Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival

[Yankeefan007]

Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#1

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:42pm

"In a note in the Playbill for the annual Gypsy of the Year Competition (Dec. 17 and 18 at the New Amsterdam) — which salutes the original Broadway production of West Side Story — Laurents writes, "I'm sorry I can't be with you all today. Unfortunately, I have a meeting and it's too late to change. I think everyone will be the winner and if you want a message from me, it's this: I will be directing a production of West Side Story for Broadway next year that will be radically different from any production ever done and contemporary to boot. How? Come see the show.

"There — that's a tease that should sell a few tickets. Meantime, see Gypsy at the St. James beginning in March. Shameless but why not?""

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113618.html

[Wanna Be A Foster]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#2

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:46pm

Cool! So, will the WEST SIDE production be presented in the Fall of 2008?

"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

[wickedrentq]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#2

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:47pm

I believe they're aiming for sometime in the 2008-2009 season.

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli

[Wanna Be A Foster]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#3

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:49pm

Yeah. I assume Laurents wouldn't want to compete against himself in the same season.

"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

[TheaterAddict7652]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#4

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:52pm

It's about time.

There's a lot I am not certain of...

[broadwayman17]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#5

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:55pm

Totally awesome news, sound like it's gonna be great

Yes, but sometimes people have a third deeper layer thats the same as the first. Like pie. Dr. Horrible

[Scarywarhol]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#6

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:55pm

I can't believe it's taken this long!

This can suck fifty different ways and still sell out for a year.

[WickedBoy2]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#7

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:56pm

and now the whole site goes crazy! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH

A young actress with Noel coward after a dreadful opening night performance said to him 'Well, i knew my lines backwards this morning!'' Noels fast reply was ''Yes dear, and thats exactly how you said them tonight'!'

[CurtainPullDowner]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#8

Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:57pm

I find the message a little scarey.

[gypsy4]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#9

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:09pm

now we know what show might win best musical revival.

[Yankeefan007]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#10

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:09pm

Yep.

Sunday in the Park with George or South Pacific.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#11

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:20pm

Haha, Yankeefan007.

"I mean, sitting side by side with another man watching Patti LuPone play Rose in GYPSY on Broadway is essentially the equivalent of having hardcore sex." -Wanna Be A Foster. "Say 'Goody.' Say 'Bubbi.'" ... "That's it. Exactly as if it were 'Goody.' Now I know you're gonna sing 'Goody' this time, but nevertheless..."

[Wanna Be A Foster]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#12

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:34pm

Unrelated - but I'm still hoping for a fifth musical revival this season, to knock GREASE out of the nominations, and keep their dreadful performance off of the telecast. I suppose if SUNDAY doesn't extend past its original limited engagement, Roundabout will stick some other musical revival in there.

"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad

"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)

[Yankeefan007]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#13

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:42pm

They don't need to nominate Grease...because there's never a "set" number of revivals, the rules is that they can do, well, 3/4, 5/6, etc.

[tinkerscanne]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#14

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:43pm

I love WSS and cannot wait to see the revival. Thanks for the news.

[JasonM12480]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#15

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:49pm

OMG, and like, IDINA MENZEL can be Maria, and LAURA BELL BUNDY can be Anita, and like, OMG - NORBERT LEO BUTZ is Tony, and HUGH JACKMAN is Riff, and HARVERY FIRESTEIN as Bernardo, and JENNIFER HOLIDAY as the "Somewhere" soloist! OMG, it'll be SO, like, AWESOME!

All joking aside, great to hear it's coming back :)

[frogs_fan85]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#16

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:52pm

Sunday in the Park is scheduled to close April 27th as of now. Wouldn't that be cutting it a bit close to get another show open before the cut-off for the Tonys?

EDIT- Not that I wouldn't support Roundabout mounting another production, I'm just wary that there would not be enough to time to do so before the deadline. Updated On: 12/17/07 at 09:52 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#17

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:54pm

I thought the Roundabout had an unannounced musical waiting in the wings.
I highly doubt GREASE will be nominated, it'll just be GYPSY, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, and SOUTH PACIFIC.
Glad to hear WEST SIDE STORY is going to be revived.

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[roquat]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#18

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:56pm

Isn't Arthur Laurents pushing 90? Should he really be directing?

I ask in all honesty/What would life be?/Without a song and a dance, what are we?/So I say "Thank you for the music/For giving it to me."

[neddyfrank2]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#19

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:57pm

Two Words:

Pal Joey
Updated On: 12/17/07 at 09:57 PM

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#20

Posted: 12/17/07 at 9:59pm

With Stockard Channing and Christian Hoff, neddy?

"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

[jbdc]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#21

Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:03pm

I heard from a casting director that they want the Puerto Ricans to speak Spanish--even the songs.

EDIT: And that they are aiming for a november '08 opening. Updated On: 12/17/07 at 10:03 PM

[neddyfrank2]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#22

Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:04pm

I don't know about Stockard, but Hoff will be doing it.

From what I have been told if Roundabout can't figure it out on time and pull it together the show will be indefinitely postponed.

[jewishboy]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#23

Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:08pm

Channing does not sound like a good choice...

Yay for WSS!!

[gypsy4]

re: Laurents confirms GYPSY for St. James, WEST SIDE STORY B'way Revival#24

Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:09pm

is patty going to play rose?