Caroline O'Connor to star in UK revival of GYPSY — Page 3

My only real issue with that poster, is I would get rid of the straps on Gypsy...

"Scripps, I can't wait to hear what you think--of the show and of O'Connor."

Here it is Reggie, here it is Broadwayworld. Somewhat belatedly, here’s my review:

My go-to recording of Gypsy is the Tyne Daly 1989 Broadway cast – I like the unrelenting aggressiveness and self-absorption of her Mama Rose that I hear there. So it was strange to come to this show and see it on stage for the first time as an adult and realise Mama Rose is actually written as a three dimensional and often sympathetic character. I wanted to hate her and I couldn’t.

But then the production couldn’t decide whether I should hate her or not either. At times the role seemed to be played as a gorgon and a caricature, whilst at others she was merely one of those women overwhelmed with maternal instinct, not unlike my own mother. I think this was a result of direction rather than of Caroline’s performance, as the split personality seemed to appear in the set design as well, particularly the period appropriate posters for commercial products that appeared on the walls of the set.

I know that the vaudeville act is supposed to be bad so why do we have to sit through it three times in Act I? But here lay the real strength of this production – a stunningly knowing performance from nine year old Hannah Everest as a truly obnoxious but supremely talented Dainty June. This was a better performance (albeit in not such a large role) than I saw in the title role of Matilda. Caroline was good (within the previously described limitations) and so were the rest of the cast. This production received some criticism for showing more of the boys than the girls in the homage to the Garden of Eden – the criticism was justified but I can sometimes cope with a certain lack of authenticity.

I do wonder if the reason why Gypsy, like The Music Man, does not seem to find an enthusiastic audience in the UK is because so much of it is set outside of those places in the US that have come to represent to us excitement, success, glamour and intrigue. These are shows about graft and perseverance with no gold-at-the-end-of-the-rainbow ending (I suppose Roadshow is as well) and, because that’s not a portrait of America we recognise, it’s not one we eagerly buy in to.

From watching this production, I was struck how many laugh lines generated little/no laughs from the audience, and I saw several performances. The opening scene was actually quite awkward in parts. This was partly down to line delivery but I think the fact that Caroline O'Connor is not a "star" and thus had no history with most of the audience, also played a part. They weren't prepared to go with her when she advanced on the "fat little balloon" with her hat pin.

I'd be interested to know when you saw the show, Scripps2. I thought O'Connor gave a fully rounded performance, I never felt she was a gorgon. I saw her at the end of the run.

There were times when watching her, I actually thought, as much as I love Tyne Daly in the role, if this had been a better production, Caroline O'Connor's Rose might have been definitive.