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DIVA TALK: Batting a Thousand—Bernadette Peters Scores in Gypsy
By Andrew Gans
02 May 2003
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Bernadette Peters in Gypsy.
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| photo by Joan Marcus | Hello, diva lovers! After a month of previews, Gypsy has officially opened at the Shubert Theatre!
GYPSY
On April 12, 2000, I submitted this story to Playbill On-Line:
“It’s only in the very early stages, but it’s some of the most exciting news I’ve heard in a long time. It seems that Bernadette Peters has been approached about starring in a full-scale London revival of the classic musical Gypsy. Peters is definitely interested in what would be her second ‘Ethel Merman’ role and is currently mulling over the prospect of following in the footsteps of such former Gypsy stars as the aforementioned Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, and, most recently at the Paper Mill, Betty Buckley.
Two-time Tony-winner Peters is scheduled to conclude her run in the hit revival of Annie Get Your Gun in September and, according to her press rep, would like a bit of a break before heading into another musical, but with Sam Mendes as the possible director, it seems like a project too exciting to dismiss. Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book to Gypsy, which features a score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, recently leaked the prospect at a press conference for his new autobiography, ‘Original Story By’ (Random House). Stay tuned for more information.”
Three years later, that revival has finally opened, although on the other side of the Atlantic, and I’m happy to report that Bernadette Peters is a Rose to be reckoned with: From her first scene at Uncle Jocko’s Kiddie Show auditions through her final, gut-wrenching “Rose’s Turn,” Peters perfectly captures — among other qualities — Rose’s driving desperation. In the former scene, she quickly turns from comedic to harshly dramatic, bellowing, “Don’t you laugh. Don’t you DARE laugh! That child is going to be a STAR!” It’s a fiery delivery that Peters employs many times in the Sam Mendes-directed production, the fourth Broadway incarnation of one of the greatest American musicals.
Like Mendes’ Tony-winning Cabaret, it’s a dark, minimalist production that strips away any glitz, choosing to focus on the actors, the classic score and that flawless script, which can be show-stoppingly comedic while teetering on the brink of tragedy. The scales do eventually tip to the tragic, and though the warnings have been blatant, the effect is still shocking. One of Mendes’ most significant contributions is to place Rose in full view of the audience each time her daughters perform on the vaudeville stage, watching (and mimicking) them from the wings with a mix of anticipation, joy and, perhaps, envy.
Mendes has also directed Peters to offer the sexiest Rose to ever hit the stage. She’s one of the few to have played the part who makes the audience believe she could have actually been a successful performer had she been given the chance. This makes her ultimate breakdown even more pathetic, the talent that was never nurtured, the life that never was — and never will be. When she sings, “Well, someone tell me, when is it my turn? Don't I get a dream for myself?,” it’s truly heartbreaking. She and John Dossett’s Herbie have a palpable chemistry, igniting in a beautifully delivered “Small World” (one wishes this Herbie had more to sing) and dissolving in the harrowing second act dressing-room scene when Rose shockingly pushes daughter Louise to strip. It’s the final nail in the coffin for the Herbie-Rose relationship, and Peters and Dossett play the moment for all its dramatic worth. Peters is similarly disturbing in the dressing room scene prior to “Rose’s Turn,” when she desperately screams at the now-famous Gypsy Rose Lee, “Let me do something, damnit! A million things. I’m not a baby!”
Tammy Blanchard as the aforementioned Gypsy also offers a touching performance: She is heartbreakingly real as the always-in-the background, gawky Louise who wonders how old she is while falling for dancer Tulsa, who ends up marrying her brassy sister June. And, Blanchard’s transformation from this awkward adolescent to confident striptease artist is beguiling. In fact, it’s a terrific cast from top to bottom: Julie Halston, in the dual roles of Miss Cratchitt and Electra, and Heather Lee as “demure” stripper Tessie Tura, provide some of the evening’s biggest laughs, and their second-act “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” — with Kate Buddeke’s Mazeppa — is one of the production’s many highlights. David Burtka also offers an endearing, innocent but nimble footed Tulsa, who shines in his solo, “All I Need Is the Girl.” That number also supplies one of the most spirit-raising moments, as Louise, who is completely besotted with Tulsa, joins him for an energetic dance finale.
But it is ultimately Rose’s show, and this Rose shines, seduces, scares and shatters. Peters is at her finest during the ends of each act, delivering haunting versions of both the speeches that precede “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Rose’s Turn” and the songs themselves. “Rose’s Turn,” in fact, is flawlessly delivered, with Peters galvanizing her energies and plumbing the depths of the impeccably crafted song. Dressed in a form-fitting purple gown, Rose’s final meltdown is exciting, yet shocking, and by the time she belts out, “For me, for me, for me, for meeeeeeeee,” Peters has taken the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I also found Peters’ final exit — as she forlornly looks out on the empty stage and the life that wasn’t — profoundly moving.
Ya either got it, or ya ain’t. And, boys, she’s got it!
(Gypsy plays the Shubert Theatre, 225 West 44th Street, Monday through Saturday evenings at 8 PM with matinees Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 PM. Call (212) 239-6200 for tickets.)
Continued...
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