens I will follow the chart today. 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 7:49am

Jarethan said: "theatreguy said: "Mskuphantm said: "I think the decision to emphasize her blackness was a serious error on her or George C.’s part. It kept on taking me out of the show. Only time will tell if she has damaged her voice."

When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 8:03am

FANtomFollies said: "Jarethan said: "theatreguy said: "Mskuphantm said: "I think the decision to emphasize her blackness was a serious error on her or George C.’s part. It kept on taking me out of the show. Only time will tell if she has damaged her voice."

When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it."

There is a crystal clear moment where she decides to replace black child newsboys with white teenage newsboys. For me, this felt like a very deliberate representation of her trying to find a way to be more “commercially viable” at a time when white performers had it easier. I also think the casting of a light skin June vs a darker skinned Louise, combined with the blonde hair for June, represented this as well.

I think they were interesting choices that highlighted what Rose might have felt she had to do to “make it”.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 11:27am

FANtomFollies said: "Jarethan said: "theatreguy said: "Mskuphantm said: "I think the decision to emphasize her blackness was a serious error on her or George C.’s part. It kept on taking me out of the show. Only time will tell if she has damaged her voice."

When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it."

Come on.  The way she talked and the way she sang Rose’s Turn emphasized her blackness.  I only saw it about 5 weeks ago, but her performance may have evolved from the time you saw it.  I was not the only person in my party who felt she did that.  

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 1:44pm

When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it."

She didn't. There is no way to emphasize blackness. She's black. Period. Ignorant, racist losers shouldn't never comment on anything because of how actively embarrassing they are to the rest of the world. Drag, report, and block. That's how you deal with an a*shole who says Audra "EMPHASIZED HER BLACKNESS" simply existing in a role. Disgusting. 

[alovingfan]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 2:35pm

Sutton Ross said: "When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it."

She didn't. There is no way to emphasize blackness. She's black. Period. Ignorant, racist losers shouldn't never comment on anything because of how actively embarrassing they are to the rest of the world. Drag, report, and block. That's how you deal with an a*sholewho says Audra "EMPHASIZEDHER BLACKNESS" simply existing in a role. Disgusting."

You know Sutton, There is medication you can take.  No need to be lashing out all the time. There are ways to have a conversation.

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 2:38pm

FANtomFollies said: "Jarethan said: "theatreguy said: "Mskuphantm said: "I think the decision to emphasize her blackness was a serious error on her or George C.’s part. It kept on taking me out of the show. Only time will tell if she has damaged her voice."

When and how did the production emphasize her blackness? Other than her being a black woman I have no idea how they emphasized it."

 

can someone tell me why that quote said that I was the one who said about about emphasizing blackness.....

please double check and make sure when quoting that you are quoting properly  because it makes it look like I said that..when in fact that was something from Jarethen's reply a few replies back.

Updated On: 7/20/25 at 02:38 PM

[Valentina3]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 3:51pm

Hate to be that guy, but do any of you know any discount codes for this? I really want to see it from a reasonably close to stage seat, before it closes but don't want to make plans without buying tickets in advance, and over 300 per seat is not possible for me.

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 3:54pm

Valentina3 said: "Hate to be that guy, but do any ofyou know any discount codes for this? I really want to see it from a reasonably close to stage seat,before it closes but don't want to make plans without buying tickets in advance, and over 300 per seat is not possible for me.

"

Telecharge digital rush has been very easy in the past. Not sure if that's changed now that they have announced closing.

[binau]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 3:55pm

I looked close to curtain and Audra either sold A LOT of tickets today (or they comped some). It was also 50% TKTS. 

[bear88]

Posted: 7/20/25 at 4:04pm

Valentina3 said: "Hate to be that guy, but do any ofyou know any discount codes for this? I really want to see it from a reasonably close to stage seat,before it closes but don't want to make plans without buying tickets in advance, and over 300 per seat is not possible for me.

GIMMICK still works, except for the last week.