CONFIRMED: Audra McDonald-led GYPSY to begin previews Nov 2024 — Page 23

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "She hasn't been directed in that video! It doesn't thrill me either, but she's going to have 7 weeks of rehearsal, plus 4 weeks of previews. It's not representative of what her performance on stage will be like.

It's like when people judged Patti's acting choices in GYPSYat Ravinia, which had a few days of rehearsal and was directed by Lonny Price."

Thanks for being honest. Everyone actually agrees with my comment but don't want to say so. Her voice is wonderful, but it is what it is, and I can't see her adapting it to this score. Certain moments in this audio are truly jarring when the operatic soprano breaks through. JMO. As for Patti, I saw a video of her performance and felt it was over-acted, much prefer Buckley and Staunton.

Her voice is my number 1 concern, but if I listen to clips from George C Wolfe's musicals (e.g. CAROLINE, or CHANGE; SHUFFLE ALONG; THE WILD PARTY) he seems to always churn out very nuanced and thoughtful vocal performances. He knows what a musical is and how to direct a musical. I don't believe he would have agreed to it if he couldn't think he could do the same thing for Audra.

I suspect that he will sit with her bar-by-bar and tune every song until it's perfect. Or at least, as perfect as they can get it. I think they can, but if they can't. Well. YOU EITHER GOT IT OR YOU AINT. And we can be the judge!

They don’t need to, but they absolutely can get names to be Louise and Herby. No, they may not be as great of roles as Rose is, but they also are pretty much guaranteed to be nominated for Tonys if they do well. Whether they’ve kept their social relevance or not, a Tony Award still means something. And especially if they get an up-and-coming actress to play Louise, that’s reason enough to do it.

Marketing can be changed to feature Audra’s name first above the title, and then slightly smaller under hers, the two additional stars. It’s being marketed as AUDRA GYPSY now because that’s all they have to advertise and she’s the star. Expect that to change as more is announced.

If they cast someone like Paul Giamatti or Keke Palmer, they will be above the title. If. Being above the title is negotiable between agents/managers and producers. It doesn’t matter what the precedent is.

This is all hypothetical anyway until they announce the cast. If they’re not celebrities, they’ll be below the title; if they are, precedent doesn’t apply.

I've heard they're looking at actors younger than Giamatti.

Just finished watching the Great Performances R&H 80th concert from last Friday. Hardly seems a coincidence that two episodes in the last month so prominently featured Audra McDonald. Too bad this last episode got stuffed with so many pledge breaks. What I came away with is that she would make an excellent Mother Superior in Sound of Music.

This R&H concert was filmed last December. I'm guessing Aaron Tveit appeared as he was available at that time. But could he have also already have been in talks then for something beyond his engagement with Sweeney Todd? Herbie hardly calls for a great voice, but he would definitely make for a more dashing leading man.

Edit: But if that's what they were looking for, they could just cast Will Swenson which would make more sense.

Updated On: 6/4/24 at 09:59 PM

I was in the audience crying so hard when Audra sung "Climb Every Mountain' at the recent R&H Concert WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER FOR GYPSY???????

I will be trashy and also say [jekyll & hyde]I NEED TO KNOW[/jekyll & hyde] WHO IS LOUISE AND HERBIE?

Robbie2 said: "For what it's worth.......Heard offers are out for Louise & Herbie and I don't know who!"

!! I hope that means we get a full cast announcement soon, but it's more likely to be mid-summer, right?

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "But also, it's f&#king Herbie and Louise. Maybe I'm pessimistic but I think there's a ceiling to who you can get for those roles. It's not exactly King Lear. They're nice supporting roles in service of onegreatrole."

This is true BUT they are also very consistently nominated for Tonys (and sometimes winning) roles. Could be attractive to a slightly bigger star than you normally get in those roles.

hearthemsing22 said: "Robbie2 said: "For what it's worth.......Heard offers are out for Louise & Herbie and I don't know who!"

!! I hope that means we get a full cast announcement soon, but it's more likely to be mid-summer, right?"

August or September seems likely for a full-cast announcement, though of course select principals could be announced prior if they're set. Rehearsals begin at the end of September.

"Offer out" doesn't mean much. Let's say, hypothetically, you offer {X Actor} the role of Herbie. After that, one of the following scenarios will happen:

(1) his agents say no immediately and you move on to the next person;

(2) the agents consider the offer, think it might be good, talk to the client, and take weeks to tell you that sorry he doesn't want to do this;

(3) the agents consider the offer, talk to the client, and take four weeks to tell you that actually he DOES want to do this, but now the real negotiation begins, and if it falls apart mid-negotiation you've just wasted 4-8 weeks trying to get {X Actor} and now you have to go back to square one, and you can't offer the part to anyone else while an offer is out to a different actor;

(4) by some miracle, the agent thinks it's a great idea, gets the offer to the client, the client says yes, and terms get hammered out in the short span of 2-3 weeks.

Plus if this is an offer-only situation, there'd probably be a customary meeting between the actor and director and Audra to make sure they vibe, and possible even a "work session" to hear someone sing or read (but not officially audition), or other matters of courtship.

Updated On: 6/5/24 at 11:26 AM

I watched a bootleg of the LuPone production recently again and it really was magical - people claim that LuPone just screamed the whole time but it really wasn't true. She went through the full range of emotions - and her "Some People" in particular was ecstatic. The chemistry she had with Boyd Gaines was insane. The scene when they were both down on their hands and knees was so funny.

Her vocals were obviously so impressive and fit like a glove, and the interpretation of the role was so LuPone. For example, in "Rose's Turn" instead of an interpretation such as Bernadette's who really was trying to convince us "she got it" - LuPone was making fun of the whole thing because the idea that she had to prove herself was humiliating.

I wonder if the reason why the LuPone production worked so well among other reasons is because the material was a little close to the personalities of the artists. LuPone is known for being difficult, rude, outspoken - and of course her voice really suited the role. Arthur Laurents was known for being difficult, rude, outspoken - and of course he directed and wrote the material.

My opinion of the Bernadette production changes so much because every recording I've seen of it is so different - the bootleg of that early preview is very different to what's in the Lincoln archive and cast recording/opening night, and very different to the final performance (Bernadette really really shines here and I think it's why Arthur Laurents says Bernadette's Rose took its place but 'far too late' in his book - see my signature).

This production haunts me and I think the tone is actually more intense/darker than the LuPone production, but I don't think it's necessarily always a good thing and it does feel like Bernadette is working very hard to sell herself in the role both speaking and singing voice. Her "Some People" is not ecstatic it's intense. Arthur Laurents found much more shade in Patti's performance in my opinion, but watching Bernadette's eyes squirm all of the place in fear during "Rose's Turn" "wellllll, someone tell me when is it my turn" as if she knows the boat has finally sailed away devastates me.

For anyone that hasn't heard, listen to Bernadette's final 'Rose's Turn' here. It's really thrilling and there is so much nuance throughout the journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrmxsXmSU1I