Gypsy 2nd National Tour (Bernadette Peters/Susie Martin)

[muchadoabout_me2]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 7:51pm

So in Bernadette's concert at Carnegie Hall, she tells a now fairly well known story about how she was in the tour of Gypsy at the age of 13, and though her mother had put in her bio that she played Dainty June, she was in fact only the understudy, and that a young woman named Susie Martin played June. Curious about who this Susie Martin was, I found an article about how she was injured by a falling set piece, and her understudy (presumably a 13-year-old Bernadette) stepped in. Does anyone know more about this production, about Susie, or about this incident?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19611231&id=NDsaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DCcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2790,3099723


Updated On: 9/30/12 at 07:51 PM

[Jim Colyer]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 8:10pm

Gypsy is such a great musical. I watched the movie with Natalie Wood again recently.

[beaemma]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 8:13pm

I was there at that performance. I believe that this was the last part of the first national tour of GYPSY. Mary McCarty was playing Rose. I was a couple of years older than Bernadette and remember the event at that matinee quite clearly. The patriotic finish of the Dainty June act ended. During the blackout, we heard a crash and a female voice yelled out "Jesus!" There was a long, awkward pause. Finally, it was announced that the understudy was taking over. I remember thinking the understudy did a good job, but I had no sense that I was seeing a major star of tomorrow. I didn't remember her name. When I later read that Bernadette Peters was in that tour, I checked my old playbill and saw her listed as Agnes and as understudy to Dainty June. I, too, have wondered about Susie Martin. I can't offer any information on her. In fact, she doesn't even have a playbill bio. The only bios are for Mary McCarty (Rose), Mimi Turque (Louise), Betty McGuire (Tessie Tura), Joseph Leon (Herbie), Anne Russell (Electra), and Mary Hurt (Mazeppa).

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 8:53pm

Mary McCarty must have been a great Rose.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/30/12 at 9:02pm

I'd imagine she sounded very similar to Tyne Daly.

[broadwaydanwi]

Posted: 10/1/12 at 7:34pm

If you search a little further in that newspaper article link, you will discover that Mary McCarty was playing in GYPSY at the Pabst Theatre through January 6, 1962. Gypsy Rose Lee was set to appear at the Swan Theatre in a play called THIRD BEST SPORT from January 2 to 14, 1962. That means Gypsy Rose Lee was in Milwaukee during the run of GYPSY. I wonder if she caught a performance...

[beaemma]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 1:04pm

"I'd imagine she sounded very similar to Tyne Daly."

I saw both, but it's difficult to analyze distinctions. The performances were so many years apart, but Daly didn't remind me of McCarty at all. As a whole, the performances were very different. As singers, neither actress had that thrilling upper register that we associate with Merman; but both sang the role with skill. I'd say that McCarty had a brassier, more secure sound than Daly. And, of course, McCarty came through loud and clear without today's amplification.

[D2]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 1:08pm

"That means Gypsy Rose Lee was in Milwaukee during the run of GYPSY. I wonder if she caught a performance..."

From what I've read about her, it's more likely she was out front assessing the house and figuring out what her royalty checks were going to be.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 1:46pm

I'd imagine she sounded very similar to Tyne Daly.

Based on Mary McCarty's recording of MISS LIBERTY, I would think she could handle the score of GYPSY. I don't hear anything there resembling Daly's voice.

[ljay889]

Posted: 10/2/12 at 2:10pm

From what I've heard, she was a better singer than Daly, but I thought she had a similarly husky tone to Daly's.



Updated On: 10/2/12 at 02:10 PM