Flashback to fireworks, onstage and off!

Happy Summer Flashback Friday, everyone! This is a fun flashback - I loved seeing this show, both at City Center and again when it moved to Broadway.  What a show!  What a cast!  A great memory (and I can't believe it's nine years ago already!)...

7/22/07:  Hi.  Saw Gypsy Tuesday night at City Center and had a grand time.  It’s just a beautifully written show (contrary to the opinion of the idiots sitting behind me; seriously, you can't say you're a theater lover and then try to tell me this isn't one of the best American musicals ever written).  This production is terrifically cast and wonderfully performed.  It’s the perfect summer getaway show—I had a smile on my face from start to finish.  Well, except of course for the scenes where I was crying or couldn’t breathe.

Patti was phenomenal.  From start to finish, a roller coaster Rose.  But so real.  And her singing was amazing.  I didn’t catch any of the mush mouth stuff that people frequently bring up as a criticism of her work.  She found some new stuff in Rose that I hadn’t seen before, and I’ve seen this show at least ten times over the years.  In fact, all of the actors found new shadings I’d never seen before, much to my happiness.

I will say, though, that even though I love Patti, and found her wonderful in this production, I feel the audience took their Patti-love a little too far.  The sustained applause for her at her entrance was a little much—ok, we all know people LOVE her, but let the skit get rolling for heaven’s sake! She’ll know you love her without stopping the show.  And the standing ovation during “Rose’s Turn”?  Again, a little much.  I want to see how she flows OUT of this amazing number into her last scene, and it’s hard to do, let alone see, when there are people standing and applauding and screaming.  I hate to curb people’s responses, but show the love during the curtain call, people!  I’m just not a fan of SOs during performances.  Never have been, never will be.  There was actually an interesting story in the Times recently about this development. I’ll try to find it, if people are interested.

Back to the review.  Before this production, I thought Jonathan Hadary was the best Herbie I’d ever seen, but my goodness, Boyd Gaines just rocks.  From the very first scene, you get this palpable sense of the physical and emotional connection between Rose and Herbie. Plus, his genial sense of humor combined with a steely center of affection for Rose and her girls makes him a formidable presence alongside Patti.   You just really feel that this is an unshakeable relationship, until Rose does the unthinkable in the burlesque house.  You get the same kick in the gut that Herbie does as he walks out.  Boyd is really wonderful.

I also really liked Laura Benanti, whose casting made me think "huh?".  Her “Little Lamb” was lovely, very moving, and the strip sequence was terrific.  I was also really blown away by her in the last scene with her mother.  Really really wonderful stuff that, again, I’ve never really seen explored in quite that way before.  And I LOVED the gal playing Dainty June. Her name is Leigh Ann Larkin and I am going to keep an eye on her next move.  She was just great.  Wow!  What a radically different interpretation of that character!  But so logical that you wonder why I haven’t seen it done this way before!  Plus, it’s really incredible how the kids are planting the seeds of their adult counterpoints performances in the beginning of the show.  Arthur Laurents has done a terrific job of directing, yet again. It was the same Gypsy we want to see, yet different.  Wonderful. 

Oh, and the fantabulous trio of strippers, Marilyn Caskey, Alison Fraser and Nancy Opel? Sublime.  And I got teary-eyed AGAIN at one of my favorite pieces of stagecraft ever—when the strobe lights go and the kids dance off and the adults dance on.  I just love that. It’s such a perfect theatrical moment.  It almost always makes me cry.  I’m such a softie.

I also loved seeing one of my very early boyfriends (who is distressingly old and makes me feel ancient), Bill Raymond, as Rose’s FATHER.  Argh.  I am truly getting old.  But he was very good, as expected.

The house wasn’t full, so you could probably get in, if you have a mind to.  I’ve heard that tickets are up at TKTS right before showtime.  I was in the mezzanine and there were lots of seats available, contrary to City Center’s ‘sold out’ reports.  I’m just saying. You’ll have a good time—honest!

p.s.  OH, and I almost forgot the best part!  Well, not the BEST part, but it was so cool—when I came out of the theater and was walking to the R train at 57th Street, there were fireworks going off in Central Park!  I don’t know why, but I got to stand and see some fireworks! Which seemed pretty apropos after seeing the fireworks that were on stage at City Center. Whee!