GYPSY lays claim to being a Broadway standard; associated in the public mind with Ethel Merman, it was filmed rather unmemorably in 1962 with a miscast Rosalind Russell.
It's a good story with a score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim that combines tragedy with the brassiness of vaudeville.
First presented at the Chichester Festival Theatre in October 2014 and transferring to the West End in April, Jonathan Kent's production has a stellar performance by Imelda Staunton as Momma Rose. With her three-cornered hat and waddling gait, she creates an obsessive character whose desire for Gypsy's stardom drives her to excess. The song "Everything's Coming Up Roses," is delivered with a kind of manic glee, while in "Rose's Turn," she mimics the striptease that made Louise a big star, suggesting a women on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
The supporting cast includes Peter Davison as a suitable foil as Herbie. The remainder of the cast put across their lines with enthusiasm, even if their American accents tend to waver somewhat.
The only cavil that might be leveled at this production is the rather flat filming. Little attempt has been made to exploit the Savoy's space; and there are rather too many reaction-shots punctuating the action.
