jv sees LuPone in Gypsy (Not a terribly long review, don't worry) — Page 2

When she said her first line, when she smiled funny, when she winked, when she danced, when she whispered, when she yelled, when she sang....

check back & tell us where your little teevee friends are 30 years after their broadway debut.

You also realize that Patti is ... what? ... in her late 40s? She's had time to make herself a stage star. You don't just become a theater legend when you're 24? I think given a couple decades and a couple more shows and there are a few people in the theater world "today" that can possibly reach her status.

Well, I was being kind.

The real Rose WAS bizarre!
The guy who wrote the play directed it...so know that every little nuance and line reading was directed.

I saw it yesterday afternoon, and I really enjoyed it, but some of the notes that came out of her mouth I just can't describe.

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They were effective, just not very pretty.

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Hey, jv92,

We saw the same performance.

I agree with you about "bizarre" comment. It is very bizarrre. I have seen many shows, but nothing is crazy like this.

What I mean crazy is not about Lupone's performance, but the reaction from the audience.

Before seeing the show, I heard so much about Lupone's Rose, most about how fierce her Rose is. However, to my surprise, Lupone's Rose is nothing about "fierce". Her approach to Rose, is rather, down to earth, even kind of soft. She is not as cold, as angry as , say,Peter's Rose. Of course, when she opened her mouth to sing, she is powerful. But her way of delivering the line, is rather gentle and reasonable.

There is nothing wrong about that. That's her way of portraying Rose. What makes the performance so bizarre is the reaction from the audience. From the beginning, their reaction is so overthetop. They clapped for her entrance, then Herbie's entrance, then laughed or clapped for even the tiniest moment. It's like they determined to cheer for Lupone's sake. They cheered for a "fierce" Rose which's not in Lupone's acting.
And that's insane.


Edit: bizarre and fierce. Thanks for the correction,Kalimba.

Updated On: 7/23/07 at 09:13 PM

GYPSY always gets clapping during random moments. It's not just LuPone. I'd like to see one Rose make her entrance like that, and NOT get entrance applause. Impossible. I have heard audio of Merman's last performance on Broadway in the role..and just like with Patti there is clapping during random moments. I think it's because GYPSY has so many of "those moments" that deserve applause. Two great non Rose moments that almost always get applause are the opening notes of the overture, and the trumpet solo towards the end of the overture.

Updated On: 7/23/07 at 09:43 PM

I knew that "Sing out Lewise" got applause. But even Herbie's entrance... well.

And the audience laughed even when Herbie's "Nobody can kill you, Rose" before he left her is beyond me. To me, that's the deadist , coldest moment of the show.

The biggest issue I have with this production is the directing. The blocking is not very natural, too showy to my taste. It's very hard to fail in Gypsy. This production is not bad at all, but not as good as the rave it gets. I should say, I think Peter's Gypsy is much better.

Lupone and Gains are ok. To me, the best part of this cast is Lewise.

I agree, the overture is fantastic. The orchestra is on fire. The music never sounds so full and exciting. This definitely deserves a recording.

I would thought the author of the show could do a better job in directing his own work. Well, not so this time.

um, I think his blocking is rather out-dated. The actors face to audience when speak to each other...Not very effective.

I like the way he portrayed the lousy vauldville of Rose's child act though.

I don't like Rose's costume. So are the three strippers. The costume for Gypsy Rose Lee, on the other side, is fantastic.