Probably one of my favourite musicals of all time, the semi-autobiographical tale of a timid Vaudeville-player-turned-stripping-superstar and her domineering mother, Gypsy was an extremely unlikely storyline for a musical way back in 1959 [hardly the most enlightened of times] - yet, with its book (loosely based on Gypsy Rose Lee's salacious memoirs) by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and the imperious presence of the musical sensation Ethel Merman as its "Mama Rose", it was a huge success.
In a mirror of the plot of overbearing stage mother trying to dominate her children and live her dreams of stardom vicariously through them, it was in fact Miss Merman who pushed the show to be produced in the first place - yet, however, to her eternal chagrin she lost out to Rosalind Russell when it came to casting the film adaptation!
I love Gypsy because of its brash campery, and its plethora of end-of-the-evening arm-stretch-gesturing belt-em-out numbers - and so, Curtain up! Light the lights! Let's start with an unbeatable one:
[Love this - but I'm also rather fond of the Angela Lansbury version]Needless to say, "our gang" went along en masse to see the 2015 West End revival, starring Imelda Staunton, which was utterly phenomenal! - read more about that here.
Fab-u-lous!
RIP, Stephen Joshua Sondheim (22nd March 1930 – 26th November 2021)
[One of a series of tributes I will be posting to Mr Sondheim this week.]
Previous "Sondheim of the Day" entries:
Gotta Have A Gimmick is one terrific piece of music. I adore it. Love seeing it performed. I remember at one point playing Rose's Turn on repeat, but can't remember which version it was... weird. And, you know, bless Ethel, but the lady basically raw fisted ever song she ever barked. I now have the Bette Midler television version on CD, but have never listened to it, though I recall her version of Small World. And I shall always remember Carol Burnett and Vicki Lawrence singing If Mamma Was Married with Harvey Corman showing up in drag at the very end. Boy, Liza really rips Some People a new hole. Oh, such memories. Say, any chance you'll be doing Evening Primrose? Thanks for doing this. He truly touched so many lives.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it, Uptonking! I love the belting numbers in this show - and Miss Merman and Miss Minnelli certainly can belt them... Jx
DeletePS Keep following; there's plenty more to come, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
One that I missed, but I do know most of the numbers.
ReplyDeleteThe show's big numbers are somewhat ingrained in our cultural psyche - even these days, 62 years down the line... Jx
DeleteBig arm gestures and wonderful frocks, what’s not to love?!
ReplyDeleteSx
There's nothing like a song with arm gestures to lift the spirits! Why do you think we love Shirley Bassey, Dorothy Squires, Liza, Judy and Dusty so much? Jx
DeleteWhen Mama Was Married was in my head for weeks after seeing this. I daren't listen to it now! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat "gender-swapped" version I posted is hilarious! Jx
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