Well, I saw GYPSY

They did a profile of her and the show on CBS Sunday Morning today. I was so not impressed nor enticed to go see the show. As much as I enjoy her (usually), I just wasn't seeing 'Mama Rose' in her performance - I was seeing Audra.

Nevertheless, expect her to pick up a Tony for this. It's inevitable.

[quote]Nevertheless, expect her to pick up a Tony for this. It's inevitable.

Sure, Jan.

Aren't the theatre threads for this?

I agree, it will probably be inevitable.

And while Audra arguably earned her other Tonys, this one will be handed to her based on her history, and the stunning and brave element of a black Madame Rose.

It’s past time for a musicalization of the life of the brilliant Nipsey Russell.

Nicole Scherzinger just may steal that Tony from Audra's cold hands.

OP, we can only dream.

So, is this the new Theatre Gossip Thread?

I’ve seen Angela, Tyne, Patti, and Imelda Staunton. I enjoyed them all, but my favorite may just be Imelda, who knocked me out. Just terrific. We shall see with Audra, but I doubt she’ll win a Tony for this. She has not won every time she’s been nominated. She’s won 6, but lost 4 ( I think).

I think Audra's possibility of winning that 7th Tony will be affected by her missed, or not missed, performance track record.

I'm curious about her costumes and wigs. In most of the photos I've seen Audra seems to be costumed in fairly colorless dresses, even for Rose's Turn. Seems like a strange and unflattering choice (esp. for a woman of color) and a lost opportunity to me. Also, her wigs make her look grandmotherly.

Any thoughts from those who've seen the production?

[quote]It’s past time for a musicalization of the life of the brilliant Nipsey Russell.

I'm available!

I love Audra but to me it just seems so insane that they're blind casting a show about real Caucasians with POC and not like Hamilton where there was a thematic point to the casting. In this case it just seems ludicrous and gimmicky.

Kathy Brier? Isn't she folding clothes at Bloomingdales?

Audra is fantastic in "Gypsy." I loved it and everyone I know in real life has loved it. The only criticism I've seen is here...in what Andy Cohen calls a "vile pit of trollery."

[quote]Nicole Scherzinger just may steal that Tony from Audra's cold hands.

Yeah, she's the one who truly deserves it.

Her performance is great and the show is a smash hit in NYC despite her rightwing politics.

If Audra gets her 7th Tony, it'll be because theater folk are very leftwing and petty.

I don’t see Gypsy for a few weeks, but I did see Scherzinger in Sunset Boulevard before the political fray. I ought it was an audacious performance, executed by someone who has a decent voice and looks good in a tiny black dress. It was not a great acting performance if you pay attention to things like dialogue, the story, the characters, or the setting. It was simply an actress playing a caricature to the music of a lame Andrew Lloyd Webber show.

There are plenty of people who lap that up uncritically. But it doesn’t mean that people who actually pay attention are “very leftwing (sic) and petty.”

r1 " I was so not impressed"

Please tell me you speak with vocal fry like Kim Kardashian when you speak.

r9 But have you seen Lavin in Gypsy? I have. Alas, I was around 14 years old and have no recollection of her performance.

Audra will not win the Tony. She may not even be nominated. It’s a very crowded field. And don’t forget about Idina who we haven’t seen yet. The person I went with didn’t like Audra’s performance either for what it’s worth and there is negative word on ATC and BWW so I’m not the only one..

OP = Barbra Streisand

Audra= right wing? So Disappointed.

JD “Viv” Vance says blacks have a lower IQ than whites.

I read that Broadway audiences at musicals today act like pre-teens yelling and screaming throughout the show - ANY show.

r22 Pay attention. It's NICOLE who's a MAGA.

Yes, r24. It’s awful. As for any show, they didn’t during Hills of California so some plays are safe.

[quote] .in what Andy Cohen calls a "vile pit of trollery."

Oh no, that vapid fame whoring wonk eyed cunt thinks we're vile. How will we ever LIVE??!?!?

[Quote] Nicole Scherzinger just may steal that Tony from Audra's cold hands.

I saw the new Sunset Blvd and it was absolutely boring shit. I have NEVER wanted to leave after a first act, but, had I not been with a group of friends, I would have done it here.

Unmitigated, stupid shit.

My neighbor, whose long theater history has made my trust his opinion, saw Audra and raved about it.

