Gypsy With Bette Midler
Gypsy With Bette Midler
JustABernieFan
Understudy Joined: 7/26/05
#0Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/29/05 at 11:48pmI was in Borders today and I saw a (re-issue?) DVD of Gypsy w/Bette Midler...is there a difference from the "older" Gypsy DVD from 1993? Any new stuff in there?
PJ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#1re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 12:44amNo special features. Just the movie, unfortunately. The audio commentary, however, is quite good.
#2re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 4:41amit was dreadful to watch that 3 hour movie....i hated it!
#3re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 4:41amit was dreadful to watch that 3 hour movie....i hated it!
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#4re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 4:46amWhat didn't you like about it? It's nice that there's a version that follows the show more closely, but I will admit that I still prefer the original film. One of Natalie Wood's finest performances.
#5re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 4:49amit just put me to sleep...i think when a movie or a show does that to me...its a bad product. it needs to keep me awake.
Kringas
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/27/05
#6re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 4:51amI enjoy the remake, but it could have been better. I don't think she was terrible, but I really wasn't too keen on Bette's Mama Rose.
rockfenris2005
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#7re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 6:29am
Don't insult Bette Midler in my presence
#8re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 7:07am
Same thoughts as rockfenris2005. >:[
Bette Midler did a phenominal job in that movie. The costumes were beautiful. The sets and choreography were so much closer to the actual staged production. I will not buy the new DVD though, just because I have the old one.
#9re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 10:53amI love it. I do enjoy the original better though. Natalie Wood did a better acting job than Cynthia Gibbs - in my opinion. And there is nothing like hearing Natalie's delightful singing voice. I love how Roz acted the role - i enjoy her acting more than Bette's acting.
Urban
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/27/05
#10re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 10:56am
I am a huge Gypsy fan and huge Bette Midler fan. You'da thunk I'd have orgasms over the movie right?
Well not really. I thought it was rather 'meh'. Ethel, Angela and Bernie still all rank higher for me.
I will admit I really enjoyed Bette's interpretation of "Rose's Turn". It actually sounds like she'll drop dead from exhaustion at any given moment!
Updated On: 7/30/05 at 10:56 AM
#11re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 11:02am
"The sets and choreography were so much closer to the actual staged production."
The choreographer was Bonnie Walker, who was the dance captain on the 1974 Lansbury production and recreated the Robbins choreography for the 1989 Daly production.
#12re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 11:03amAs much as I like Bette Midler and think she was made to play Mama Rose, the television production of Gypsy came off kind of flat.
#13re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:17pm
Please, Ryan, be serious. Bette Midler could be better than she is...a lot better. The only thing about her worth knowing (to me) is that she nearly played Mary Magdalene in the original Broadway cast of JCS, but they considered her to be too big a presence, who would distract audience attention from the rest of her cast. She and her personal pianist (who also worked for the show, as rehearsal accompanist) Barry Manilow moved on to bigger careers.
#14re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:52pm
I have problems with the TV/Midler version too.
I know that the director was very ill and did not survive long after it was wrapped. He did many of the early 'Dance In Americas'.
I loved Bette's sound and at times I think there is evidence of her brilliance but in general I think her acting was too big for the TV screen and it bothered me that she didn't realize it. She almost always seemed to be spot on in other projects.
#15re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/30/05 at 1:55pmI love this movie. It's one of the first things I saw when I started becoming interested in musicals. Truly great, and faithful to the stage show.
rockfenris2005
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#16re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/31/05 at 2:47am
QUOTE:
Please, Ryan, be serious. Bette Midler could be better than she is...a lot better. The only thing about her worth knowing (to me) is that she nearly played Mary Magdalene in the original Broadway cast of JCS, but they considered her to be too big a presence, who would distract audience attention from the rest of her cast. She and her personal pianist (who also worked for the show, as rehearsal accompanist) Barry Manilow moved on to bigger careers.
ME:
The name's ROCK!! FIRST OF ALL :)
I think she's a legend. I think she just blows everything away and has absolute thrilling command of the stage. She is the Divine Miss M. I'm not trying to be some sycophnaitc fan, but she is a legend. She's better than Barbra
And I only learnt of Gypsy by seeing the Midler film
#17re: Gypsy With Bette Midler
Posted: 7/31/05 at 3:11amI don't think she did the role much justice at all, acting or vocally- speaking. She doesn't have the singing chops for that role, for one thing. Otherwise, I found her to be inconsistant in the straight scenes. At times I loved her delievery, but there was a serious through-line problem that I couldn't get past.
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