‘GYPSY’: Joy Woods & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

GYPSY
Book by Arthur Laurents
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee
Music supervision, music direction &
additional arrangements by Andy Einhorn
Choreography by Camille A. Brown
Directed by George C. Wolfe
Majestic Theatre
245 W. 45^th St.
https://gypsybway.com
 

By Scott Harrah

It’s six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald’s turn to play the iconic Mama Rose—and she is one of the best yet. 

There’s a reason why Gypsy has been revived five times in the past 30 years: it remains one of the best-written, most seamless American musicals of all time, partially because it’s based on a true story, but primarily due to its unforgettable songbook.  Originally portrayed by Ethel Merman in 1959, the role of Rose is the lifeblood of this classic, and everyone from Angela Lansbury to Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone has played the part on Broadway—and Imelda Staunton in London— since then. Now, Audra McDonald takes on the iconic Seattle stage mother Rose with everything she’s got and gives the character an entirely new “spin.”

A reinvention of Mama Rose

While many actresses played Rose as an edgy, high-spirited belter, Ms. McDonald gives the woman a sense of elegance and inner dignity, singing the classic songs with her famous coloratura voice and, in a sense, reinvents them for a new generation. Rose is as demanding a role in musical theater as Lady Macbeth and Blanche DuBois are in the pantheon of drama, and Ms. McDonald’s interpretation is one of the best yet. The only other outside-of-the-box portrayal of Rose this reviewer has seen was by Imelda Staunton at the Savoy Theatre in London back in 2015.

Ms. Staunton, a petite British acting legend, exploded on the West End with an entirely original rendition of Rose. “You see her building layer after layer with every scene and song,” wrote the late David Nounou in his 2015 StageZine review. “She is raw and vulnerable; she is coiled like a cobra ready to strike, and all wrapped up in a veil of desperation to succeed.”

Fragile & vulnerable

However, while Ms. Staunton’s Rose was manic—as was Patti LuPone’s in the 2008 Broadway revival—Ms. McDonald is more subtle but equally powerful. Hers is a Rose that gains gradual momentum, bossy in the beginning, but with a touch of class. Ms. McDonald paces Rose with razor-sharp intensity, eventually evolving into an out-of-control harridan who is not exactly likeable.  We see her fragility and vulnerability. When Ms. McDonald sings “Some People” in act one, we know immediately she’s not giving us the brassy Rose of yesteryear. She is softer, gentler and more operatic in her vocal delivery, and it works beautifully. She is also sublime indeed when singing classic songs like the heartbreaking 11^th hour finale “Rose’s Turn,” and even gives a fresh take on “Have an Eggroll, Mr. Goldstone.” She’s in fine voice when singing such classics as “Together Wherever We Go” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”

Big, bold & splashy

This production is far more lavish than the stripped-down 2008 iteration with Patti LuPone. That revival featured an on-stage orchestra but had few sets and a downsized cast. This Gypsy is truer to the show’s epic proportions of the past. It is a spectacular production, with a cast of 30, a full orchestra, great sets by Santo Loquasto, outstanding Depression-era costumes by Toni-Leslie James and marvelous lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer. This is Gypsy the way it was meant to be: big, bold, splashy and spectacular.

Gypsy is “suggested” by “The Memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee,” the story of the burlesque icon’s childhood life in a traveling vaudeville act, helmed by a domineering mother. Joy Woods is entertaining indeed in role of Louise, the tomboyish child who spends most of act one in the background while her prettier sister Dainty June (Jordan Tyson) headlines the show-within-a-show. It’s not until the second act when June strikes out on her own that Louise truly blossoms as she’s forced by her mother to become the stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

Standout supporting cast

Some of the greatest performances are given by such supporting characters as Herbie (Danny Burstein), Rose’s boyfriend/manager.  Tony Award winner Mr. Burstein is always amazing, but he is one of the best Herbies this reviewer has ever seen. He’s sensitive, determined and is consistently top-notch in both his acting and singing. We really feel for the guy as he clings to the hope that Rose will one day marry him.

Joy Woods as Louise is another standout. She starts out shy and unassuming, but her transformation in the second act as Gypsy Rose Lee is remarkable, even if it seems a bit rushed and awkward. Watching Ms. Woods’ Louise go from a modest, awkward teen to the glamorous Gypsy Rose Lee is delightful, especially when she sings the showstopper “Let Me Entertain You.”

One of the show’s highlights is watching the trio of seasoned strippers in a Wichita burlesque grindhouse (Lesli Margherita as Tessie Tura, Lili Thomas as Mazeppa and Melinda Hull as Electra). The three burlesque queens show Gypsy how to take it all off in the razzle-dazzle number “You’ve Gotta Get a Gimmick.”

One of the greatest show-business stories ever told

However, there is nothing gimmicky about Gypsy. Despite its feel-good songs and breezy narrative, it’s essentially a tragedy as intricately crafted as anything by Shakespeare or the great American dramatists of the 20^th century. Director George C. Wolfe allows each cast member to shine, and Camille A. Brown’s choreography is energetic and effusive.