He said he’s never seen the acting better and he thought the head voice she added to some of the vocal moments were different but completely worked.

Excited to check it out in March

Yeah, gotta say, the only negative comments I'm hearing about Audra/Gypsy are on DL.

Today on "CBS Sunday Morning " Mo Rocca did a Behind the Scenes at Gypsy with Audra singing several songs. Sounded like she belonged at The Metropolitan Opera.

[quote]I read that Broadway audiences at musicals today act like pre-teens yelling and screaming throughout the show - ANY show.

I recently attended a performance of La Traviata. The omen behind us were whooping making that loud annoying noise as if they were at a rock concert.

If it was Michael Mayer's Disneyfied version of Traviata, it was perhaps a perfectly acceptable response, r32.

[quote] The omen behind us were whooping making that loud annoying noise as if they were at a rock concert.

His name is Legion.

[quote]JD “Viv” Vance says blacks have a lower IQ than whites.

And there are studies that say Asians have higher IQs than whites. But no one is bothered by it.

R13. Or it could just be casting arguably the best musical actress currently working in the American theatre in what most consider the greatest role for a mature actress in the musical canon and assuming audiences will be intelligent enough to realize she’s an actress playing a role and “Gypsy” is not a documentary. It’s not like the real Rose burst into song every ten minutes in real life. Opera audiences don’t seem to have the problem of literalism musical theatre queens on DL seem to have.

SPOILER ALERT: By the way, Edna Turnblad was not, in reality, a middle-aged man in drag.

99% of people who report their theater opinions online report that 99% of everything they see is "AMAZING!"

If a semi-popular actress is the lead that number goes even higher!

Mathematically, GYPSY is amazing!

[quote]In this case it just seems ludicrous and gimmicky.

How DARE you state the obvious!

Expect to hear, "It is advertised as a "Show Business FABLE", so black actors can play real life white people, just not the other way around!

[quote] Nicole Scherzinger just may steal that Tony from Audra's cold hands.

Nicole sings the songs well but it is otherwise just an OK performance. Mostly due to the bizarre reimagining that has drained it of life and color.

For what it’s worth, I loved Bernadette Peters in this role.

Ohmygawd, did you, r40?

I thought she was bizarrely awful. I didn't even like how she delivered "Sing OUT, Louise!" I'm not kidding.

Bernadette, Patti...they all made the role way too complex. Too much psychology.

Unfortunately I never saw Merman in the role (I did see Lansbury), but you can hear from the cast album that Ethel Merman made Momma Rose a terrifying character by being a bull in a china shop. Her Rose has NO self awareness. And that's how it should be. Rose is a very simple, one dimensional character, totally focused on her goal.

Actresses try to humanize the character, as a result "Rose's Turn", the whole ending of the play, lacks the impact it should have.

I have only seen clips of Audra's performance. It's awful. Ersatz operatic. That's NOT Rose.

Audra is of course no Linda Lavin.

R40 I liked her, too. She was a sexy Mama Rose. Can’t believe she lost the Tony to that fat girl.

Bernadette was way too "Method" and was feeling her way around every moment, while telegraphing all her "process" and hard work to the audience. I call this revival "Method Gypsy" and certainly the director was mostly to blame with his thumbprints all over every scene. This results in a very hammy outcome which most people think is really good acting. It ain't. Still, Bernadette aside, the rest of the cast was terrific!

^ Agreed.

R13 this is what I see many people find tiresome. It's a matter of what you feel you are telling. I you want to tell the story of Gypsy Rose Lee then you have to take into account that she was a real person and her mother was too. Changing the ethnicity seems like a stunt and therefore can be a turn off. I also don't really care to see a white retelling of Selena either. nothing to do with race. But sometimes you go to a biopic to see a true recount of every ethnicity's plight at the time

Team Tyne.

Please stop calling her 'Mama Rose.'

I've always hated that.

[quote]R13 it just seems so insane that they're blind casting a show about real Caucasians with POC and not like Hamilton where there was a thematic point to the casting. In this case it just seems ludicrous

Most modern audience members have no idea the show is based on a real family, and have never heard of Gypsy Rose Lee.

So, there’s no conflict.

R50 was producer casting Julia Roberts as Ms Harriet Tubman.

