#1
Posted: 5/5/08 at 10:17am
Last Thursday night I finally saw GYPSY, having missed the City Center presentation last summer. I have to say that I have seen all of the Broadway productions of my favorite musical, beginning with the 1959 production with Ethel Merman, Jack Klugman, and Sandra Church. I was not disappointed this time, although I had a few minor reservations which I will point out. The minimal sets didn't bother me, largely because that topic has been discussed at length on this Board and I was prepared. I did miss the set for the railroad scene in the 1959 production, which had designer Jo Mielziner's drop showing railroad tracks and overhead wires going off into infinity. I was also a bit perplexed by having the orchestra on stage, but I got used to it and found it fit in with Tulsa's big dance number.The strobe light transition scene where the younger actors are replaced by the older actors remains stunning in its execution. It gives me goose bumpss everytime I see it.
I was very impressed with the cast in general, beginning with the star. Patti LuPone not only sings well, she is a very good actress, having a casual way with a line, showing warmth and a sense of humor which contrasts nicely with her tunnel vision of attempts to make each of her daughters a star, no matter what.I was a little disapponted with LuPone's casual demeanor while she was reading June's letter--she didn't look distressed enough for me. Also, she was over amplified in the final notes of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", a mistake from the sound design team who after all was working with a natural belter. I will never forget Merman's singing that song, beating her breasts with the line "Momma is gonna see to it", and ending the song with her stentorian belt. On the other hand, I was very taken with LuPone's rendition of "Rose's Turn", not minding her speaking a few of her lines instead of singing them: "Why did I do it? What did it get me?" I also liked the way she handled the applause from the audience, purposely milking it and not merely bowing which Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly did. It worked better in LuPone's version. As for the ending, following "Rose's Turn", which has also been written about on this Board, I liked the way the sign slowly became unlit and
Rose's reaching toward it in one final act of desperation. However, I didn't think Louise's laughing AT her mother, rather than WITH her mother was consistent with Louise's having comforted her mother just a few lines before. It was obviously dictated by the director, Arthur Laurents, as were a few other spots in the show where Laurents tinkered with the original script(eliminating the faux rape scene in the hotel, the absence of the short reprise of "Small World" after Herbie walks out on Rose). I don't understand such tinkering.
Laura Benanti was absolutely wonderful as Louise, showing her jealousy of her sister from the very beginning and slowly maturing, dancing with Tulsa, and finally becoming the elegant Gypsy Rose Lee, with a beautiful singing voice. She is the best Louise I have seen, due to her superior acting ability. She never overplays her part. I thought Leigh Ann Larkin as June was a bit too aggressive in her part, particularly over exaggerating her speaking part in "Dainty June and Her Farmboys". I realize that she had become embittered with her mother, but I just thought that she over-played her part. In that "Farmboys" number I liked the costumes for the farmboys, doing the "Broadway" section, with the formal bibs over their jeans pants, emphasizing the tackiness that vaudeville had become over the years. It was an example of the production's empahsis on the erosion of vaudeville.
Tony Yazbeck made a superb Tulsa, showing a tentativeness as he explained to Louise his number "All I Need Is The Girl" and then gaining confidence as he began his singing and dancing, finally encouraging Louise to join him. It was the best such scene I have ever seen.
Boyd Gaines to me was problematic, showing much more self confidence than Jack Klugman did in the original Broadway cast. I was very taken with Klugman's performance and I'm afraid that his was the performance that I judge the other Herbies by. He was known to be liked by Merman, and their chemistry together worked wonderfully. I particularly remember the scene in the dressing room of the strip joint when Rose at first pleads with Herbie not to leave her. Merman took Klugman's hand and held it on her shoulder. It was an appropritely moving moment, after which Herbie walks out.
The three strippers are hilarious, as usual, with the comatose Electra particularly winning. And the Garden of Eden scene at Minskys in NYC was the best and closest I have seen to the original 1959 "Minsky's Salute to Christmas", with the show girls standing on a giant Christmas tree with ornaments covering their boobs. It works better with just having women in that scene, singing the "Ah ha ha ha hahs" in a pseudo-religioso manner. It is a brief but hilarious moment in this show.
