LuPone GYPSY to Lose the LuPone by March 2009 (at the latest)- Page 2

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 3:53am

Aww. How vindictive is it to leave behind a list of women you don't want ever playing Rose? There was a time when LuPone was on that list.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 3:56am

It's his musical.

If Catherine Zeta-Jones wants to write her own musical starring herself, she's more than welcome.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 4:25am

Sondheim and the Styne estate should at least have some say as well...

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 8:23am

I had always heard that she was leaving sometime in March 2009.

Personally, seeing as how successful she and OBRC was added to the fact that Bernie's revival was only a couple years ago, methinks the curtain won't go up after she leaves... But we'll see I guess

Updated On: 8/28/08 at 08:23 AM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 9:11am

"Second Banana" - I seem to recall Laurents making a similar statement about LuPone at one time...

Laurents is so flippiant I wouldn't take a thing he says seriously. I actually find it really offputting that for years he denounced LuPone, but now feels since she is doing the role, he has to go back and denounce aspects of Lansbury, Merman and Daly's performances as a sort of backhanded praise for LuPone. Whoever doing the role at the moment seems to be his favorite.

If they were to bring in another actress, or if another film were made in Laurent's lifetime - I'm sure he'd start trashing LuPone again.

Just not a nice man.

[LoveSpiralsDownward]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 10:29am

Ha, then maybe the word should be changed to "LaurPwned".

[dshnookie]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:22am

http://pattilupone.net/tour.html

looking at Patti's appearance schedule, her last listed date in Gypsy is 2/28 .. so the March thing may be accurate.

[Pippin]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:27am

I think Sondheim should step into the role.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:39am

Patti told me last week that she feels she has just enough stamina to get through the end of her contract. Please remember, the role is extremely draining and Patti gives it her all.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:42am

Hasn't her "jail cell" calender or whatever been talked about for months? Besides, EugLoven, who DIDN'T know she'd be leaving by March?

[musicalmaster703]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:44am

Or Maybe...

West Side Story = St. James

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:53am

I don't know if it's a "jail cell" calendar. It's tacked to the back door of her dressing room.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 11:54am

WSS is going into a Nederlander Theatre, so it would take the St. James.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 1:09pm

MichaelBennet-
I was telling Calvin that I watned to see Reba play Rose...maybe this is her chance!

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 1:14pm

Since the show been doing sub 70% business pretty often anyway, I can't imagine that by the Spring, after what looks like a particularly harsh-on-Broadway winter, they're going to bother with a replacement.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 1:25pm

My bad. She referred to it as a prison calender.

[winston89]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 1:37pm

That would work. However, there is one minor problem.

The St.James isn't a Nederlander theatre. It has been said time and time again, that West Side Story is going to be in a Nederlander theatre.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 2:30pm

The ONLY reason this revival happened was Patti LuPone. Granted, both Benanti and Gaines give definitive performances as Louise and Herbie -- probably the best ever -- but Gypsy hinges on whoever's playing Momma Rose.

Keep in mind also that Lansbury's Gypsy was in NYC for three months, Daly's about one year and Peters' less than one year. Ethel's ran a respectable 700 or so performances, but the original was far out-run by competing musicals at the time -- Sound of Music and, I believe, Fiorello. IMO, it's a FAR better show than those, but the others are more "user-friendly," in a bland sort of way. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Gypsy and always have and will. But, at least at this point, I don't think there's anyone on the radar screen who should be doing it now. Remember, whoever attempts it next is going to be compared to the best that American musical theatre has to offer and I doubt that there's anyone out there right now who could equal Ms. Lupone.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 8/28/08 at 2:55pm

The Bernadette production played about 14 months, including previews - just about the same number of performances as the Tyne Daly production played in its initial and return engagement. (Bernadette: 451, Tyne: 476).