I saw Gypsy his weekend along with Sunset Blvd. No comparison. Sunset is the far better show in these versions. Gypsy is a better show in general, but this production is fair at best. Audra is a great actress and acts the part, even while singing. But I've seen Lupone (the undisputed champ in my mind), Tyne, and the Bette Midler tv version as well as the 1962 movie. (Bette was also great). Audra is simply not a fit for this role. And I love her. The cast is weak and the series of striptease scenes leading up to the finale are completely forgettable. The woman playing Gypsy is a complete miss and a complete miscast. The sets are boring. Bursteinn is servicable. The pacing is sluggish compared to Lupone's triumph in the late 2000s.

As for Sunset, I thoght it was nothing short of brilliant. The staging and creativity off the charts. The performances are across the board great, especially the lead guy. Nicole brought down the house. Ok, she's less of an actress but the production and her execution on the big songs were incredible. I want to see that one again. And she should lead the pack for the Tony. I am as much of a "center left liberal"as anyone but her politics are her politics and that has nothing to do with her perforance. C'mon! I don't have to agree with her to respect her talents.

[quote]Most modern audience members have no idea the show is based on a real family, and have never heard of Gypsy Rose Lee.

That's not true.

Even the Playbill they're holding explains who Gypsy Rose Lee was.

[quote] [R50] was producer casting Julia Roberts as Ms Harriet Tubman.

Harriet Tubman is taught about in schools, and has children’s books written about her. Modern people have experience with her.

Not so for Lee, and her even more obscure, C Level actress sister June Havoc.

[quote]Please stop calling her 'Mama Rose.'

[quote]I've always hated that.

[quote]—Arthur Laurents

You're long dead, so we can easily override your wishes.

And even when you were alive you were incredibly mean, so no one cared much what you hated.

At least people are being fairly open about their values. When approaching one of the great roles of all time a from a psychological angle is a described as a bad thing and Bette Midler’s universally panned histrionic Rose is “great,” it’s easy to see why these viewers are going crazy for Sunset Boulevard.

[quote] I am as much of a "center left liberal"as anyone

Don’t shock us all, r52.

For those describing Gypsy's strip transformation in this new revival into something akin to Josephine Baker, what exactly do you mean? Does she wear a skirt of oversized bananas? What else is Josephine Baker-like that you'd recognize?

[quote] or even Sutton

wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy

Bernadette was amazing in the role, but her performance went over the head of most basic bitches that drool only for ham.

Please stop pretending that ANYONE knows or cares that Rose and Gypsy were real people. In fact, the ONLY thing we know about them are how they are portrayed in the musical.

Having a Black Rose is really about having Audra sing Rose. Amazing how some people still are so fixated on race in America that we look to that as if it's what defined Rose. No one cares about her age, height, hair, and weight--only the fact that it was okay when a white actress played her,

Thrilled by the Lupone Rose, I came home from that extraordinary theatre performance and watched the Midler GYPSY. Wow what a laughable letdown.

Black Rose is a problem but a Filipina, Hawaiian, Ukrainian, Russian Norma Desmond is a-ok!!

[quote] Thrilled by the Lupone Rose, I came home from that extraordinary theatre performance and watched the Midler GYPSY. Wow what a laughable letdown

Look! I make big eyes when I'm angry, happy, surprised, sad, sexy...

[quote]Please stop calling her 'Mama Rose.'

How do you feel about Mother Abbess being called "Mother Superior," Art?

[quote]Having a Black Rose is really about having Audra sing Rose. Amazing how some people still are so fixated on race in America that we look to that as if it's what defined Rose. No one cares about her age, height, hair, and weight--only the fact that it was okay when a white actress played her

Let's try casting a white woman as Billie Holliday or Eartha Kitt or Josephine Baker or Dinah Washington and see what happens...

The color of those ladies' skin was very much a part of their stories and their careers, r65.

R67 It makes no difference.

As R36 wrote: " assuming audiences will be intelligent enough to realize she’s an actress playing a role and “Gypsy” is not a documentary. It’s not like the real Rose burst into song every ten minutes in real life. Opera audiences don’t seem to have the problem of literalism musical theatre queens on DL seem to have."

If you are going to allow a Black Rose Hovick then there should be no problem with a white Josephine Baker. Audiences should be sophisticated enough to accept that.

It's the theatre, it's fantasy. It's all good.

Screw fidelity to history. Right?

[quote]If you are going to allow a Black Rose Hovick then there should be no problem with a white Josephine Baker.

