GYPSY to Open at Palo Alto Players in September

Palo Alto Players will open its landmark 95th season with the Broadway classic GYPSY. Suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, GYPSY is a dazzling Broadway hit that captivates with its electrifying performances and unforgettable music. This high-energy, multi-Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of Rose, an ambitious mother who will stop at nothing to make her daughters stars, even as her own dreams slip further away. Directed by Janie Scott (Players’ Matilda, Chicago and The Addams Family) and featuring a cast of 29 Bay Area actors (and one adorable pup).

Regarded by many as the finest musical ever created, GYPSY follows the coming-of-age story of Gypsy Rose Lee alongside her commanding and demanding stage mother, Rose. Set all across America in the 1920s and 30s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born, this landmark show explores the world of two-bit show business with brass, humor, heart, and sophistication. The celebrated score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim boasts one glorious hit after another, including “Everything's Coming Up Roses,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Some People,” and “You Gotta Get A Gimmick.” Critics rave, “I've always had only one choice in the category of favorite musical. It is GYPSY” (Frank Rich, The New York Times).

GYPSY is suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, and features a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
“I’m beyond excited for our production of GYPSY, one of the most iconic and emotionally powerful American musicals of all time,” said Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein. “Our cast is absolutely extraordinary, and our creative team—led by the incomparable Janie Scott—is bringing bold vision and passion to every moment. Whether it’s their first time seeing this legendary show or their hundredth, I can’t wait for audiences to experience the magic we’re creating together at the Lucie Stern Theater.”

GYPSY is directed by Janie Scott, with choreography by Michael Saenz, and music direction and vocal direction by Amanda Ku. Director Janie Scott (she/her) is a veteran director and choreographer who has directed numerous Palo Alto Players hits, including Matilda, A Christmas Story, Rock of Ages, The Addams Family, The Little Mermaid, and more. Scott’s professional performing career, working directly under the guidance of many of Broadway’s most notable musical theatre directors, composers, and choreographers, including Harold Prince and Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along), Trevor Nunn (CATS), and Michael Bennett (A Chorus Line), has greatly influenced her directing and choreographic style. She has directed and choreographed across the country for regional, summer stock, and industrials, as well as co-choreographing the Broadway production of Merrily We Roll Along.