By Harry Forbes
It was only a matter of time before Audra McDonald would join the distinguished line of post-Ethel Merman interpreters of that arguably most demanding of leading lady musical roles -- Rose, the ultimate stage mother -- and she is, as you would expect, quite superb.
Though it scarcely seems so long, it has already been 18 years since the first-rate Patti LuPone revival, so this latest one is not premature. And director George C. Wolfe’s production is a fine one across the board. Intriguingly, the advance publicity made clear that, far from color blind casting, McDonald would be playing Rose pointedly as a black woman, with her children Gypsy and June presumably of mixed race parentage. I wondered how that would be conveyed apart from the actual casting, or how the conceit might impact the integrity of the original Arthur Laurents’ book.
But, as it happens, nothing’s been altered in the script, and race doesn’t overtly figure in any of the plot turns, even on a subliminal level. (Rose’s machinations to get her kids booked meets the standard impediments, but race isn’t one of them.) Still, this is not color blind casting for McDonald indeed plays the role as a scrappy black woman with the pointed vocal inflections of a woman of a certain class and era. And in so doing, she creates a unique characterization unlike other Roses we’ve seen, and reminding us yet again of what a potent actress she is even apart from her lustrous voice.
Vocally, McDonald’s trained soprano voice might not seem the ideal fit for the belting Rose, and some of her register shifts are a tad disconcerting at first. But, for the most part, she sings in a chest voice, only morphing into purer soprano tones on the highest notes.
“Rose’s Turn” is delivered with tremendous ferocity earning a deserved ovation, but she also scores delightfully in the lighter moments like “Have an Egg Roll, Mr. Goldstone,” and “Together, Wherever We Go.”
She’s got strong support from Danny Burstein, brilliant as Herbie, the manager who loves her, and provides the family with a temporary semblance of stability. And Joy Woods, so impressive in last season’s CSC revival of “I Can Get It For You Wholesale,” makes an ideal Gypsy, sweet and awkwardly self-effacing in the early scenes, luscious as the strip tease artist she becomes.
The three strippers who instruct novice Gypsy with “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” are among the best, and the number, familiar as it may be, comes out freshly minted. Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas, and Mylinda Hull wring every ounce of humor out of the number as Tessie Tura, Mazeppa, and Electra.
And Kevin Csolak is a sensational Tulsa, delivering one of the best versions of “All I Need is the Girl.” Camille A. Brown eschews the sacrosanct Jerome Robbins choreography for her own and her work in this number and throughout is terrific.
Baby June (Jade Smith at my performance) was surely the most acrobatic within memory, and she morphs neatly into Jordan Tyson’s older June. Tyson’s “If Momma Was Married” duet with Woods is another highpoint. Elsewhere, though I felt both Junes were at times undercut by Wolfe’s exaggerated staging of their numbers.
Andy Einhorn leads his forces in a polished account of score, though I must confess I thought the famous overture was a tad short of pizzazz. On the other hand, audience members at my performance yakked all the way through it, so perhaps the blame lies there.
Santo Loquasto’s set deftly handles all the scenes from Rose’s father’s Seattle house to the elaborate Minsky set piece of Gypsy’s strip. Toni-Leslie James’ costumes are spot on, and Mia Neal’s hair and wig design, Jules Fisher + Peggy Eisenthauer’s lighting, and Scott Lehrer’s sound are top of the line.
(Majestic Theatre, 245 W 44th Street; GypsyBway.com)
Photo by Julieta Cervantes: (l. - r.) Audra McDonald & Joy Woods