Josephine had to go to Paris to be a star *because* of her skin color, r68. You just keep digging yourself deeper.

[quote]r68 = Screw fidelity to history. Right?

It's amusing that you think the book to GYPSY is actual "history".

No one objected when Rose was played by someone from Astoria, even though Rose Hovick was German. There was no issue with a British Rose. No issue with an Irish Rose. No issue with two Italian Roses.

[quote] Let's try casting a white woman as Billie Holliday or Eartha Kitt or Josephine Baker or Dinah Washington and see what happens...

False equivalence-- We all knew who those people were. They are STILL in the collective consciousness.

No one remembers who Gypsy Rose Lee was, let alone Mama. No one cares. We're going to see a show with Audra in it.

[quote] No one objected when Rose was played by someone from Astoria, even though Rose Hovick was German. There was no issue with a British Rose. No issue with an Irish Rose. No issue with two Italian Roses.

Because white is all that matters to the racists

[quote]Josephine had to go to Paris to be a star *because* of her skin color, [R68].

A sophisticated audience does not see skin color.

We know that a black woman would not have been able to play the Orpheum Circuit and become a major burlesque star in the 1930s but we are asked to suspend belief for this version of "Gypsy". Correct?

[quote]It's amusing that you think the book to GYPSY is actual "history".

No musicals are. Therefore a white Eartha Kitt would be perfectly fine.

I've never seen Merman, but of all the Roses I've seen, Tyne Daly was the best. Acted the hell out of it rather than "performing" it as many have. Rose doesn't need a great voice, and Tyne was better than 'good enough.' She was believable.

[bold]Everyone's[/bold] mileage may vary.

[quote] We know that a black woman would not have been able to play the Orpheum Circuit and become a major burlesque star in the 1930s but we are asked to suspend belief for this version of "Gypsy". Correct?

Actually, I would say about 5% of the audience knows that and less than 1% cares.

[quote]r68 = Let's try casting a white woman as Billie Holliday or Eartha Kitt or Josephine Baker or Dinah Washington and see what happens...

How would a white woman relate to the segregated venues and hotels of the era? By the way...it's Holiday.

[quote] No musicals are. Therefore a white Eartha Kitt would be perfectly fine.

When someone creates a musical about Eartha Kitt, we'll see what audiences feel 65 years after its premiere.

We could have brought anyone into this show: Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul. Audra is what Las Vegas is all about! She's dazzling, she's exciting, and very, very sexy!

[quote]How would a white woman relate to the segregated venues and hotels of the era?

We're supposed to suspend belief and see the actress as a black woman, no matter the race of the actress playing the role. Duh.

R80, I fine with a white Billie Holliday. I say, bring it on!!

I thought you were being willfully obtuse, r80. I see now that the cause is severe retardation.

R82 No, the obtuse one is you. And you sound like a bigot.

Romeo and Juliet is likely based on a true story. Must it only have Italians cast in it?

[quote]And you sound like a bigot.

Such projection, r83.

I do think it's funny that any "Asian" is fine for the King and I, for example. The King need not be played by a Thai male. Anyone with slanty eyes is fine

[quote]Romeo and Juliet is likely based on a true story. Must it only have Italians cast in it?

Absolutely not.

Any race or ethnicity or do. Black people playing the role of the Veronese in the 14th century is perfectly fine.

Same for a white version of "A Raison in the Sun".

[quote] Same for a white version of "A Raison in the Sun".

Actually, I'm all for such colorblind casting. In fact, an Asian American cast was set to star in a major production, and that would have been great. Sadly, it was cancelled.

Interesting, in other countries, they use their own ethnicities in all the American shows, of course. A white, Asian, Latino, etc cast works just fine.

r87 - Why is a play dealing directly with the black experience always your go-to for white casting?

[quote] Absolutely not. Any race or ethnicity or do. Black people playing the role of the Veronese in the 14th century is perfectly fine.

Your sarcasm is funny. So such a racial purist, how many Romeo and Juliets have you seen in your lifetime with only Italians in the cast? Were they really aged 13 and 15?

If not, you must have hated every one for not being as true-to-life as it must be.

Actually, for the modern age, Romeo and Juliet played by Black and White actors makes perfect sense.

Always silly when people demand that musicals, yes, musicals-- where people burst out into song and dance spontaneously--be, detail by detail, exactly like real life.

The Theatre Gossip threads devolve faster and faster with each thread.

