After seeing the City Centers production I took a listen to the 2003 recording. It reminded me of what an amazing production this was. Who can forget walking into the Shubert and being greeted by that purple striped curtain?! I still get chills thinking about the entire back wall flying up at the end of Rose's Turn. What other memories do you guys have of this production?
I remember feeling as if the director not only misunderstood the musical but actually hated it.
I remember wanting to like Bernadette because I had liked her in the past--LOVED her in Sunday in the Park--but feeling sorry for her because she just couldn't hack it.
Peters' "Rose's Turn" is absolutely thrilling, watching her perform the edited version at the Tonys gives me chills to this day, I particularly love the audience reaction. I find her take on Rose to be winning and spectacular. I'll be seeing LuPone tomorrow but I find Peters to be quite an ideal Rose. I wish her Louise would have been different though.
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
that production was superior in every way to the city center production - hands down, except perhaps lupone vs. bernadette - but who can compare such amazing talents? If we're strictly talking production values and supporting cast, the 2003 revival wins. Anybody else miss the hot pink palm-tree drop for the strip scene? or the giant glitter apple?
I totally think Bernadette was superior to Patti. I loved the "backstage" feel to the '03 production. The way the curtain came up on the stage, bare except for the ghost light. A stagehand came across the stage and put the card in its holder and you watched as the stage hands lowered the set into place. I also loved the way throughout the show you would see random stage crew (in costume) in the flies that were onstage.
I LOVED the Bernadette Gypsy. I thought Peters was sublime and have never understood why people didn't like Tammy Blanchard's Louise. I found it incredibly moving. I've always liked the story but it is Blanchard who made me cry twice (All I Need is the Girl and I'm a Pretty Girl Mama) not to mention being RIGHT there with her as she was doing her first strip... wrenched my heart strings... to each their own though!
"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"
My memories of Gypsy are Bernadette being absolutely wonderful in the role. Her Rose's Turn was absolutly heartbreaking and beautiful and she took us on a wonderful journey. I saw it twice and it still remains one of my favorite Broadway memories. Updated On: 7/24/07 at 01:58 AM
Bernadette was superb, and Tammy Blanchard turned in a sensational performance as Louise, but the production itself was seriously lacking. Also, John Dossett's Herbie was disappointing and the strippers really phoned it in.
"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe."
-John Guare, Landscape of the Body
If we're strictly talking production values and supporting cast, the 2003 revival wins.
The 2003 Revival cannot be fairly compared in production values to the City Center mounting. The 2003 Revival was a full fledged open-ended commercial Broadway production with a HUGE Broadway budget. The City Center mounting is a 3-week limited engagement put on by a non-profit.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
There were a lot of problems with the '03 Gypsy, but it still proved to be a very enjoyable show.
Sam Mendes' bare-bones (yet very set-piece heavy) staging didn't go over well with Arthur Laurents (go figure!).
Kate Reinders tried to play June edgy (by having her pull out a cigg and light up during the 'If Momma Were Married' scene), and failed (successful playing of June edgy: Leigh Ann Larken.)
Dossett and Blanchard were very good, but overshadowed by Peters (who really was, as Ben Brantley called her, "blissfully brilliant"). Superb and sexy, she really showcased why she's a theatrical legend. Too bad that Riedel destroyed her for getting sick during previews.
I had the opportunity to see both Peters and her standby, the great Maureen Moore (who went on for a week or so in previews), and, despite how much I liked Peters later in the run, Moore was better. Moore deserved that standing O after Rose's Turn.
Just as an aside, was the show still running when Bernadette's husband died? Updated On: 7/24/07 at 09:55 AM
I thoroughly enjoyed the 2003 revival and am glad that someone started an appreciation thread. I am so grateful that I was able to see the show 6 times and witness the brillant performances of John, Tammy and especially Bernadette. They each added something new to the role. I'd also like to add that in my opinion the strippers were much MUCH better than the ones at City Center. Opel's Mazzeppa had no character what-so-ever while Buddeke, Halston and Lee were unique in their portrayals.
Also, I wasn't on broadwayworld.com when the revival was around so any elaboration on how the production itself was inadequete would be greatly appreciated.
Yankee, GYPSY had been closed a few years already when Bernadette's husband died.
"Winning a Tony this year is like winning Best Attendance in third grade: no one will care but the winner and their mom."
-Kad
"I have also met him in person, and I find him to be quite funny actually. Arrogant and often misinformed, but still funny."
-bjh2114 (on Michael Riedel)
I have to agree. Though I am a very big fan of Patti Lupone and I think she does a great job in the City Center Production (her voice is amazing), Bernadette Peters was a force of nature in the 2003 production. She became Rose, she wasn't Peters appearing as Rose! I also agree that the strippers were hysterical in the 2003 production and that the City Center strippers, except for Gansky who has made Electra her own, are conventional and boring! Boyd Gaines is a great Herbie and Benanti is the best Louise I've seen but Blanchard was very moving as Louise as well! All in all, I find lots to admire about both productions.
I'm sorry, but I'm just about in love with David Burtka's voice on All I Need Is The Girl. Why do all the hot ones have to be taken ... I would've LOVED to have seen this production, but I've only gotten into the theatre seen really recently.
Gangway, world, get off of my runway. - Mama Rose, Gypsy
A bird cage I plan to hang,
I'll get to that someday...
A bird cage for a bird who flew away
Around the world. - Edie, Grey Gardens