AUDRA MCDONALD GIVES US A POWERFUL MAMA ROSE
BUT IS IT A SUITABLE INTERPRETATION?
Gypsy is a great show. Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim wrote a justly iconic score, and Arthur Laurents’ book is one of his best. Ever since Ethel Merman opened the show with “I Have a Dream” back in 1959, various divas have tackled the part of Mama Rose, the quintessential stage mother fighting to make her two girls stars during the last throes of Vaudeville. These include Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone.
Joy Woods & Audra McDonald
So it should be no surprise that the 6-time Tony winner and mezzo-soprano Audra McDonald would finally step up to the plate. Even though some may find her not altogether convincing as Rose, the latest revival of Gypsy which opened last night at the Majestic, directed by George C. Wolfe, is a fine production.
Danny Burstein, Joy Woods & Audra McDonald
Danny Burstein has all the charm and forbearance necessary for the long-suffering Herbie, the former candy salesman who tries to book the awful routines Rose develops for her children, Baby June (Marley Lianne Gomes) and Baby Louise (Kyleigh Vickers; Jordan Tyson plays the grown-up Dainty June). All those incredible songs – “Some People,” “Small World,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” – come off incredibly well. Tulsa’s dance, performed by Kevin Csolak, is truly beautiful. And Mazeppa, Electra and Tessie Tura’s “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” in the hands of Lili Thomas, Mylinda Hull and Lesli Margherita as the three burlesque vets, is a standout.
Kevin Csolak & Joy Woods
However, Joy Woods as grown-up Louise is not so convincing as a stripper. The real Gypsy Rose Lee was so sexy, men came to see her strip even though it took her fifteen minutes to take off a glove. Woods looks like she’s trying out even after she has become famous for her art.
Joy Woods
But the big issue is McDonald, who has been sadly miscast. Mama Rose is not a kind woman. She is not a warm woman. She is characterized almost entirely by her raw ambition. She will use anyone and everyone to enable her two girls to achieve the fame that eluded her. But, in her own way, she can be quite sexy, as Peters and LuPone knew very well. McDonald is none of this.
Mylinda Hull, Joy Woods, Lesli Margherita & Lili Thomas
Oh yes, this Mama Rose surely is ambitious. But when she says she’s doing it all for her children, this time we actually believe her. And when she says she loves Herbie, we have the sneaking suspicion that if he tried a little harder and appealed to her better instincts, he just might win her over.
Zachary Daniel Jones, Brendan Sheehan, Audra McDonald,
Andrew Kober, Danny Burstein, Jordan Tyson
Mama Rose is not a great singer. She is not a great talent. She’s crass and boisterous. She’s loud and flashy. When McDonald sings, we think we’re at Lincoln Center. We can’t imagine her in a seedy Vaudeville theater.
Audra McDonald
No doubt McDonald’s voice is perfect, but not for this show. This is especially obvious in the eleven o’clock number “Rose’s Turn.” McDonald’s voice is so unsuited to both the music and Rose’s personality that when she actually does attempt to sound angry and raw, the result is an unpleasant screech. In the end, Rose seems more tragic than defiant.
Zachary Daniel Jones, Tony D'Alelio, Jordan Tyson, Kevin Csolak, Brendan Sheehan
Ever since Merman first stepped onstage at the Broadway Theatre, talented leads have made the show their own. And so does McDonald. The question is how well their interpretations serve the show. Opinions will vary. And some people may love her interpretation. But some people ain’t me.
Audra McDonald
Nevertheless, Gypsy, with its wonderful dance numbers (now by Camille A. Brown) and funny, charming and exuberant songs, is an extremely entertaining show. Yes, you’ll have a real good time.
photos by Julia Cervantes
Gypsy
Majestic Theatre, 245 W 44th St.
2 hours and 40 minutes including one intermission
scheduled to end on June 29, 2025
for tickets visit Gypsy Broadway
