Lansbury Gypsy — Page 2

I may be late to work today. I can't stop my self from watching this.

Just had to say thanks as well. She's stunning.

I was blessed too. And these clips capture how pitch-perfect she was. The "rushed" ending of Rose's Turn was unbelievably exciting. She and Arthur designed to it perform that trick on the audience that Phil describes, which unfortunately this clip cuts off.

We jumped to our feet and applauded the end of Rose's Turn, and she maniacally kept bowing, long after our applause diminshed. Slowly we all sat down--and she kept bowing.

And THAT'S how they showed how crazy Rose was--and how desperate. It was devastating.

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So PJ, the 'deluded bows' originated with Lansbury? I had always assumed Arthur wrote it that way from the beginning. In any case, it seems canon to all subsequent Roses. And thanks for the RealPlayer info.

Laurents also wrote for this revival the spoken dialogue to Gypsy Rose Lee's strip that wasn't in the original Broadway production. This spoken dialogue was incorporated into the libretto and used since. It also brings more authenticity to Gypsy's strip as the real Gypsy did indeed speak while she stripped.

What I love about Lansbury's bows is how real they seem. It feels like she's honestly acknowledging an audience. When I saw Peters, I remember that I bought it for about a second, but then it just seemed too campy.

Her conviction is just heartbreaking.

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We saw it at the same age and the same time, Pal Joey. It is so burned in my memory.

The sets for that production were wonderful as well.

The interesting thing is, there is a sub-culture that none of us, apparently, are a part of that has ALL the shows on film or video. I've seen tiny clips from about a dozen other 60's and 79's shows. I'm not talking about the tiny film from the 30s but full how-did-they-get-a-video-camera-that-big-into-the-theater recordings of whole shows.

Aficionados (most of whom, sadly died in the AIDS pandemic) used to quietly trade bootlegs for decades.

A whole world Gone With The Wnd...

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It's those final seconds of her face at the end of "Rose's Turn" that gets me.

There's an eagerness on her face that is heartbreaking.

It makes me think of an abused dog reacting to kindness...

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I agree. The chance to see Lansbury in Gypsy. Never thought it would happen. Priceless. Whoever posted this... Thank you!!!

Amazing.

I'm still in the Tyne Daly camp when it comes to Roses, but there is no denying that Lansbury is the real deal when it comes to top-notch musical theatre performances.

Her achievement in the role is striking on so many levels. Consider at the time Merman was still alive and the memory of her legendary performance was still in the minds of many a theatre goer.

Lansbury steps in and makes a role that Merman owned her own AND showed us that there was soooo much more to Rose. It would be like someone stepping in and bumping over Yul Brynner in King or Robert Preston in Music Man.

Because of Lansury the bar was set higher for all the following Roses. And we have all benefited from it. It has kept Gypsy alive and exciting with each new production.

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Funny thing I noticed about Lansbury.. she does this swaying side to side thing in time to the music. She did it in Mame too. Sorta like a white girl trying hard to keep in rhythm.

Anyone remember Laurents comenting on Lansbury's habit of tapping her foot to keep in time? I know I read it somewhere.

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I'm pretty sure the keys are lower, but her readings are thrilling nonetheless. And she sounds powerful and full, not screechy or pushed at all.

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