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Gypsy star Laura Benanti
Gypsy record producer Robert Sher
Recording Gypsy
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DIVA TALK: Chatting with Gypsy's Lenora Nemetz Plus News of LuPone and McDonald
By Andrew Gans
04 Jul 2008
Question: You were in the original production of Chicago and you understudied both Velma and Roxie, right?
Nemetz: Well, I stood by for Gwen, and then I stood by for Gwen and Chita [Rivera] when Bob decided that I was to replace Chita, he gave me the standby for Chita as well. And then when Chita left the show, I replaced her. And one day I played both parts!
Question: Tell me that story. I've heard vaguely about it, but what is the real story?
Nemetz: One afternoon I played Velma Kelly. It was a Wednesday matinee. I played Velma Kelly. It was the first time I had ever done it. Of course, I had played Roxie several times because the show had been running for a year, and in Philadelphia I went on the last week. I did it for a whole week because Gwen had gotten hurt. . . . I played Velma that afternoon, and then at night I had a whole different perspective for Roxie. It added to the character. It was really a freeing experience. It taught me a lot about myself as a performer and so has Gypsy. It's taught me a lot, again, about performing. It's just really [about] trust and, boy, it takes a lot of courage to get there. I look at all the women that I admire in this business, and Patti is definitely at the top of the list. There are so many, like the two gals that I work with, and people like Karen Ziemba. They stuck around and they worked and they work hard, and I admire their courage. It takes a lot of courage to do that, to put yourself out there. . . . But if it's in your blood and it's in your bones and you're born with it, what do you do? You have to do it. But in New York it's tougher than anyplace else. The stakes are always high. All I can say is that I am so grateful to be back working with old friends and new friends… I mean, the production stage manager of our show, Craig Jacobs, was one of the stage managers in Chicago. And, in Cabaret I worked with Bonnie Walker. Bonnie Walker is our choreographer. And Cabaret, not the revival, the original. We're a big family! Continued...
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