I am hard-pressed to think of a better holiday gift for musical theater fans than the lavish, fresh, and genuinely thrilling new Broadway revival of the classic 1959 musical “Gypsy” starring six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald as the relentless stage mother Rose Hovick and directed by George C. Wolfe. This marks the first show to play the Majestic Theatre following the final performance of “The Phantom of the Opera” last year.
I had questioned whether there was a genuine need for a new production of “Gypsy,” especially following the 2003 revival with Bernadette Peters, directed by Sam Mendes, and the 2008 revival with Patti LuPone, directed by the late Arthur Laurents.
But here’s the thing: “Gypsy” is, if not necessarily the greatest musical ever written (as many believe it is, including its lyricist, the late Stephen Sondheim), it is definitely among the best and worth bringing back for a new generation, especially with an amazing performer like McDonald playing Rose and a full-size orchestra performing the original orchestrations of the Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim score, including its unbeatable overture.
Compared to her many illustrious predecessors in the role, McDonald gives an emotionally raw, full-bodied performance as Rose. For the record, I saw LuPone in “Gypsy” at least eight times. LuPone was sensational, but her performance always felt more like an extension of her persona than a distinct character. McDonald, on the other hand, completely gives herself over to the role. It might take multiple viewings of the production to appreciate all of her character choices. McDonald also reinterprets the role vocally by injecting her soprano voice into the solos.
Burstein, one of the most beloved character actors in musical theater, portrays Herbie, Rose’s supportive boyfriend, as tenderhearted yet struggling and increasingly worn down. As the neglected daughter Louise, Joy Woods (recently of “The Notebook”) is impressively understated, fragile as Louise, and then regal when transformed into the striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee. Another standout is Lesli Margherita, who gives a uniquely kooky take on the stripper Tessie Tura.
This is the first Broadway revival of “Gypsy” to not use the original choreography of Jerome Robbins, including for the memorable scene transition in which young Louise and June are replaced by older versions of themselves. Camille A. Brown’s dynamic new choreography adds movement to unexpected spots in the musical, including the “Garden of Eden” sequence at Minsky’s Burlesque.
The use of full scenic design (by Santo Loquasto) is also welcomed. By comparison, the 2008 Broadway revival was essentially done in concert format, with the orchestra onstage.
A fascinating feature of this production (that will surely receive much analysis in the future) is how it uses race in the casting. This is not a “colorblind” production. Rather, in addition to casting McDonald (who is the first Black actress to play Rose on Broadway), Wolfe uses the races of other performers in the cast to suggest that McDonald’s Rose aspires to achieve white identity in the same way that she desperately seeks stage stardom for her children.
However, the text has not been altered to explicitly support this thesis, leaving the racial subtext as an intriguing but peripheral layer to an otherwise outstanding production of one of the greatest musicals. One wonders whether Wolfe intended to develop the concept further and ultimately decided against it, which may have been for the best.
I look forward to seeing “Gypsy” on Broadway again in 2040 – but not before attending this remarkable production at least a few more times.
Majestic Theatre, 247 W. 44th St., gypsybway.com.
