By Andrew Gans
04 Apr 2008

	Patti LuPone in Gypsy.
	photo by Joan Marcus

GYPSY
The great American musical is alive and well and thriving at the St. James Theatre, which recently welcomed the fifth Broadway mounting of Jule Styne, Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim's 1959 classic, Gypsy.

Tony and Olivier Award winner Patti LuPone stars as the indomitable stage mother Rose, a role she first played in a weekend of staged concerts at the Ravinia Festival in 2006 and, more recently, at City Center as the debut production of the Encores! Summer Stars series. LuPone's performance, which was thrilling at both Ravinia and City Center, is now extraordinary. She has managed to combine the joy and humor she first brought to Rose at Ravinia and the pathos and anger she explored at City Center — as well as that trumpet of a voice, which is still as vocally strong and emotionally powerful as ever — into one superb performance. LuPone is funny, charming, touching, shocking and scary, and her interpretations of the showstoppers that end each act are, simply, breathtaking.

When LuPone rips up June's letter toward the end of Act One and spews out a final "everything's coming up roses for me and for you!," it is one of the more powerful moments in an evening of endless powerful moments. And, her "Rose's Turn" must be seen: It is truly a master class in the art of song performance. In fact, the raw emotion that is expressed in four minutes' time is staggering. And, just when your heartbeat settles down, LuPone destroys you again when she falls into Benanti's arms sobbing as Rose realizes Louise wanted exactly the same thing she did: to be noticed.

But it is not only LuPone who shines in this production. From top to bottom, this revival — directed by co-creator Laurents — has been cast to perfection. Especially noteworthy are LuPone's two co-stars, Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti.

Perhaps because I first watched Gaines as the college suitor of Valerie Bertinelli on "One Day at a Time" in the early eighties, there is something shocking and surprisingly moving about his first appearance — gray haired and moustached — as the world-weary Herbie. From the moment he initially connects with Rose, however, there is undeniable chemistry between the two that continues to build throughout the entire evening. This Rose and Herbie not only love each other, they seem to really like each other — witness the wonderfully played "You'll Never Get Away From Me" — which makes Herbie's final departure more upsetting than ever; one feels this is the last chance at true love for each.

And, then there is Benanti. Has anyone ever brought more emotion to "Little Lamb"? Her transition from the wallflower Louise to stripper Gypsy Rose Lee is equally wonderful: Benanti is movie-star gorgeous as the late stripper, yet in the final dressing-room scene with Rose she manages to convey both a sense of glamour and the working-class background from which she came. And, when her frustrations with her mother finally overcome her, she explodes with a torrent of emotion.

I also appreciated Leigh Ann Larkin's fresh take on Dainty June — part humorous, part grotesque and often brimming with rage; Tony Yazbeck's beautiful song-and-dance, "All I Need Is the Girl"; and the dynamic work of the three strippers. Alison Fraser brings the perfect mix of comedy, despair and longing to the good-natured Tessie Tura, who bonds with Louise while sharing a dressing room. Lenora Nemetz is a riot as the wise-cracking secretary Miss Cratchitt and brings her big Broadway belt to Mazeppa's solos in "Gimmick." And, Marilyn Caskey gives new meaning to the word deadpan in her take on Electra.

This production, however, left me with one disturbing thought. My three favorite musical theatre actresses, Betty Buckley, Bernadette Peters and LuPone, have now all played Rose — arguably the most demanding female role in the musical-theatre canon — in Gypsy, and I have been profoundly moved by each of their performances. What's left to look forward to? Guess I'll have to revisit this production a few times before and after LuPone wins the Tony.

[Gypsy plays the St. James Theatre, located in Manhattan at 246 West 44th Street. Tickets, priced $42-$117, are available by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com.]

	Lainie Kazan

DIVA TIDBITS
Lainie Kazan, the stage and screen star who was Barbra Streisand's standby in Funny Girl, will return to Feinstein's at Loew's Regency April 8-12. Cabaretgoers can expect to hear Kazan's belty renditions of "The Music That Makes Me Dance," "Over the Rainbow," "Here's to Life," "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" and "Smile." It's a busy time for the actress, whose film credits include "Beaches" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": Kazan will be seen in June in the new Adam Sandler comedy, "You Don't Mess with the Zohan." She can also be heard on her newest CD, "In the Groove," which features pianist David Benoit; visit www.lainiekazan.com. Feinstein's at the Regency is located in Manhattan at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street. For reservations call (212) 339-4095 or visit www.ticketweb.com.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center's (NJPAC) 2008-2009 season will feature the New Jersey premiere of the critically acclaimed An Evening with Patti LuPone & Mandy Patinkin. The LuPone-Patinkin concert will be presented at Prudential Hall March 29, 2009 at 7 PM. The Tony-winning duo — who will perform medleys, duets and solos penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Vernon Duke, Stephen Sondheim and more — will be accompanied by Paul Ford on piano and John Beal on bass. The cabaret season in the intimate Chase Room will boast K.T. Sullivan performing Colored Lights Oct. 25, 2008, at 7 and 9:30 PM; Andrea Marcovicci singing the tunes of Rodgers and Hart Jan. 24, 2009, at 7 and 9:30 PM; Paula West backed by the George Mesterhazy Quartet March 28 at 7 and 9:30 PM; and Karen Mason offering Love, Love, Love May 16 at 7 and 9:30 PM. The New Jersey Performing Arts Center is located at One Center Street in Newark, NJ. For tickets call (888) 466-5722 or visit www.njpac.org.

Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, the Young Frankenstein star who will portray Princess Fiona in the forthcoming Shrek The Musical, will debut songs from her premiere solo recording April 28 at Joe's Pub. Foster will offer a sneak peek at songs from her debut solo CD, "Wish," which she will soon record. Show time is 11:30 PM. Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets, priced at $30, are available by calling (212) 967-7555 or by visiting www.joespub.com.

The latest solo recording from theatre and cabaret star Maureen McGovern, "A Long and Winding Road," will arrive in stores on the PS Classics label April 29. PS Classics, the label dedicated to "the heritage of Broadway and American popular song," will begin selling the single CD exclusively on its website (psclassics.com) on April 15. "A Long and Winding Road" is based on McGovern's newest cabaret act, which she co-conceived with director Philip Himberg. McGovern is accompanied on the new disc by music director and arranger Jeff Harris on piano, Jay Leonhart on bass, Lou Marini on saxophone, Cenovia Cummins and Suzanne Chaplin on violin, Debra Shufelt-Dine on viola, Dorothy Lawson on cello and Joe Passaro on percussion. Song titles include "All I Want"/"America" (Joni Mitchell/Paul Simon), "The Times They Are a-Changin'" (Bob Dylan), "The Circle Game" (Joni Mitchell), "The 59th Street Bridge Song" (Feelin’ Groovy) (Paul Simon), "Cowboy" (Randy Newman), "The Coming of the Roads" (Billy Edd Wheeler), "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" (Carole King & Gerry Goffin), "Shed a Little Light"/"Carry It On" (James Taylor/Gil Turner), "The Fiddle and the Drum" (Joni Mitchell), "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor), "Rocky Raccoon" (John Lennon & Paul McCartney), "Let It Be" (John Lennon & Paul McCartney), "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Jimmy Webb), "MacArthur Park" (Jimmy Webb), "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress" (Jimmy Webb), "And When I Die" (Laura Nyro), "Imagine" (John Lennon) and "The Long and Winding Road" (John Lennon & Paul McCartney).

Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.

Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti and Patti LuPone in Gypsy.
photo by Joan Marcus

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