Gypsy peels back the emotional layers of a mother’s megalomania and strong drive to see her children succeed to expose the vulnerability beneath her iron-clad exterior. It’s a fable of sacrifice, the death of vaudeville in America, and the agony of broken dreams that still packs an emotional punch with new generations of audiences. That’s why more than six decades after it was first produced, Gypsy still holds up as one of the greatest show-business stories ever told.

Published January 9, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on January 8, 2025

‘GYPSY’: Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: Audra McDonald & Joy Woods. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: (left to right) Danny Burstein, Joy Woods & Audra McDonald. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: (left to right) Zachary Daniel Jones, Brendan Sheehan, Audra McDonald, Andrew Kober, Danny Burstein & Jordan Tyson. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: Joy Woods. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: (left to right) Mylinda Hull, Joy Woods, Lesli Margherita & Lili Thomas. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: Zachary Daniel Jones, Tony d’Alelio, Jordan Tyson, Kevin Csolak & Brendan Sheehan. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

‘GYPSY’: Jade Smith. Photo: Julieta Cervantes.

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‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Billy Crystal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

MR. SATURDAY NIGHT
Book by Billy Crystal, Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel
Music by Jason Robert Brown
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Directed by John Rando
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(866-870-2717), https://mrsaturdaynightonbroadway.com/

By David NouNou

Mr. Saturday Night brings back the old-fashioned musical, and I say this in the best sense of the word. The show is structured and framed with a wonderful book that is tailor-made for its leading man/star. It has a pleasant score that can be heard and understood without the overuse of amplified miking and digital backtracking. Here we have simple songs that are sung and not shouted, all to be enjoyed to propel the narrative. A simple show that uses the strengths of its star, in this case Billy Crystal recreating the role of Buddy Young, Jr. from the 1992 movie of the same name.

Set in 1994, Buddy has just finished performing in a retirement home, and his act didn’t go over big. Sitting in his living room watching the 1994 Emmys, he sees his name in the “In Memoriam” segment, and reflects on his life on how it has come to this. Starting in a Catskills hotel as a last-minute replacement for Milton Berle, he becomes a big hit and meets his future wife, Elaine (Randy Graff), both taking place on the same night. That same night his brother, Sam Yankleman (David Paymer, recreating his Oscar nominated-role in this part), met Elaine earlier that evening to go out with her and was also supposed to go on with Buddy as a duo act, but nerves got the best of him. He lost the girl and the act and settled to become Buddy’s manager and gofer.

Buddy became TV’s beloved “Mr. Saturday Night” until temper tantrums and the pressures of the job get to him. He is fired from TV, and his career spirals downward. It affects his relationship with his wife, who plays referee between him and their daughter, Susan (Shoshana Bean), who craves his attention. The brothers have a falling out because Sam has had enough of Buddy’s abuse and moves to Florida. Buddy manages to insult and ostracize everyone in the business, until one day an assistant talent agent, Annie Wells (Chasten Harmon) gets to see Buddy, and gets told off by him. She researches his acts, and things start picking up in some bizarre ways.

As I stated earlier, old-fashioned musicals tailor their material for “The Star” and Billy Crystal, along with Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, have scripted this musical to showcase their star, Billy Crystal, in the best light possible—and shine he does. Mr. Crystal has lived Buddy Young. His delivery of one-liners and his act are among the funniest you’ll hear or see this year. We all loved him as the host of the Oscars for nine years and he brightened many a dreary telecast with his instantaneous impromptu quips. However, here he is Buddy Young Jr., an unlikable character, and I think younger audiences may have difficulty separating the two. Audiences who have been weaned on Mr. Crystal’s movies—City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally, Analyze This and Throw Momma from the Train—have loved him for these “nice guy” roles, but may have trouble accepting this cantankerous Buddy. Younger audiences now marvel over the drama of Phantom of the Opera, the musical diversification of Hamilton, the pageantry of Wicked. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed watching audience reactions and how tastes change. It’s such a pity that audiences today don’t understand Borscht Belt humor and the Jewish/Yiddish sensibility that makes it so hilarious, the gentle side of musicals, and songs that are not necessarily remarkable but sweet to listen to.

There are eight characters in this musical headlined by Mr. Crystal. You can see his heart is invested in the character of Buddy, and his scenes with David Paymer as his brother, when they do their schtick, is truly sidesplitting and their dramatic moments are heartfelt.

Randy Graff, as the long-suffering wife, is a breezy delight. She always tries to make things easier by making a brisket. Shoshana Bean is in excellent voice as Susan, trying to discover her self-worth. Chasten Harmon as Buddy’s ardent agent/believer, can deliver the goods in singing and acting. John Rando, the director, spotlights his casts to perfection. He also oversees three very hard-working actors each playing multiple roles: Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales, and Mylinda Hull.

The show is great fun for an evening in the theatre. Billy Crystal and David Paymer, you both look and are “mah-velous.”

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 5, 2022
Reviewed at May 4, 2022 press performance.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Billy Crystal (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Jordan Gelber, Brian Gonzales & Billy Crystal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Billy Crystal & Jordan Paymer. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Billy Crystal & Shoshana Bean. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Randy Graff & Billy Crystal. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Randy Graff. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Shoshana Bean. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Brian Gonzales, Mylinda Hull & Jordan Gelber. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: David Paymer. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Chasten Harmon. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘MR. SATURDAY NIGHT’: Billy Crystal & Chasten Harmon. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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