R92 Exactly. We need a white "Ain't Misbehavin' ".

R94, sure, why not? Fats didn't just want black people to sing his songs

I once saw a mixed cast The WIZ at a grade school. It was great

Just admit you're old and racist, r94.

The bigot at R97 is against color blind casting and she's calling ME a racist!

[quote]r98 = The bigot at [R97] is against color blind casting and she's calling ME a racist!

Where have I said I was against color blind casting?

I suppose the klan granny purists clotting up this thread would turn down tickets to Japan’s 4-hour stage version of GONE WITH THE WIND ??

Hogwash.

No Lesley Ann and Pernell, r100? Forget about it.

[quote] [R13] this is what I see many people find tiresome. It's a matter of what you feel you are telling. I you want to tell the story of Gypsy Rose Lee then you have to take into account that she was a real person and her mother was too.

At this point, it is just a showbiz myth. People alive today don't remember any of the people who may have inspired the musical "Gypsy." It is a story that can be effectively told without reference to any specific culture. Of all the criticism of the new production, objections to changing the ethnicity of Rose and Gypsy is the most absurd, and I've only seen comment on it at DL.

[quote]r47 If you want to tell the story of Gypsy Rose Lee then you have to take into account that she was a real person and her mother was too.

Yeah, well, the REAL Mama Rose was a carpet munching lezzie loo - you don’t seem fired up that the musical changes THAT.

So much for authenticity.

She sounds totally miscast singing Rose’s Turn.

Well, she has the most smoothly melodious voice I’ve heard do the part. I’m not sure that’s necessarily a bad thing.

That audio clip at r104 is fabulous!

The problem is not that she is black. The problem is the she can’t sing the role.

I can’t credit the argument that people see Gypsy because they are interested in learning about a historical figure and therefore casting a Black person is somehow inauthentic.

[quote]The problem is not that she is black. The problem is the she can’t sing the role.

She can absolutely sing the role, r107, some may not like the results though.

The mixed comments of this Gypsy during the preview period are pretty much the same as they were for the Mendes Gypsy. IT'S THRILLING! IT SUCKS! BERNADETTE IS PHENOMINAL! BERNADETTE IS MISCAST! SHE'S BRILLIANT! SHE SUCKS! I can't wait to read the reviews Friday morning.

[quote]The mixed comments of this Gypsy during the preview period are pretty much the same as they were for the Mendes Gypsy.

And Audra isn't even sick.

R104, I’m actually excited hearing her sing Rose’s Turn, her desperation is apparent. Wow, acted amazingly!

[Quote] The problem is not that she is black.

That is the only problem for Mr Rose’s-only-pertinent-characteristic-is-that-she’s-white.

R113- ???

Did they change "Tulsa" to "Harlem?"

There's a concept in theater called "suspending disbelief". Those of us in the audience are supposed to let go of the notion that the people on stage are actors - instead, we're supposed to believe (for the duration of the play) that they are the real characters of the story, living out the real situation being depicted by the drama, no matter how their size, shape, age, or indeed color vary from the description that the drama uses for them. Anyone who has seen the Wagner opera Tristan and Isolde knows that the plot involves a 16 year old Celtic princess abducted by a handsome vassal to bring to his king so that he can marry her. She is supposed to be so beautiful that strangers fall in love with her at sight. Unfortunately, the vocal demands of the role are such, that the singers who usually portray her are in their 40s or older, and usually 250 pounds or heavier. Does that mean that the opera is a flop? No, it does not. Nor does having a black actress play Rose render Gypsy unviewable. Audra will still have to "sell" the role. But she doesn't have to change skin color to do so.

Why would they, r115?

Who said she did? He skin color isn’t what is wrong with her performance. I would’ve watched Nell Carter. I’d watch Heather Headley or even the too old Lillias White. Someone who can sing and act it.

Her skin.color

[quote]How would a white woman relate to the segregated venues and hotels of the era? By the way...it's Holiday.

How would a black Rose relate to the segregated venues and hotels of the era? Certainly not the way she does in this show.

How very DARE you R116! I’ll have you know I’m not an ounce over 3 pounds!

Actually...

I think Audra sounds like an opera singer. She doesn't have the grit, grime and scrappiness needed for Mama Rose. I am not excited about this production.

