Audra/"Gypsy": Reviewed

It's difficult to get everything right--in a Broadway musical. I didn't think Josh Groban was equipped to handle "Sweeney Todd," but the production itself was ravishing. The lighting was as beautiful as Sondheim's words. And the orchestra was overwhelming.

Now, with "Gypsy," we have a star (Audra McDonald) who really can deliver, in each and every moment. But the visual packaging is bland; the director's work seems a little less than "urgent." When Kail did "Sweeney," no one had done a full-scale, lush Broadway version of the show in several decades. But with "Gypsy," everyone has a fairly clear memory of the LuPone/Laurents production. This new one doesn't always feel like a revelation.

What is "Gypsy"?

Rose Hovick is in a shitty situation. Her mother has abandoned her; her father is depressed and verbally abusive. Rose has cycled through three disastrous marriages; she is growing bored at home, in Seattle. Sensing that her older daughter may be "an escape hatch," Rose foolishly drives to California, where she begins assailing various producers in backstage settings (and possibly in supermarkets, in school parking lots, and on the street).

Oddly enough, Rose achieves something that (sort of) resembles success, but it's at the expense of her daughters' respect. One child, June, abandons Rose as soon as she (June) is old enough to go look for some oxygen on her own. The other--Louise--hangs around. But when Louise begins to follow her mother's advice--to "sing out"--the particular choices Louise makes are troubling. Rose has to admit that she feels ambivalent about what she has created. Louise has just been a distraction--a way for Rose not to think about her own wasted life. After an eruption of self-loathing and despair, Rose staggers off the stage. Maybe--now--she can start to take care of herself? We're left to wonder. The odds aren't great.

There are moments in this show that make my hair stand on end. I'm obsessed with Louise's birthday; Rose gets distracted by a producer, feeds the birthday dinner to this stranger, and forgets that Louise exists. (In an amazing twist, Louise sits alone and sings to her dirty stuffed animals. "Little lamb? Little lamb? I wonder how old I am.....") I am equally mesmerized when Rose digests the reality of June's betrayal. Herbie tries to fill the silence with words--but they're just words. We can sense a coming storm; this is maybe the one and only moment in the evening when Rose resists speaking for several (tense, ominous) minutes. Lastly, my favorite image is Louise's discovery of her own beauty, under a row of burning lights. ("Mama? I'm pretty? I'm a pretty girl, Mama....")

There is chatter online that McDonald doesn't have the "right" voice for this show. Nonsense. She sounds great. She is also funny--and she is insightful about human pain. This will certainly amount to another Tony nomination, and possibly another win. Burstein and Joy Woods will score nominations, as well.

This isn't Broadway's freshest offering--but, as promised, it's a brilliant performer at her peak, with three hours to dig into a stunning literary work. McDonald has indicated that she wants to return her attention to William Shakespeare--in the future. I'm ready for that, as well. I'll be there.

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Liars and Saints

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