Everythings Coming Up Roses- Brava Bernadette!

I went to Gypsy today expecting to hate it and hate Bernadette in the role of Rose.
I was shocked. I thought she was incredible in the role. She made the role hers and added sex appeal to Rose. I do not understand why Michael Riedel hated her performance. I saw Tyne Daly in the role and Ethel Merman in clips.
I loved Merman but I loved Bernadette.
Actually i loved everything about Gypsy especially little Baby June and the Strippers. (My favorite the one with the trumpet.)
What a brilliant performance by the entire cast.
I was deeply moved and I am sad that i did not see it sooner.
Why is this show closing.
Michael Riedel was way off on this one.
Bernadette- You were incredible! I have to say that i loved Bernadette in this role more then any other i have seen.
And your Rose's Turn- It was really moving. BRAVA BERNADETTE!

Updated On: 2/4/04 at 07:50 PM

"...A mark a yen a buck or a pound... is all that makes the world go round, that clinking, clanking sound that makes the world go round...MONEY MONEY!"

I also saw Gypsy last night and thought it was the best of the three times I'd seen it. It was just so spectacular. Everything went perfect. Bernadette Peter's was amazing(as usually). Can not wait to see what she does next. I still have hope that this show will not close Feb. 28th but will be extended. I am hoping this is only to get ticket sales up. I mean the site has just been re-done(www.gypsythemusical.com) and has clips of some of the songs. I dont kno what to say other than I LOVE THIS PRODUCTION OF GYPSY AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PPL(ha one of the songs) HATE BERNADETTE

Why is it closing? I went to see it in December and I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. I think Tammy Blanchard was totally amazing as Louise and Bernadette, welll, she is Bernadette Peters! I wish they changed their minds and it could go on!

Corine you went to see the show, prepared to hate it and to hate Bernadette Peters' performance?

Yes because of Michael Riedel.
I thought Bernadette was a goddess. Genius!
I loved the show even though i had nose bleed seats in the balcony.
Whatever you do don't sit in the BALCONY. I was row a center but really i was so high up i got altitude sickness. LOL.

Updated On: 2/4/04 at 08:25 PM

Unfortunately one of the reasons it is closing is because too many people listened to Reidel and others who thought Rose had to be done like Merman did it. Too many people "expected to hate it and Bernadette" and never made the effort to go to the show. Corine2, I'm glad you finally decided to go and even though you had expectations going in, your mind was obviously open enough to potentially enjoy the show. If more people like you had gone in the last few months, maybe it wouldn't be closing yet. Let's hope many more follow you in the next couple of weeks. This isn't really the type of show that will run for years but it probably deserves a longer run than this.

Dear Lord,

I pray that you protect Bernadette from any stalkers she might now have...

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LA Guy; you are not alone. There are alot of people out there ( myself included) that hated this production of the show. It is flat and lifeless. And I thought she was horrendous in it. And I usually like her.

I think Bernadette ACTS the role brilliantly.

But when she sings, it is obvious she is putting a LOT of effort into it, and and she winds up defeating it.

I went to see it with an open mind, but despite Bernadette making a game effort, she didn't nail it for me.

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Capacity was poor in the balcony. To quote from CABARET i sat in the poor people section. Being in the Balcony took something away from the show but i was first row and could see fine.
The balcony was at about 30 percent if that but it was a matinee.

Ehh, that doesn't sound good. But the balcony at the Shubert was always a hard sell for this show.

I don't much like the balcony at the Shubert ... Gypsy or not. As for the production: I'm not surprised to hear it's closing, but I was awestruck by Bernadette when I saw the show. A friend of mine summed it up beautifully when he said Bernadette played Mama Rose more like a laser beam and less like (the usual) sandbag.

Her take (or, more likely, her and Sam Mendes' take) was absolutely different; I think the people who disliked Bernadette are generally people who are intimately familiar with other versions of the character (I'd love to hear opinions to the contrary, though).

Ms Peters had me from the beginning: she turned "Ethel Merman as Mama Rose" into a three-dimensional portrayal, and it was heart-wrenching. Her rendition of Rose's Turn stopped the show -- consistently. The recording of it is great, but the live version was pure catharsis.

I never "compare" versions of a role: every actor brings something different to the table. When an actor bites into a role and commits to it, believes it, AND has the ability to communicate that belief to an audience, the result is always magic, no matter how different it is from the person who did the role last time. There is no doubt in my mind that Bernadette approached the role with passion, and I'm extremely pleased to have seen the production. As with all things, YMMV.

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