Patti LuPone's Gypsy May Be Filmed

Amid all the news of economic tumult and political unrest, it's nice to get some positive news for a change, albeit tentative.

Playbill.com reports that the current revival of Gypsy, starring Tony Award winner Patti LuPone, will likely be filmed before it closes in March. According to Playbill, the ticketing site Telecharge.com is featuring the following notice for those buying tickets for the final Gypsy performances:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This performance of 'Gypsy' may be filmed for future purposes. Please be advised that stationary and moving cameras may be placed throughout the theatre as we attempt to capture this historic production on film.

A production spokesperson wouldn't confirm that the show would be filmed, but the very prospect sets my heart atwitter. (Read my original review and my revisit review.)

In other shows-on-film news, it turns out that the recent "cine-cast" of Rent will indeed receive a DVD release, which is scheduled to come out in February 2009. Now we can all throw away our copies of Chris Columbus's flaccid film version and savor a film worthy of the show and its late creator, Jonathan Larson. (Read my review of Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway.)

In other La LuPone news, I just got the CD for her legendary Les Mouches concert, and it's unbearable. It's basically a live recording Patti made way back when she was starring in Evita. The sound quality isn't very good, because it was apparently never meant for commercial release, but that's not really the problem here. What makes the CD virtually unlistenable is (1) Patti's notoriously bad diction, and (2) her insufferable, self-satisfied demeanor. Her diction has unquestionably gotten better over the years, and her career ups and downs have instilled at least a feigned modicum of humility. But, unless you're jonesing for a Patti fix, I'd say give this recording a wide berth.

Comments

[Justin]

I wonder if this is going to become the new "thing" to do with shows now. In the past 2 or three years we have; Company, Legally Blonde, Cyrano, Passing Strange, and now Gypsy. I'm shocked [tosers] didnt petition a filming of it before [tos] closed.

[Margo]

Excellent news about Rent!! Will definitely buy it.