Favourite Mama Rose- Page 2

[haddaddy3]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 6:34pm

Lupone, Midler, then Peters...

Why do people think Midler sucked?

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:03pm

I dont think Midler sucked. She was good! She had a lot more heart and soul than
the live-lobster-eating performance we are being given in the current revival.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:08pm

I liked Bette, also liked Roz.
But No one has metioned Buckley, That's one I wish I had seen, and ya got Deborah Gibson and Laura Bell Bundy thrown in on that.

Does she actually eat the lobster as she sings?

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:12pm

No, I would be much more interesting if she DID eat the live lobster while she sings.

Mr. Musto of the Village Voice wrote that she attacks the role as though she is eating a live lobster.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:16pm

Oh, I thought I missed that scene.
Updated On: 4/12/08 at 07:16 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:21pm

Bertha thinks that's so funny she repeats it as often as possible.

Betty Buckley had the acting depth of Tyne Daly with absolutely not one moment of humor. It was more like a musical version of Medea than a musical version of Gypsy Rose Lee.

As a matter of fact, I think the second act climaxed with Rose slaughtering both Louise and June.

[kooky]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:30pm

E T H E L ..........

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:32pm

My pal joey feels the need to follow up my every post here. Wow!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 7:49pm

I take it that most posters never saw Merman. I did, plus all the others. Merman is still Rose. The others had their strong points, but Merman hit the bullseye. LuPone comes closest and is my favorite of all the others. But it's Ethel's show.

[gottadance2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 8:35pm

Bette Midler! Such a strong-willed performance without being too loud or over the top. Fully realized. A great TV movie.

[TexasGuy]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 10:21pm

"I take it that most posters never saw Merman." Broadway Ed

That's not a surprise, given that GYPSY opened forty-nine years ago. I did see Merman, and agree that she was the best Rose. But, it is only fair for each generation to have its own Rose. Although
Merman's performance on the OBC album/CD is difficult for anyone to beat.

[ljay889]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 10:25pm

Merman's performance on the OBC album/CD is difficult for anyone to beat.

- Agreed. Her belt is astonishing on the OBC. Her ROSE'S TURN is fierce as hell. But I do dislike how the tempos drag a lot.

[mattonstage]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:29pm

Having not seen Patti (yet) and never seeing Merman or Landsbury, I have to say Tyne Daly gave, for me, one of the greatest performances I have ever seen on stage. There had to be what seemed like a 5 minute ovation for her Rose's Turn.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:30pm

Patti LuPone

[bertandrew2]

Posted: 4/12/08 at 11:32pm

Yes, Tyne Daly was amazing. That particular production was perfect. Outstanding cast, and production values. Oh and Crista Moore!!

[robinycus]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 12:08am

Lansbury was terrific. Gypsy with Lansbury was my first Broadway show. She was perfection.

[JaredBway]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 12:34am

For me (pun intended) it was Maureen Moore.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 10:10am

I'm sure I'm in the minority but for me, it was Bernadette. She was absolutely incredible.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 10:21am

BertAndrew, I definitely agree with you about the Tyne Daly production (and Crista Moore). Both performances were astonishing each and every time I saw them (9x) as well as the entire production.

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 10:35am

Bernadette.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 11:15am

Merman's ..... astonishing on the OBC. Her ROSE'S TURN is fierce as hell. But I do dislike how the tempos drag a lot.

Where do the tempos drag? I just listened to this CD again yesterday and don't hear anything resembling a slow tempo.

She also sings the line in "Rose's Turn" correctly... so many try to force the rhyme "Battin' a thousand/This time boys I'm taking the bows and..." Merman sings as "Taking the bows! And everything's coming up Roses!" The And is really part of the new phrase.

[puppetman2]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 12:23pm

I saw Merman twice, on Broadway and in San Francisco on tour. She never played Rose, she was ETHEL - it was always ETHEL'S TURN at the end. Yes, she sang it marvelously, but in the theater it had no depth, it was "look at me doing a terrific closing number" and I am not alone in this feeling. It was a great star performance, but did not have the depth of character the Lansbury brought to every bit Rose,

Also liked Roz Russell and Bette Midler.

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 12:48pm

Did the people that saw Merman, think that her acting was good?

[D2]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 1:01pm

I never saw Ethel Merman perform the role.

On stage, my favorite Rose remains Angela Lansbury, hands down, followed closely by Bernadette Peters and Tyne Daly. Although I wasn't overwhelmed by Patti LuPone at Encores this summer, I'm with holding further comments on her performance until I've seen the Broadway edition. The worst Rose I've ever seen was Daly's replacement, Linda Lavin. An unbelievably disappointing performance from an actress/singer of her caliber.

On film, Russell had her moments, as did Midler, but I'm not completely sold on either performance.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 4/13/08 at 1:08pm

Bernadette.