Review- Final Performance of Gypsy- Page 2

[jv92]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 8:49pm

She thanked the "dead creators", (not her exact words, but I'm not as classy as La LuPone) Jule Styne and Jerry Robbins and everyone involved with the show and said something along the lines of "this is not goodbye, but 'fare thee well.'"
And that ovation was not three minutes. Try six or seven. She DID deserve it though.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 8:55pm

I feel truly fortunate to have been there.

Extraordinary.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 8:57pm

"jv92, I saw Scott Whitman in the audience. he was a few rows ahead of me and across the aisle."

I saw him before the show at Angus, or at least I think I did.
Anyway, was anyone sitting near Sondheim. I saw him walking in and I gave him a nod and he gave me a nod. A nice moment.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:09pm

did anyone else see the cameraman in the right box filming...what appeared to be the audience? I noticed him setting up during intermission.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:11pm

Yes! On the way back into the theatre from the bar, some deranged queen was screaming at the house manager about why he couldn't film since the other fellow was. I think he was filming for Lincoln Center.

[MadameRoseRules]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:15pm

This was the best theater performance I have ever seen, anyplace, anywhere, any time, any how, any way. The audience was filled with fans of the show and so it was like being at an event that was part theatrical performance, part pep rally and part love fest. I got to speak to just about everybody in the cast (except Body) at the stage door afterwards, including Patti LuPone, who is an absolute darling. I hope all of you who were in or involved with this magnificent production of "Gypsy" realize just how wonderful you were from City Center onwards, and what a great experience you've given to all of your fans in the audience. I can not imagine loving any show, with any other cast, as much as I have loved this one. Thank you, "Gypsy"!

[legally_popular]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:18pm

What an amazing performance today! I am at a loss of words right now, so I'll save my thoughts/review when I'm actually coherent.

I also noticed the guy filming in the box... ???

When flashes started going off after Rose's Turn, I gasped, lol. I thought Patti would be pissed, but luckily she didn't stop the show or anything. A lot of people were taking pictures/filming during curtain call too (I want to see them! )

p.s. - when did Leigh Ann come out of the stage door? I left right after Laura left.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:25pm

"When flashes started going off after Rose's Turn, I gasped, lol. I thought Patti would be pissed, but luckily she didn't stop the show or anything. A lot of people were taking pictures/filming during curtain call too (I want to see them! ) "

I saw those flashes. I think she would have stopped them but the applause was so loud that she didn't try.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:32pm

I honestly think she didn't care now that she's been agknowledged as a national treasure and our next President by some crazy, but very enthusiastic queens.
How nice was it seeing her son bring on those roses for her?

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:34pm

"How nice was it seeing her son bring on those roses for her?"

That was so sweet!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:35pm

oh, I thought seeing her son bring out the roses was so sweet! she actually looked surprised, too.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:36pm

It was filmed for Lincoln Center a while ago. If they were filming for Lincoln Center a second time (unlikely but possible if someone wanted to finance it), I don't think a camera would have been in a box. There probably would have been two or three cameras in the orchestra.

A friend who was there today said the ovation after "Rose's Turn" felt like five minutes. I'd guess that WithoutATrace's estimate is probably pretty accurate.

I'm guessing it's very unlikely that it lasted five minutes, much less ten. After the first Broadway preview of [title of show], people posted on ATC that the standing ovation after "Nine People's Favorite Thing" went on for five minutes. It actually went on for about a minute and 40 seconds. I'd bet that eventually we'll know just how long today's ovation went on.

So it sounds like Scott Wittman was there today. (I'm sorry, I'm being a bitch.)
Updated On: 1/11/09 at 09:36 PM

[legally_popular]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:39pm

I thought the entire curtain call was great. The cast stayed on stage for awhile and the audience kept on cheering. The cast waved and the audience waved back. It was very special, for me at least. It seemed like no one wanted to leave. I would'nt have complained if it went on even longer. And I thought it was pretty cute and funny how Leigh Ann brought her own camera out and was taking pictures/filming the audience!

[logan0215]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:42pm

The ovation after 9PFT at the final performance of [tos] "felt like 10 minutes" but in actuality was a solid 3 minutes. It was one of the longest ovations I've ever been a part of.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:42pm

I thought it was adorable watching Patti bend over and wave as the curtain was lowered.

[jv92]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:44pm

Nobodyhome, you don't know bitch until you've met the lady usher in the balcony. Sorry I'm bitter, but I missed the early train!
But yeah, if anyone finds out why the fellow in the balcony was filming, do let us know.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:47pm

wow - either the ushers are getting raked over the coals for not doing their jobs (read the thread about the people taking photos during the 1/10 performance), or they're called bitches.

Queen?
bitch?

Lots of name calling, jv92....

[DAME]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:53pm

I think part of the Ny theater experience is the eventual run in with at least one nasty cruthchety old usher.

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 9:56pm

"Nobodyhome, you don't know bitch until you've met the lady usher in the balcony. Sorry I'm bitter, but I missed the early train!"

What did she do?

Oh, I know I wasn't being nearly as bitchy as other people regularly are. I was just being my anal-retentive self.

If I ever do decide to be really bitchy here . . . well, I try not to be.

[Londonskyguy]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:08pm

Who knows , maybe she was "bitchy" because she caught someone trying to second act a show,,which basically is illegal..

[CSonBroadway]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:09pm

Does anyone suspect that the filmer was filming for a tv version of the performance?? Or would they need more cameras for that??

[viola13]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:15pm

The ovation after Rose's turn was almost exactly 5 minutes, timing from the end of the song to right after the guy yells "Patti for President!".

I feel like the most annoying thing that was yelled was "Come do a show at my house!"

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:18pm

The most amazing performance ever! All the rushers were so much fun even though it was freezing. It was my first time camping out overnight! It was such a great experience (pizza from Laura and donuts from the stage manager). To answer someone's question, the roses came from one of the first people to arrive for rush, not from the ushers.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:18pm

it would be pretty boring with a one camera set up.

[cglaid]

Posted: 1/11/09 at 10:21pm

Leigh Ann was the third to last to come out. I think Nancy Renee Braun was second to last and then Boyd. They were out around 7:20 or so... maybe a tad later. The crowd had certainly died down by then.

What an amazing show. It was my seventh time seeing it and it was just fantastic. What a happy and excited crowd! The SRO section was insane. People kept trying to squeeze in and it was definitely tight. One of the ushers found me at the stage door and handed me an apple, saying he didn't know what to do with it, but thanked me for being so patient with him.

John McEnroe was in the audience as well.