I'll cut to the chase: Patti LuPone is a frickin' force of nature in the new Gypsy revival.
I didn't see the recent Bernadette Peters version of Gypsy. At the time, I justified it to friends and students by saying I was just plain sick of the show, but it was really that I just couldn't see Peters in the role. Her performance on the Tony Awards that year didn't change my mind: she seemed to be working her ass off, sure, but that doesn't mean she was right for the part. Even at 60, this girl is no Mama Rose.
Now Patti is another story entirely. What a perfect marriage of performer and role. As I sat in the St. James Theater watching LuPone barrel over her co-stars, I felt as though I was witnessing history. At first, Patti seemed a little matter-of-fact with her lyrics and line readings, as is her wont, and some of her breathing choices seemed ill-timed, but there seemed little question that LuPone was born to play this part. LuPone brings just the right amount of playfulness to her early scenes with Herbie: "You'll Never Get Away from Me" is charming, yet with an appropriate sense of tension.
Then everything builds to a head until "Everything's Coming Up Roses," which was simply mesmerizing. As the first chords of the song sounded, I heard "hmphs" of recognition from surrounding audience members. "Oh, I love this song," they seemed to be saying. Then the tension and mania began to build, offering a chilling glimpse into the mind of a twisted woman, made all the more so by the growing sense of horror on Herbie's and Louise's faces. It's a stunning use of irony: the words and music stand in stark contrast to the unsettling content of the scene. Arthur Laurents (who also wrote the original book) stages this number by having Louise attempt to run away, only to have Herbie stop her. It was a great directorial touch, among many throughout the show, and brought out the true gravity of the events.
There's been a lot of talk since Patti started playing this role at the Ravinia Festival, then brought it to Encores at City Center, about how Gypsy may just be the best musical ever. Well, it's certainly up there, most definitely in the top three. There's absolutely no question that it has the best overture ever.
I like to play a game in my Boston Conservatory course, in which I posit "There's no such thing as a perfect musical." I then challenge my students to name a musical they think is perfect, and I attempt to point out some flaw in the show. Gypsy inevitably comes up, and I usually point to "Little Lamb." Yeah, the moment needs a number, but not this one. It's in the right place, and evokes the right sentiment, but the song is dull lyrically and musically until the lovely bridge. ("Did somebody paint you like that. Or is it your birthday too?') Laura Benanti as Louise performs the number well, but it's just so unbearably twee.
Oh, and what up with the lamb? During the birthday scene, some stagehand comes onstage working a Lion-King-like puppet, going "baaaaah." It's like something out of Japanese Noh theater, in which we're supposed to ignore the stagehand because he's dressed in black. It's a real "What the Fuck?" moment.
Benanti in general makes for an especially strong Louise, particularly during "All I Need is the Girl." Is there a more heartbreaking use of dance in the musical theater canon? As Tulsa describes his dance act, Louise fantasizes about being the girl Tulsa is describing, and unconsciously begins to dance along with him. (This is made all the more heartrending when we learn that Tulsa and June have eloped.) Tony Yazbeck is simply terrific as Tulsa, a real natural talent on stage, but it's Benanti who really shines. Benanti also deftly handles the transformation during "Let Me Entertain You," although she has a tendency to push a bit too hard during the confrontation scene with Rose.
The other star of this Gypsy is Boyd Gaines as Herbie. I've seen productions of this show in which Herbie fades into the scenery, but Gaines makes the character charming, sympathetic, and fully three-dimensional. Gaines is particularly effective in act 2, when Herbie's edges start to fray, and evokes a palpable yet controlled sense of rage and frustration.
As for the supporting cast, Leigh Ann Larkin as June is overly broad and melodramatic. Uh, this ain't Ibsen, honey. In Larkin's defense, however, this overstatement may be historically accurate: June Havoc was, by all accounts, a real scenery chewer. (Check out this audio clip from Mexican Hayride.) One of the primary joys of this production is "You Gotta Get a Gimmick," enhanced by three distinct and memorable characterizations from Lenora Nemetz, Marilyn Caskey, and most of all the delightful Alison Fraser as Tessie Tura.
So, is Gypsy the best musical ever? Head on down to the St. James and decide for yourself. This is one production, and one performance, that no respectable lover of musical theater will want to miss.
