Posted: 9/11/24 at 11:41am
This line from the Majestic reno press release struck me as odd. By what metric is this true??
"Guests were invited on stage to experience the original orchestrations from Gypsy with a 26-piece orchestra, which have not been heard live in nearly 60 years."
The original orchestration for the show was restored in 2011 and premiered at the Lyric Theatre in Texas (including the reinstatement of a guitar part cut prior to Broadway). There have been slight modifications over the years, but to most ears the GYPSY orchestration has remained iconic since the original. The 08 revival had a 26-piece orchestra, the 03 revival had a 24-piece orchestra, and the 89 revival had a 25-piece orchestra.
From the 2011 article on the restored orchestration:
"When the show opened at the Broadway Theatre in 1959, Jule Styne had orchestrators Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler use a string section that consisted of violins, cellos, and bass. After the initial Broadway run closed, the orchestration was adjusted to allow for theatres to use a more conventional string section division. For the Lyric Stage production, Jule Styne's estate and Sid Ramin himself have not only given permission for the original Gypsy cello parts to be restored, but an originally written acoustic guitar part, cut before the first rehearsal due to budget and seating capacity of the pit, will finally be heard. Lyric Stage's production will form the basis for the Jule Styne estate's work on the critical edition of the score, and it's quite a thrill that Lyric Stage audiences will soon be part of this major step in the restoration of one of the greatest scores in American musical theatre."
Updated On: 9/11/24 at 11:41 AM
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