I would heartily recommend this production if you have never seen GYPSY or whether you have seen various productions over the years. It is a memorable night at the theatre.
I was very impressed with the cast in general, beginning with the star. Patti LuPone not only sings well, she is a very good actress, having a casual way with a line, showing warmth and a sense of humor which contrasts nicely with her tunnel vision of attempts to make each of her daughters a star, no matter what.I was a little disapponted with LuPone's casual demeanor while she was reading June's letter--she didn't look distressed enough for me. Also, she was over amplified in the final notes of "Everything's Coming Up Roses", a mistake from the sound design team who after all was working with a natural belter. I will never forget Merman's singing that song, beating her breasts with the line "Momma is gonna see to it", and ending the song with her stentorian belt. On the other hand, I was very taken with LuPone's rendition of "Rose's Turn", not minding her speaking a few of her lines instead of singing them: "Why did I do it? What did it get me?" I also liked the way she handled the applause from the audience, purposely milking it and not merely bowing which Angela Lansbury and Tyne Daly did. It worked better in LuPone's version. As for the ending, following "Rose's Turn", which has also been written about on this Board, I liked the way the sign slowly became unlit and
Rose's reaching toward it in one final act of desperation. However, I didn't think Louise's laughing AT her mother, rather than WITH her mother was consistent with Louise's having comforted her mother just a few lines before. It was obviously dictated by the director, Arthur Laurents, as were a few other spots in the show where Laurents tinkered with the original script(eliminating the faux rape scene in the hotel, the absence of the short reprise of "Small World" after Herbie walks out on Rose). I don't understand such tinkering.
Laura Benanti was absolutely wonderful as Louise, showing her jealousy of her sister from the very beginning and slowly maturing, dancing with Tulsa, and finally becoming the elegant Gypsy Rose Lee, with a beautiful singing voice. She is the best Louise I have seen, due to her superior acting ability. She never overplays her part. I thought Leigh Ann Larkin as June was a bit too aggressive in her part, particularly over exaggerating her speaking part in "Dainty June and Her Farmboys". I realize that she had become embittered with her mother, but I just thought that she over-played her part. In that "Farmboys" number I liked the costumes for the farmboys, doing the "Broadway" section, with the formal bibs over their jeans pants, emphasizing the tackiness that vaudeville had become over the years. It was an example of the production's empahsis on the erosion of vaudeville.
Tony Yazbeck made a superb Tulsa, showing a tentativeness as he explained to Louise his number "All I Need Is The Girl" and then gaining confidence as he began his singing and dancing, finally encouraging Louise to join him. It was the best such scene I have ever seen.
Boyd Gaines to me was problematic, showing much more self confidence than Jack Klugman did in the original Broadway cast. I was very taken with Klugman's performance and I'm afraid that his was the performance that I judge the other Herbies by. He was known to be liked by Merman, and their chemistry together worked wonderfully. I particularly remember the scene in the dressing room of the strip joint when Rose at first pleads with Herbie not to leave her. Merman took Klugman's hand and held it on her shoulder. It was an appropritely moving moment, after which Herbie walks out.
The three strippers are hilarious, as usual, with the comatose Electra particularly winning. And the Garden of Eden scene at Minskys in NYC was the best and closest I have seen to the original 1959 "Minsky's Salute to Christmas", with the show girls standing on a giant Christmas tree with ornaments covering their boobs. It works better with just having women in that scene, singing the "Ah ha ha ha hahs" in a pseudo-religioso manner. It is a brief but hilarious moment in this show.
I would heartily recommend this production if you have never seen GYPSY or whether you have seen various productions over the years. It is a memorable night at the theatre.
"Madam Rose...and her daughter...Gypsy!"
Updated On: 5/5/08 at 10:17 AM
