Here She Is, World: On The 'Gypsy' Broadway Revival
I attended the first preview of Audra McDonald in 'Gypsy' on Thursday. Here are my thoughts.
At the first preview of the "Gypsy" revival on Thursday, the audience was understandably filled with theater kids, critics, and general Broadway lovers. Which am I? Well, I’m not a theater kid; I can’t act and don’t try. I’ve written plays, and I got to spend time with grown-up theater kids when my novel was adapted into a film in 2016 (including meeting the venerable Nathan Lane!) I do love the giddy energy and talent of thespians. So I generally fall into the third category: Ardent Fan.
I bought tickets for the first preview because my mom, who nurtured my love of Broadway, passed away this year. She introduced me to “Gypsy” when I was young and would have loved for me to go. It was fitting to take my own kids to see it, especially on its first night.
For the uninitiated, the show is based on the memoirs of writer, actress, and stripper Gypsy Rose Lee. It’s a story of a stage mom pushing her kids to live out her own dream of stardom, and pushing everything else aside (including school and relationships) to get there. It debuted on the big stage in 1959 and has been revived several times.
The Sondheim lyrics still find their way into modern pop culture. If you have older kids, you may have heard them listening to lines from “Rose’s Turn” on TikTok: “Allll that work and what did it get me…” In fact, the “Glee” version went viral this year, hitting the Billboard charts for TikTok (yes, there is such a thing).
So despite the fact that Gypsy was a stripper — an intellectual and clever one, at that — the play is an acceptable First Broadway Experience for older kids.
The Mistake
One of the delights on Thursday night was seeing how well the cast and crew recovered from a technical glitch. This was something I learned long ago is a crucial part of theater, seamlessly handling a setback.
During the first half of the show, an actress was about to pick up the phone. A male voice carefully enunciated, "We are experiencing technical difficulties." She quickly said, in character, "I'll call you back" and left the stage, causing the crowd to roar. I thought this was all part of the play and looked around to figure out why everyone was laughing. They were savvy folks.
The auditorium and stage remained relatively quiet for at least five minutes. A man sitting behind me excitedly told his friends, “I’ve never been to a show that was ‘held’!” I had to look this up on my phone during intermission. A show is held when the crew has a problem to resolve, and everyone tries to stay in place until it’s fixed. Hey, that’s what previews are for, right? (The show opens Dec. 19.)
But that was the only time the momentum stopped — and it fact, it seemed to loosen everyone up, because after that the pace quickened. The show builds to a crescendo: Mama Rose has long pinned her hopes on “Baby June” to be a star, but when the baby grows up and quits the act, the pressure falls on Rose Louise, the eventual “Gypsy Rose Lee.” Along the way, we’re amused at the campy acts Mama comes up with, particularly Caroline, the dancing cow who moos in the mooooonlight.
Here are the 5 takeaways from the new revival:
1. Phenomenal singing and dancing, of course. It’s Audra McDonald! Everything’s comin’ up roses. She belts it out. Danny Burstein was perfect as earnest Herbie. Joy Woods and Jordan Tyson were wonderful as Gypsy and June, particularly with so many rapid-fire costume changes. I also enjoyed the fancy footwork of Kevin Csolak as Tulsa.
2. Ch-ch-changes? When the “colorblind” casting was announced, some wondered whether the show should address racial issues and challenges. From what I could tell, the play didn’t change much (I haven’t seen it since childhood). There may have been a line added here and there that I missed.
3. Location: The reopened Majestic, a Schubert theater, is quite beautiful. Even the bathrooms were gorgeous. Take a powder if you can.
4. Family friendly? Wondering if you should bring the kids? I would recommend it for older kids; the younger ones probably won’t know what’s going on. Prep them a little by talking about the Depression, Vaudville shows giving way to “talkies,” et. al. I had to look at the history of the show myself to learn a little more background.
5. The end: My only quibble: I would have liked to linger in Gypsy’s world a little longer. When she finally comes into her own, there’s such a wonderful set of scenes with subtle percussion. It’d be enjoyable to have more of her witty banter. But on the flip side, the ending is absolutely touching and unforgettable.
This isn’t a review and I wouldn’t be qualified to give one, but I like writing about what I love. So take what I’ve said with a grain of salt, and then steal the salt shaker — because that’s what Mama Rose would do.
Let Audra entertain you, and leave comments below telling me what you think. Go get some tickets here. (You can try the promo code GIMMICK; it works sometimes.)