REVIEW: MAF’s GYPSY: Louise’s Turn

Much has been written about Gypsy – it is generally considered one of the greatest musical ever written, and has been revived on Broadway three times since its debut in the late 1950’s.  It was designed as a vehicle for Ethel Merman (and similarly skewed for Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters in the revivals) who played not the title character, Gypsy Rose Lee, but her mother, Rose.  In each of those productions (and to varying degrees of success) Rose dominates the proceedings; she is a one-woman volcano/hurricane/tornado/earthquake, the mother or all stage mothers, and a monster to a degree, stepping over anyone and anything in her way.  Underneath it all, Mama Rose also had heart and a certain amount of sympathy.  Who can really blame a mother for wanting the best for her kids?  On the other hand, how can you like a woman who favors one child over another, and does absolutely everything she does for at least  partially self-serving reasons?  Yes, Mama Rose is one complex character, and ladies of the American musical theatre often think of that role as her King Lear or Willy Loman.

The Gypsy that opened at the Maryland Arts Festival last weekend still has a strong Mama Rose – more about her later.  But this production has what may be a first for the show.  It has a Louise (Gypsy Rose Lee) and a Herbie (Rose’s would-be lover) that are equally strong, which changes the dynamic of the show completely, and to wonderous effect.  Finally, we have a Gypsy that is as much about Rose as it is about her world-famous daughter.  Some of the credit for this is due to director/choreographer Todd Pearthree, who has given us a typical Gypsy – not much new directorial ground is covered here in terms of staging or concept, which is NOT a negative criticism in this case, and a ground-breaking Gypsy by allowing the characterizations by his actors bring out a new, previously unseen layer to this rich, tight book and score.  However, most of the credit here is due to the actors playing the principal roles: Tiffany Walker Porta as Rose, Michael Himelfarb as Herbie, and the brilliant star-turn of Kathryn M. Lyles as Louise.  Each plays with a layered approach that brings out much needed and rarely seen depth to each of the characters.

Mr. Himelfarb has taken what has often been portrayed as a weak sap (think Amos Hart of Chicago), railroaded by Rose, and generally emasculated, and turned him into a manly father figure, whose final blow up with Rose comes across at last as a final straw rather than a feeble attempt at finally having a backbone.  His Herbie has a backbone all along, but he is smart enough to know when to flex his muscle and when to blend in.  One gets the real sense that this Herbie really runs things and knows how to play Rose like a fiddle.  One also never doubts his awe, respect and love for Rose – he sees through all the tirades and pushiness.  But finally, we have a Herbie you don’t feel sorry for, but rather you understand and genuinely like.  So much so, that I wanted to run up there and knock Madame Rose in the head for being so stupid as to let this man go!  Himelfarb not only acts the role well, but does a nice job with his songs and dances.

Ms. Walker Porta has very ably taken on the behemoth role of Rose.  She has a great, belty voice, and a magnificent presence.  You almost feel sorry for the poor lugs who try and get in her way, and she gives Rose just enough warmth throughout that you root for her, even though you know her methods are sketchy at best.  From the opening, she comes on like gangbusters – her rapid-fire delivery is nearly maddening, and threatens to become tedious until you begin to realize that this Rose is scared and shockingly desperate.  You can see it in her face.  And you can tell she must be thinking, “If I talk fast and loud enough, and don’t stop no one can ever stop me.”  This Rose, you sense, really knows in her heart that the product she is peddling isn’t that great, but if she sells it as great, people will buy it.  And they do.  Over and over.  Her Rose is also achingly oblivious to those who care about her.  Yes, that element has always been in the script, but here it is a major plot point.  And you can’t reconcile with yourself whether to pity her oblivion (Herbie is a catch, Rose!) or be outraged by it (her mistreatment of Baby/Dainty Louise or her exploitation of Baby/Dainty June would today be called child abuse).  And Ms. Walker Porta has the great fortune to end each act with classic showstoppers, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and the greatest musical theatre aria ever written, “Rose’s Turn”.  In fine voice, and even finer acting, she does a marvelous job with both, though I think she actually peaks in act two in the scene just before “Rose’s Turn,” which takes some of the bite out of it.  But that is a minor quibble.

