Gypsy

We were up in NYC for a few days this week and we saw the current revival of Gypsy at the St. James Theatre. It was superbly well-done, so much better than the 2003 revival that starred Bernadette Peters. Patti LuPone plays Mama Rose this time around and while she is very good in the role I didn't think much of her singing. She was flat much of the time, missing notes all night long, reverting to histrionics during the big numbers, especially "Everything's Coming Up Roses," in order to mask her limitations. Either her voice is ravaged from singing this very difficult part night after night, or she simply doesn't have the chops to pull it off. The audience gave her a rousing standing ovation at the close, which didn't surprise me - we are, after all, living in the age of American Idol, in which histrionics and over-emoting are confused with actual feeling. But I'm being a bit harsh. Ms. Lupone was actually a quite fine Mama Rose, playing the part with great vivaciousness, full of fun, brimming with personality. She makes the role her own. But she simply doesn't sing very well - or at least didn't the night we saw her - so I wasn't completely satisfied and, while we stood cheering her, I wondered if anyone else in the theatre was mildly disappointed too. Turns out the lovely woman sitting next to me shared in my disappointment. But my baby also agreed that it was the only part of the show that was lacking. In every other aspect it was, as I said, superb. The orchestra, the sets, the direction, the pacing, the performances of everyone in the cast (particularly Laura Benanti as Louise), were all just right. And what songs! I've been humming them for the past two days. Gypsy, done right, is the epitome of Broadway musical theatre. This production, done with such verve, does the original justice, in spades. Had Ms. Lupone's singing matched the rest of her performance, and lived up to the standards set in the rest of the show, I might say this was the best thing we've ever seen on Broadway. Catch it if you can.