CONFIRMED: Audra McDonald-led GYPSY to begin previews Nov 2024- Page 28
CONFIRMED: Audra McDonald-led GYPSY to begin previews Nov 2024
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#675
Posted: 7/6/24 at 1:00pm
Burkha also outright said most of the stuff Laurents refused to let Mendes do he himself did with the Patti Gypsy.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/9/04
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#676
Posted: 7/6/24 at 5:54pm
There is buzz that David Tenant is coming to Broadway in a musical revival. Could he be our Herbie?
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#677
Posted: 7/6/24 at 11:19pm
I'm going to hesitantly throw out a Herbie suggestion who I don't think has been named on this thread yet:
Matthew Broderick.
His stage work is erratic of late but he has two Tonys, isn't above playing second-banana to big performances, has a good recoupment track-record, and might be a best-case scenario if they want a "name". This is the type of role where even if he's not great it probably wouldn't be ruinous to the production. There's also a chance that Wolfe brings out a wonderful performance from him.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/18/10
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#678
Posted: 7/7/24 at 7:23am
The latest rumor I heard is that the Herbie is a Tony winner who has done drag. Harvey Fierstein?
Broadway Star Joined: 5/30/05
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#680
Posted: 7/7/24 at 8:16am
Musicaldudepeter said: "The latest rumor I heard is that the Herbie is a Tony winner who has done drag. Harvey Fierstein?"
That's not exactly a short list! But these guys are all plausible and could be billed below the title without any fuss so as not to upset the AUDRA GYPSY treatment:
Jefferson Mays (Gents Guide)
Douglas Hodge (La Cage)
Reed Birney (Casa Valentina)
Gabriel Ebert (Casa Valentina)
Santino Fontana (Tootsie)
Bertie Carvel (Matilda)
Extremely unlikely but technically fit the description: Alan Cumming, Harvey Fierstein, Mark Rylance, Neil Patrick Harris, George Hearn (lol), Nathan Lane
We know it's not Christian Borle...
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#681
Posted: 7/7/24 at 8:40am
In a weird way, can see them all?
Updated On: 7/7/24 at 08:40 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#682
Posted: 7/7/24 at 9:08am
BroadwayNYC2 said: "In a weird way, can see them all?"
Same. Reed or Jefferson seem most likely and would be great . . . Santino and Gabe are a little young (42 and 36 respectively) but could be good, and Doug and Bertie probably aren't worth the extra housing/travel costs.
(this assuming there's validity to the rumor above)
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#683
Posted: 7/7/24 at 9:52am
Birney would certainly be a more typical sort of casting for Herbie, though he’d obviously be excellent.
Mays is so associated with more showy, flamboyant character roles even in plays like Oslo that it’s hard for me to imagine him as Herbie. He could do it, of course.
Having a younger Herbie like Santino could make some sense, if Wolfe is exploring race here.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#684
Posted: 7/7/24 at 10:05am
Reed Birney is almost 70…
Of the list provided, Jefferson Mays seems the most “Herbie-ish” to me, and the most believable as a romantic partner to Audra.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#685
Posted: 7/7/24 at 10:22am
The Distinctive Baritone said: "Reed Birney is almost 70…
Of the list provided, Jefferson Mays seems the most “Herbie-ish” to me, and the most believable as a romantic partner to Audra."
At 69, I don't think Reed reads significantly older than Jefferson (59) or Audra (54) or the previously-rumored Giamatti (57). In theory, Herbie could be convincing as 40 or 70 or anywhere in between.
If the pair was a 24-year-old who looked 18 and a 37-year-old who looked 40, this would Maybe not be a Happy Ending 
It could also be none of these people! One person posted this unsubstantiated rumor!
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#686
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:17pm
Wouldn’t J. Harrison Ghee also be on that list?
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#687
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:20pm
Dan6 said: "Wouldn’t J. Harrison Ghee also be on that list?"
It was confirmed earlier Herbie will be played by a white actor.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#689
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:47pm
Accidental double post - delete
Updated On: 7/7/24 at 12:47 PMAudra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#690
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:53pm
I mean… Rylance does fit the “won a Tony (X 3!), did drag” rumor. And he’s probably the greatest living male stage actor, who happens to be a “name” (not a celebrity by any means, but somebody who can certainly move tickets). Herbie feels like a role that’s a little beneath him, but how can one not be excited to see him back onstage, especially alongside Audra?
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#691
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:57pm
I just remembered that he is set to do the West End this fall until November 23.
So I don’t think that would work - at least at first.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#692
Posted: 7/7/24 at 12:59pm
theatergoer3 said: "I justremembered that he is set to do the West End this fall until November 23.
So I don’t think that would work - at least at first."
I just looked that up as well: he’s doing Warchus’ production of Juno and the Paycock with J. Smith Cameron. So this rumor does not appear to be able to carry much weight, as exciting as it would be. The logistics of it aren’t impossible but very implausible to carry out.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#693
Posted: 7/7/24 at 1:33pm
I would say those Rylance logistics are definitively impossible: GYPSY begins rehearsal Sept 30 and previews Nov 21; JUNO runs through Nov 23 and I bet there’s another 4-6 weeks built in as an extension. And no way they’re going to push the GYPSY dates by two+ months and refund everyone. This is not a Lea Salonga in HLL “special guest star” situation.
Rylance has been offered many musicals over the years (including pitches to craft a musical around him) so I highly doubt that Herbie — a pretty boring role — is the one that finally makes him say yes.
Some of y’all are sounding a little delulu and not being realistic about the level of name that is attainable for this.
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/31/03
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#694
Posted: 7/7/24 at 2:24pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "I would say those Rylance logistics are definitively impossible: GYPSY begins rehearsal Sept 30 and previews Nov 21; JUNO runs through Nov 23 and I bet there’s another 4-6 weeks built in as an extension."
No extension for JUNO. Cameron Mackintosh's new production of OLIVER! starts performances at the Gielgud on December 14. However, I would bet JUNO will transfer to Broadway shortly after the London run.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#695
Posted: 7/7/24 at 2:40pm
Thanks! Didn't realize that about Oliver, but still doesn't change the Gypsy situation.
A 2025 Broadway bow for JUNO would make sense considering the involvement of Sonia, Rylance, J. Smith Cameron, and Warchus.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#696
Posted: 7/7/24 at 3:36pm
Mathew Broderick would be inspired as Herbie. His sad eyes and sweetness could be devastating near the end. I know it's just an idea but it's a good idea.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#697
Posted: 7/7/24 at 3:46pm
I've been let down by Broderick onstage too many times to even muster excitement for that, even as a hypothetical.
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#698
Posted: 7/7/24 at 4:27pm
Kad said: "I've been let down by Broderick onstage too many times to even muster excitement for that, even as a hypothetical."
I've been let down by him in everything since 'The Producers'. I find him to be a strange combination of annoying with the presence of a wet rag.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/13
Audra McDonald-led GYPSY for 2024-2025 Season!#699
Posted: 7/7/24 at 4:49pm
Broderick is doing Babbit in Washington DC through October. I expect, that hopes are to bring that to Broadway eventually. It already had an earlier run in San Diego last year.
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