By the way, I saw Tyne Daley as Rose many years ago. I also saw Idina Menzel in 'Redwood,' at La Jolla Playhouse earlier this year. It opens on Broadway in the spring. She's good, but I'm not sure Idina can beat Nicole since 'Sunset Blvd' is a much more demanding role.

I smell Tony.

Apologize but only ever saw her in ‘’Annie’’ movie and she was just wonderful. I believe she was grand marshall in 2024 rose parade.

I think operas do suffer from the mismatch between the performers and the characters. Perhaps some people can “suspend disbelief,” but I’ve never been successful at that. I just focus on the singing.

[quote]r125 Apologize but only ever saw her in ‘’Annie’’ movie

That was little Quvenzhané Wallis, @sshole.

They don’t all look alike, you know!

Wrong movie.

Reviews coming out. USA Today and NJ.com call it a “performance for the ages.” Not what I saw.

Here she is...

The critics are raving that her performance is "triumphant."

(Audra kind of looks like Mo'Nique playing Precious' mother, Mary, in the still below.)

[quote]the show is a smash hit in NYC

Hardly, there are always tickets available and not just on Nikki's numerous days off.

[quote]I smell Tony.

Please describe his smell.

Like Chipotle?

Both the Times & Washington Post are raving this revival.

The 'New York Post' HATED it!

R136, no it didn't, It didn't like the production but was fine with Audra. Seems to be the only naysayer

Kathy Bates looks younger now than in that "Annie" poster 25 years ago.

R137 yes, it did NOT like Audra, especially her singing.

[quote]Imagine another Styne tune, "Don't Rain On My Parade," being sung like "Casta Diva," and you get some idea.

Thanks, [R136], for posting that review. I never thought I would agree with anything written in the NY Post, but this review of GYPSY nails exactly how I felt. And unlike some others in this thread, I've actually SEEN the production, not just the clips. The review also mentions the incredible transformation of Louise into Gypsy Rose Lee, which others have disputed. In spite of the bad direction and choreography, the actress Joy Woods goes from being a forgettable schlump into a beautiful woman, and you never saw it coming. In other productions, like the one with Laura Benanti, Louise looks like a beautiful woman stuck inside some bad costumes, so it is no surprise when she blossoms into a star.

The review identifies Audra's weird accent as a southern drawl, even though Rose Hovick was from Seattle. And as others have mentioned, Audra, in her demeanor and bad costumes, looks more like Grandmama Rose. The chintzy sets don't help either.

Finally, all the botched classic moments - like the aging of the newsboy or Louise joining Tulsa in his big number - make this production seem not quite right. As the review suggests, the blame falls in the lap of George Wolfe.

R139, the NY Post reviewer also says: "Joining their esteemed ranks, McDonald undeniably makes Rose her own, as her predecessors all did, with a thoughtful portrayal. In demeanor, her Mama is unusually soft and vulnerable, with eyes that well up long before the climactic finale, “Rose’s Turn.”

Sounds pretty positive

Sounds pretty mixed to me.

Mixed, but certainly not "hate"

Totally agree, r142. I did not mean mixed as a pejorative. I think mixed is often the most interesting type of review.

For the past 2-3 years I find my take on shows most aligns with Johnny Oleksinski (sp?) of The NY Post.

R144, Johnny O has chimed in

Here's a link to all the reviews - and they all love Audra.

[quote] The 'New York Post' HATED it!

Who cares about the Post?!!!

R140- that’s not positive. Says she’s soft and cries too soon.

R148, it says she makes Rose her own…a thoughtful portrayal. She makes Rose unusually soft and vulnerable.

These sound like positive attributes to me

[quote]She makes Rose unusually soft and vulnerable

Much like Kay Medford.

Beanie made the role of Fanny her own too. Neither of them can sing it.

We liked it. So did The Guardian.

[quote]it says she makes Rose her own…a thoughtful portrayal. She makes Rose unusually soft and vulnerable. These sound like positive attributes to me

What it means is that she doesn't understand the role.

The real Rose Hovick did use the vulnerable, helpless woman shtick to get what she wanted. It was all calculating.

21 positive reviews, 1 mixed, 1 negative (NY Post). Yeah, Audra has no clue how to play the role.

[Quote] What it means is that she doesn't understand the role.

And you do?