It is Kathryn Lyles as Louise that is a revelation in this production, however.  Too often the role is played as a two-noter – one note is mousy, quiet Louise, the other is brassy Gypsy Rose Lee.  Miss Lyles, however, finds amazing levels in the character, and does some amazing, yes, brilliant, work here.  This is a genuine actress in the role, chosen not for her ability to strip or blend in, but for being able to do both believably and painfully and frighteningly.  One need only watch her face to know that so much is going on in Louise’s head as she desperately clings to the most meager scraps of attention her mother gives her.  And her performance during “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” in which she doesn’t utter a word or sing a note is compelling, moving and heartbreaking.  Here, Louise finally has a shot at some love and attention and within seconds it is gone, faster than her sister’s departure.  However, it is in act two, in the final scenes, where she transforms from Louise to Gypsy that Lyles pulls out all the stops and delivers a tour de force performance.  For once, when this scene is played, you don’t feel like Louise is just finally giving it back to Rose.  Here, you can see that she is not only standing up to her mother, but is turning every rotten thing the mother ever did to her right back to Rose.  Her bite and anguish at finally releasing all of the hurt and anger she has bottled up rolls out like a tidal wave that for once Rose can’t escape.  Rose’s turn, indeed.  Louise finally gets her due in this production, and those final moments in this production are breathtaking and freshly powerful.  Lyles is an actress to look for, folks.  This girl is going places.

It has been said that actors should never appear onstage with kids or animals.  Well, here both kids and animals (a very cute dog, and several very cute children) take the stage, but never over run it or pull the focus from where it should be.  And both Hannah Rosenthal (Baby June) and Dana Dreyfuss (Baby Louise) have propelled child actors into the upper echelons in this production.  Both are cute but never annoying, both resist mugging or scenery chewing and have the same depth of character as their grown counterparts.  Lauren Spencer-Harris (late of Toby’s Millie) does a great turn as Dainty June, and delivers the best line of the evening when asked how old she is, and she says, “Nine.”  And her duet with Lyles, “If Momma Was Married” is a highlight of act one.  As Tulsa, the Newsboy/Farmboy with aspirations, Kevin Korczynski does a marvelous dance with a spotlight in “All I need is the Girl”.  The sublime look of joy on his face as he dances and fantasizes about a life outside vaudeville is yet another example of the quality of acting this production has from top to bottom.  The other adult sized Newsboys/Farmboys (Chris Jehnert, Jesse Frank and Mark Melton) also do fine work, making the most of their characters and singing and dancing with glee.  One wishes the script called for them to have more to do.  Finally, as the world-weary, seen-it-all burlesque girls, Electra, Mazeppa and Tessie Tura (Tammy Crisp, Lanor Long and Lynda McClary, respectively) do a fine job with “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” – they are at once hysterically funny and heartbreaking.

What makes all of this so powerful is the directorial choices of Mr. Pearthree, who has wisely chosen to not over conceptualize and pretty much do a standard staging of the show.  In this case, “standard” heightens the drama, and lets the musical numbers exist in their near-perfect world.  However, what concept has been imposed on this production is unevenly successful, and is really the only detractor from it.  For example, successfully, it is designed (sets by Ruben Arana Downs, lights by Gregg Hillmar, costumes by Georgia O. Baker) so that we can see the theatricality of the piece.  We can see in the wings, we watch the characters act as stagehands, etc.  All of this gives the performance a theatrical quality that allows us to forgive the inherently unreal quality of a musical, and enhances the theatrical nature of the lives of the characters.  Unsuccessfully, the relative ugliness of the set itself only points out the ugly side of the themes, but never softens or is pretty enough, even in a fake show-bizzy way, to show even a hint of glamour.  And dominating over everything is a gigantic (and out of place amateur quality for an otherwise professional job) vacancy sign which appears to have been hand painted hours before curtain, and light up letters that say ROOMS.  I know Rose and troupe go from place to place, cheesy hotel to cheesy hotel, but vacant rooms don’t dominate their lives, going from theatre to theatre (in increasingly decrepit states, mind you) does dominate.  So why not have of marquees in the back?  And they could still light up to spell ROSE at the end…  Finally, it must be said that the orchestra, under the guidance of Phillip Collister and R. Timothy McReynolds is superb.  And sound designer John Suchy has done an excellent job with sound.  Even though there is a full orchestra between the actors and the audience, and the theatre is cave-like, you never miss a single word or lyric.  Fortunately what is going on in front of this comparatively ugly stage is a beautifully acted, sung and played musical.

With both Gypsy and Beehive running, the Maryland Arts Festival offers its audiences two terrific evenings of theatre.  Don’t miss this Gypsy, though.  It is a masterpiece of the American Musical Theatre, and a damned fine production for MAF.  Gypsy continues through July 22^nd.  The schedule of performances and times varies widely.  Go to www.towson.edu/maf or call 410-704-2787 for details and reservations, which I strongly recommend.