Loretta Boyle to Lead GYPSY for Phoenix Productions

Loretta Boyle will be playing a lead role in Phoenix Productions' upcoming September revival of Gypsy. This show will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank for a two-weekend run beginning September 16th.

Loretta is a well-known actor and member of the Manasquan community. She is a drama director and teacher for St. Veronica's School in Howell, as well as St. John Academy High School in Staten Island, NY. This is her debut with Phoenix, but has been seen locally with the Spring Lake Theatre company in roles such as Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and Smitty in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

In Gypsy, Loretta plays Momma Rose, the ultimate stage mother who lives her life through her daughters. She is loud, brash, and pushy, but her exterior conceals a vulnerable and appealing psyche."She regrets all the things she didn't become so she is determined to make her favored daughter, June, a star. When that didn't turn out as planned, she made it her objective to make her daughter Louise a star," explains Loretta, who tackles the character with poise and tact. Instead of imitating iconic performers like Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone, who also revived this role, Loretta makes it her mission to keep it as true to historical accuracy as possible. "It is my responsibility to portray her as authentically as possible, and I think we can all relate to Rose's flaw of wanting to be noticed. However, Rose stops at nothing to achieve her objective, and gets wrapped up in it to the point of the extreme."

Referred to as the greatest American musical by many critics, Gypsy is the ultimate true story about an aggressive stage mother. Join Rose, June and Louise in their trip across the United States during the 1920's, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born. Jule Styne's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics include lots of unforgettable standards like "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "You Gotta Get a Gimmick", "Together Wherever We Go,"and, of course, "Let Me Entertain You".

Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm, with its run concluding on September 25th. Tickets are available at the Count Basie Theatre Box Office and can be purchased in person at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, N.J, by phone at 732-842-9000, or online at www.countbasietheatre.org .

Phoenix Productions is a non-profit community theatre organization that has produced more than a hundred full-scale revivals of Broadway musicals since 1988. For more information on Phoenix Productions or upcoming shows, please visit www.phoenixredbank.com