There’s isn’t just one way to play Rose. She’s a full human being, not just a terror 24 hours a day. I was surprised that Lupone was able to amplify gentle moments. Audra took the character even further—showing her as a driven, but vulnerable woman. It all makes the show more real

R152 "Stephen Sondheim's much-adored musical"? Huh?

[quote]that’s not positive. Says she’s soft and cries too soon.

They say that about you too, R148.

R158, don’t encourage him. He’ll claim he will play Rose in the next revival

[Quote] 21 positive reviews, 1 mixed, 1 negative (NY Post).

What do THEY know???!! Only I know the truth!!!

R150, that’s hilarious

[quote]showing her as a driven, but vulnerable woman. It all makes the show more real

Rose uses vulnerability as a ploy, r156.

Regardless of what the critics say, she was not good at the performance I saw.. Her singing was bad. I wanted to love her obviously. That’s why I spent the money.

R160- have you ever disliked something that got good reviews?

I actually don’t believe the OP/R163 even saw the show. Their criticism is so broad (“her singing was bad”, “she was bad”) that it’s laughable.

Audra is giving a fantastic performance.

OP/R163 sounds like a Nicole Scherzinger Stan or rep.

[quote]Hardly, there are always tickets available and not just on Nikki's numerous days off.

R132 Last week SUNSET grossed $1.9 million.

The 5th highest-grossing show, after perennial/seasonal favorites WICKED ($2.8 million), THE LION KING ($2.4 million), HAMILTON ($2.1 million), and ELF ($2 million).

Since opening in late October, SUNSET has consistently grossed above $1.5 million.

And you're trying to tell us it's not a smash hit?

He didn't say it wasn't a hit, he said there are usually seats available.

Here's a hint for you non-theatre people. There are always house seats in reserve every day for those on the production who are guaranteed the right to purchase house seats. Of course, they're not always used every day and will go sale when the box office opens. They may be outrageously expensive, they may not be, depending on the current market. I've seen many big hits in London in recent years by simply going to the box office of a supposedly sold out hit on the morning of the day I want to attend. Recently took in Andrew Scott's Uncle Vanya, Paul Mescal in Streetcar and James Norton in A Little Life and didn't even pay outrageous sums for them. I'd do it with Broadway shows but there's never anything I want to see that much.

Let this be the last 'Gypsy' revival for at least the next 25-30 years.

So, Sutton won't get to do it?

Speak for yourself. This is the longest gap between Gypsy revivals on Broadway. It’s remarkable easy just not to go to productions you don’t want to see.

Laura Benanti played Louise/Gypsy opposite Lupone and won a Tony. I am sure she will want to play Rose.

And she definitely should.

Dear God, not *another* damn soprano!

I love morons like R9 who haven’t even seen it pontificating about a performance he hasn’t seen.

Well, since he wasn't opining about her performance, but her history of Tony nominations, r175, I think his pontification may have some merit.

[quote] Dear God, not *another* damn soprano!

There is only room for one soprano on soprano island!

[Quote] have you ever disliked something that got good reviews?

Actually Sunset Blvd this season.

[quote]Let this be the last 'Gypsy' revival for at least the next 25-30 years.

That should work out perfectly for me.

I liked it. It was good and loud.

R180. TOO Loud

[quote]Speak for yourself. This is the longest gap between Gypsy revivals on Broadway. It’s remarkable easy just not to go to productions you don’t want to see.

Longest gap ? Only by one year. It's right about 'on schedule' for revivals. There's an old 'rule of thumb' that revivals should happen every 15 years on average, if they happen at all. Not sooner. Of course that rule is often broken, and it even happened when Lupone's reveal happened just five years after Peters (and it was said that was deliberate to get everyone to forget Peters' fiasco). Here's how the original / revivals have rolled out for 'Gypsy' in the past 60 years:

1959 Original / Merman

1974 Revival / Lansbury (15 years)

1989 Revival / Daly (15 years)

2003 Revival / Peters (14 years)

2008 Revival / :Lupone (5 years)

2024 Revival / McDonald (16 years)

As for 'Sunset Boulevard', the original was in 1994. A revival should have happened in 2009, and then again today (2024). However, ALW waited until 2017 for his first revival, which made it just seven years ago from today's revival.

Well, I saw Night Clit

R182, from the current Sunset revival, I know this show never needs another

Well, it appears next season we'll be getting Jamie Lloyd's Evita so there is another.....

