Photo Flash: First Look at GYPSY, Now Playing at Northwestern

The Dolphin Show, America's largest student-produced musical, proudly announces GYPSY as the 74th Annual Dolphin Show. GYPSY is to be directed by School of Communications senior Aaron Simon Gross and produced by School of Communication seniors Brandon Nadig and Alexandra Wolfe, with support from a cast and team of over 150 Northwestern University students. GYPSY will run for five performances (with one being pay-what-you-decide) from January 22nd through January 30th in Cahn Auditorium, with tickets going on sale to the general public on November 30th.

GYPSY, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents, opened on Broadway in May of 1959. GYPSY is loosely based on the memoirs of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and follows the story of Louise Hovick who is used by her mother Rose as means into the competitive and dazzling world of vaudeville, always playing second-fiddle to her more talented sister June. When a night's dream validates Rose's desire to escape the quiet mundanity of small-town life, Louise and June are taken on the road, hurdling across America without turning back. The electricity of change radiates in the air as the 20s meld into the 30s, vaudeville falls into burlesque, and shy Louise transforms into the burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee. Revived on Broadway four times, GYPSY is often considered the greatest American musical theatre achievement of the 20th century. Audiences will enjoy a tantalizing look into the show's affectionate yet daring take on the grittiness of show business life and the forging of identity within a newly liberated environment while at the same time revelling in its brassy, timeless score.

The cast of GYPSY includes Northwestern students Jessie Klueter, Alex Getlin, Garrett Hanson, Grace Kennedy, Benton Bailey, Anna Basile, Jessie Pinnick, Talia Weingarten, Andrew Harlan, Michael Kelleher, Sam Shankman, Bradley Smith, Drew Tanabe, Alex Gold, Daniel Liu, Justin Tepper, Nathan Villa, Kaja Burke-Williams, Delaney Burlingame, Janie Dickerson, Justine Gelfman, Mary Godby, Hannah Merens, Megan Orticelli, Rachel Stamler-Jonas, and Abby Weissman.

The Dolphin Show is proud to be bringing this powerful musical to life on the Cahn Auditorium stage in 2016. Since beginning as a swimming-pool fundraiser for the Dolphin Club in 1940, The Dolphin Show has produced over 70 musicals with teams of over 150 passionate Northwestern students each year, quickly making a name for itself as America's largest student produced musical. Since its humble beginnings, The Dolphin Show has remained a staple in the Northwestern and Chicagoland communities with its high production value, dedicated design teams, and talented casts of preprofessional student performers.

This is an exciting year for The Dolphin Show, marking the 4th time GYPSY has appeared on the Northwestern stage and thus making it the most produced musical in The Dolphin Show history. Dolphin's past productions have featured notable alumni such as David Schwimmer, Brian D'Arcy James, former Miss America Kate Shindle and many more. The 74th Annual Dolphin Show is looking forward to getting alumni involved with the production and bringing the Dolphin family back to campus to make yet another splash.

Photos by Justin Barbin