Gypsy 7/19 Matinee - FLYING PLATES MISHAP

I did the student rush today for Gypsy, and in "Together Wherever We Go" with Patti, Laura and Boyd - Boyd throws his plates in the air and one bounces off stage, takes out one of the light bulbs that lines the stage and falls into the orchestra. There was a look of surprise and shock on all of their faces, as Laura looks into the wings and makes a sweeping motion with her hands and mouths "broom", Patti does the same at the other wing. Laura then runs off stage, grabs a broom and starts sweeping it up as Patti instructs her, "Here Louise, There Louise, Some over here Louise". Finally, two stage hands run onto the stage and Patti says "Now give it to these men over here". No one could keep a straight face, with Patti laughing the most. The audience ate it up. Then, they all get back in their places, and resume right where they left off. The lines that came right after the incident were Boyd's and Laura's and I'm not sure if these were the actual lyrics to the song, because I googled the lyrics and they were different from the original cast but Boyd sang something along the lines of "Hope the audience doesnt boo", and Laura sang right after with "We remember our cues" something to that effect, (perhaps the song was rewritten for this revival, if not what a great ad-lib). It made this fantastic, cant-miss show that much more special.

The stage is VERY VERY high for the student rush front row seats. Im 5'9 and had trouble, but being THAT close to Patti is incomparable. This is my 11th show in the 3 weeks I've been living in New York and it blows everything else out of the water - and everything I've seen before. GO SEE THIS! :)

Updated On: 7/19/08 at 06:58 PM

That sounds so great.
Yeah, they added a verse for the revival.

"If the audience boos,
we don't drop our cues.
We always could use what they throw!
The fruit may fly, but why complain?
Tomato sauce goes great with chow mein.
Togethuh whehevuh we guh-oh."

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The flying plates, Patti ripping up the letter from June and throwing it into the audience, etc are a bit ridiculous. Is this Laurents' cheap shot at "interactive theatre"?

It all started with a subtle walk down the aisle from the Merm...

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The plates flew into the audience Thurs 7/17 night as well. They handled it amazingly - ran up to the audience member, and worked it in and even changed the lyric to something like "whenever we mess up" or "screw up" or something. It was so hilarious. Patti's "Isotoner" slipped off one of her heels, she pulled it up, and then Boyd pantomimed the same motion. Just a great song, by true artists having a ball on stage.
Great theater.

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-- "The flying plates, Patti ripping up the letter from June and throwing it into the audience, etc are a bit ridiculous. Is this Laurents' cheap shot at "interactive theatre"?"


Um, the plates going into the audience is accidental when it happens. It's not an element added by Laurents; sometimes things just don't go as planned when you're tossing props.

As for the letter ripping, it's an incredible moment. Our hearts were pounding in our chests by that point. The curtain comes down on that last note and people are shaking. Trust me, it's a good thing.


-- "It all started with a subtle walk down the aisle from the Merm..."

Really? Subtle? The Merm? HA!

The lyric about "audience boos, drop our cues, use what they throw" have been part of GYPSY since the Lansbury revival. They might have been in the Merman production but it wasn't included on the LP.

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Nevermind.

The heart rate is just fine. It's no secret that there's a lot of hating towards this revival on this board and I took your comments at face-value and simply responded as such.

Peace.

Updated On: 7/19/08 at 09:25 PM

Hey Broadwayfan7, I got there right at 10AM - a little later than I had wanted and there were about 25-30 people in front of me. They all got tickets, and I got the last front row center seat for the matinee. I believe the evening went pretty quickly, but I wanted the matinee so it wasnt a big deal. I was on the aisle for the center orch. I was actually last in line, and when I was 3 people shy of the window, 3 more girls lined up behind me who had lost August rush, so if you're thinking of seeing that as well, I'd also arrive 9-930, as they were saying - not sure if they got seats though [for Gypsy]. I would show up 9-930 and you should be fine. Enjoy.

The "Audience boos..." verse wasn't in the original production. They sang what is now the reprise as the final verse for the song. After the scene with Agnes, they just repeated this verse for for the reprise.

"Through thick and through thin,
all out or all in.
And whether it's win, place or show.
With you for me and me for you,
we'll muddle through whatever we do.
Together, wherever we go."

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I'm a little confused. So does the box office open at 9:30 or 10?

Somebody posted something about Patti pulling up her isotoner on 7/17. Is she STILL wearing those? She was wearing those when I saw the show over a month ago.

I'mm sorry, but I am a little confused. If the box office opens at 10, how were there people already in line for student rush? Does the line form before it opens? I only ask because I want to see Gypsy again this coming up Saturday in the evening and I was wondering roughly how early one might suggest I get there. Thank you all so much for your help.

Flying china? Nothing new. I actually have a very tiny scar on my left cheek from a piece of flying coffee cup thrown by Maureen Stapleton many years ago in The Rose Tattoo. I was in the first row.