R185, I actually saw the first version of Jamie Lloyd's EVITA at Regents Park in London. It was a fantastic reshaping with a more vulnerable Evita. (And yes, she wore a black nightgown and had blood all over by the end).

Evita is just a stronger show than Sunset. Half of Sunset drags and the current production amplifies those draggy moments.

Leslie Uggams says Arthur Laurents really wanted to see a Black Rose.

Imagine. There are Dataloungers who are more uptight than Arthur Laurents.

Gypsy canceled tonight....That's ONE.

R189. Gypsy was canceled last night. No performance was scheduled tonite. Next performance will be Christmas night. Maybe.

R6 It's going to be a close race.

It will all be riding on Audra's performance record.

R192 I love you!

Have they said if they’re making an OBC of gypsy?

Being the star she is, I'd think Audra's Madam Rose will be recored.

R165- I absolutely did see the show. I think she may have just had a bad show that night. I was way up in the rafters but that shouldn’t affect her intonation. Some People was ragged and out of tune.

R169- not gonna happen.

Merman's Rose's Turn on the OBC is the single greatest track on any Broadway cast album.

R178- so there you go. A bunch of raves didn’t affect your opinion. Same with me. Reviews hadn’t even come out when I saw it.

They shouldn’t.

Well, I saw your pussy.

[quote]Have they said if they’re making an OBC of gypsy?

Do they call it an "O"BC if it's a revival?

But is Audra more a Sally or Phyllis?

Audra is 100% a Sally.

Merman was a big Broadway star, had been in a few shows, then came Gypsy. A musical lore now says was written for her. Merrick got the property, wanted it as a show for Merman, hired the talent.No matter the show, Jule ‘Styne said it was easy to write for Merman, give her a big note to begin on, a big note to end on and you’re home free. For any fan of the show, get the memoir the show is based on …. it almost reads like a script for the musical. As if Laurents just had to follow along and build for where songs would fit in. No matter lore about the music and book, both represent the apex of musical theatre. Lyrics by a young Sondheim only added to the perfection of the show.

Saw it four times, two times standing to watch Merman come in, ushered by two aides, the back of the house, take in the scene, then walk down house right, “Sing out, Louise, sing out.” Broadway’s star had arrived. Creating the role of Madam Rose, there was none of this current hoo-hah and drama about Rose this and Rose that. There were words, Merman said them, she didn’t “act” them, she wasn’t an actress, she just plowed along for her big number to end act one and end act two. She planted her feet on stage and sang to the back of the house. She knew how to work a stage! In the finale she sang out, Rose as a star. Terrific Merman number. The audience applauded and as written Rose finishes her song and hears applause and begins taking bows to her imaginary audience, as the actual house thunders on with appreciation. All the Roses since do it that way, it works, with not a lot of platitudes laid on it. Then Louise enters, show ends.

The show ran, closed. Later, came a film, time passing, a revival and the property as Holy Writ took wings. Make of that what you will.

In any production I see, I miss the strobe lighting effect for the “growing up” of the kids/chorus/Newsboys. And the strippers? My Tessie Tura should really be older, wisened, jaded and looking like she has been around the block; Electra I like to see as young, sweet and experienced, Mazappa brash and ballsy. The three make a good visual.

Come Tony time Ms. McDonald nd Ms. Scherzinger iwill be toe to toe. Tough call. Not a lock for either.

A link would be helpful. I agree that Merman communicates gutsiness. Basically most of the song was shouted at the top of her lungs, so there wasn't much communication of the complexity of Rose's personality. However, undoubtedly every single person in the theater would have heard every word, and that is important. She is dreadfully sharp by the last note of the song, but overall, I'd still give it an A for clarity and gustiness. Rosalind Russell was a much better actress than Merman, so the lead up to Rose's turn (and the aftermath) was very moving in the film version, but of course, she couldn't really sing, so the song was dubbed. Somewhere on youtube there is a compendium of different versions of Rose's turn by different singers/ actresses. It's very instructive to watch it.

[quote]Come Tony time Ms. McDonald nd Ms. Scherzinger iwill be toe to toe. Tough call. Not a lock for either.

Maybe whoever has the least absences should win.

Or the nicest toes.

There is really no equivalence in what they are doing. Scherzinger is posing and creating moments of surprising vocal effects and audacious poses. McDonald is creating a character from the text, her experience and talent, and the director’s vision. Both approaches win Tonys, but there is no world in which these two performers are doing the same thing.