GYPSY FINAL DRESS

[Insider2]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:06am

Quick review of this fantastic revival -

If this is what the show looks like in its final dress, this revival is going to receive rave reviews and potentially be a huge, huge hit.

There is not a weak link in the cast, and I think that the Tony committee can safely begin to etch Ms. Lupone's name on the Best Actress statue right now. Her performance is going to go down in the history books as legendary. I'm glad they gave her a new wig, which works much better than the bob she had at City Center. Her Rose's Turn stopped the show to the point that it received a standing ovation. Granted, the house was full of theatre insiders and people directly associated with the show, but I've never seen that kind of reaction before.

The rest of the cast is also quite wonderful. The strippers are hysterical, as expected. It is great to see Alison Fraser back on a stage again. She is just great as Tessie, and I love Marilyn Caskey's new take on Electra. Very funny stuff.I wish Laura Benanti was just a little stronger, but I always wish that about her in every performance I see her in. Since this was just final dress, maybe she'll eventually nail it. I'm sure she has supporters who will feel she has nailed it already. I just wasn't quite buying her transformation from sad sack frump into glamorous Gypsy Rose Lee. Almost, but not quite.

My only negative comments about the entire enterprise are as follows: I don't think the lamb puppet works, and nor do I think the stuffed dog at the start of the show is a good idea. Also, all in all, I think that the sets, in general, are pretty tacky. They quite literally look as if they were hauled off some non-Equity second-class tour. If you are one of those people who likes to leave the theatre in awe of the sets, this one is not for you.

I do have one question for anyone else who might have been there: Throughout Act Two, every once in a while, a little feather, or piece of confetti, or something, would drift down on stage from the rafters. This happened four or five times, and so it seemed like they were planning to do some sort of a drop at the end of the show. This never happened,although I did miss the curtain call because the show ran past 11:00 Pm and I was in danger of missing a train. Unless the dropped confetti on the cast during the curtain call (and that seems like a bizzare idea), I'm not sure what those random floating UFOs were. Any ideas?

In any case, anyone who cares about musical theatre should not miss this show.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 11:25am

Glad you enjoyed it. All of the thoughts you had remained the same from the City Center production's...so it seems nothing was changed in the transfer. Which is fine. It's a stellar production and I can't wait to see it tonight!

[ljay889]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 12:43pm

Some things HAVE been changed. Patti has a new wig. And the ending apparently have a totally new tone.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 1:14pm

"I don't think the lamb puppet works..."

There was some discussion of this on another thread. I think people agree to some extent. But I remember someone made comments about how it was a pain to use a real lamb - they'd grow so fast, so you would have to get a new one every couple of weeks...then it'd be a task to train each new one. When you think about it, it is probably much easier to use the lamb puppet.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 1:21pm

From what I've heard from friends and others at the multitude of dresses, the ending takes on a remarkably somber, partly haunting, and (IMO), very satisfying tone.

Simply, she starts reaching for the ROSE marquee as the orchestra underscores the classic 4 notes.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 2:05pm

Lambs cannot be stage trained. Asking for trouble. And stinky.

[Dolly_Levi]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 2:07pm

Benanti has it in her contract that she will NOT work with animals.

Kidding ... but can you imagine?

[theatre2]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 5:15pm

too early for a gypsy revil we just had one in 03.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 5:17pm

You do realize the latest revival has it's first preview tonight....

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 5:23pm

He's not considered about the revival, Ryan, just the revil.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 5:32pm

oooh, I see, I see.

In that case, this is the first REVIL of Gypsy since it opened on Broadway!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 6:50pm

REVIL IT UP, baybay!!!!

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 3/3/08 at 7:25pm

I hope someone PMs me with some sort of detailed description of the ending, I want spoilers!
I remember Benanti gave an interview when she was cast as Louise in the Encores! production and she mentioned that she didn't care to be upstaged by an animal (the interviewer told her that in the recent revival the live lamb usually did some annoying things during "Little Lamb"). I'm all up for puppet pets.