Broadway’s Forceful Mama Takes on Gypsy and Comes Out Smelling Like a Rose

Soccer mom’s got nothing on Mama Rose.

The ultimate stage mother is back on Broadway, this time played by musical theater’s own force of nature, Patti LuPone. Book writer Arthur Laurents directs the revival of Gypsy, his 1959 musical that transferred, principal cast intact, from its City Center Encores! presentation last summer to the St. James Theater on 44th Street. The smaller space heightens the sense of intimacy, quickening the pulse of the production.

Based on the story of real-life stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, the show explores the lengths to which a parent will push her child in an attempt to vicariously satiate her own unrealized dreams. Here, LuPone’s Rose emerges as the patron saint for pushy mothers. She takes some time to build up her momentum, but by the Act One closer, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” she’s barreling through Stephen Sondheim’s notoriously challenging lyrics with an unbridled vigor that she carries through her 11 o’clock number, “Rose’s Turn.” The famed song is itself Tony-worth, mixing urgency with such fierce emotions that you can’t help but root for her. Mama Rose has become known as a career-defining role, and LuPone is certainly no exception to the trend.

In parts that could well have flattened to caricatures over the years, Boyd Gaines as Herbie and Laura Benanti as Rose’s oldest and talent-less daughter Louise both “sing out” to their fullest, giving the characters personality and new life. Gaines and LuPone have palpable chemistry, lending new depth to a relationship sometimes underplayed. Benanti moves seamlessly from shy, neglected child to steamy seductress in the time it takes to make a quick costume change.

Leigh Ann Larkin, in her Broadway debut as Dainty June, Rose’s younger daughter—and the talent in the family—has a voice that soars both on its own and in harmony with Benanti’s superb soprano. She’s not afraid to give June a hint of attitude and diva flair. Tony Yazbek (Tulsa) recreates Jerome Robbins’ original choreography with effortless grace—he is a pleasure to watch. In Act Two, Alison Fraser, Lenora Nemetz, and Marilyn Caskey play three aging burlesque dancers and tackle the show-stopping “Gotta Get a Gimmick” with candid humor.

In the midst of the current trend of small rock bands and scaled-down orchestrations in Broadway scores, Gypsy’s 25-piece on-stage orchestra is at once refreshing and deeply satisfying. Led by conductor Patrick Vaccariello, the overture alone—easily one of the greatest known to musical theater—is something that should not be missed.

Less glowing are the sets by James Youmans. Purposefully created to reflect what Vaudeville and burlesque audiences of the time might actually have seen, they are unfortunately not much to look at. Throughout the show, the sets are relegated to specific corners or portions of the stage, leaving the actors to fill the empty space—they do so successfully. The fake stuffed dog and lamb as well as the giant plastic fish also seem ridiculous next to the other realistic elements. (The 2004 production managed to have live animals.)

While Gypsy may be period, it is far from dated. Now receiving its fourth revival and highly regarded as one of the most iconic American musicals, it continues to prove itself as one of those classics that audiences will welcome time and time again.
Whether you’re talking about Gypsy or Patti LuPone, the statement is equally true: she’s back. And she delivers.