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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Peer Reviews Gypsy: A
Musical Fable
Reviewed by Sherry Deatrick
The Hayswood Theatre, in downtown Corydon, bills itself as "not your average community theatre," and boasts that there's not a bad seat in the house. They're right. On a snowy Sunday afternoon, we were greeted warmly and escorted (literally) to plush seats in the cozy theater. The lights dimmed promptly, and the lengthy electronic keyboard overture began. This production has the primitive and homey charm I imagine one must have found at underground theaters in Weimar Germany. The sparse, expressionist sets certainly don't detract from the actors' performances, which were at times halting, but always endearing.
Jennifer Lauletta is Mama Rose, the consummate stage parent (imagine a Depression-era Lynne Spears) who was eventually banished from most theaters on the vaudeville and burlesque circuit because of her pushiness. She spends years trying in vain to mold her daughter "Baby June" and her other children into a successful vaudeville act, and recounts her showbiz dreams in songs like the rousing "Some People." Rose's ruthlessness has its darker side, however. Hinted at in the show is Rose's willingness to metaphorically pimp her daughters out to showbiz men like Mr. Goldstone (hilariously played by Rick O'Neill). "Have a kumquat, have two!" she sings at him as Louise and June move toward him. And Baby June's signature song, "May I Entertain You" (which was so suggestive that her sister adapted it intact years later for her stripping act) conjures up a disturbing vibe. It echoes other unhappy child performers driven by parents to succeed, such as Baby Rose Marie, and others. Louise's gradual transformation into the stripper, Gypsy Rose Lee, is nothing short of astounding. As Louise, Higdon is appropriately nerdy. But after being schooled at the burlesque house by hardened older strippers in the song "You Gotta Have a Gimmick," she emerges from her tomboy cocoon. What emerges is a sultry superstar. Other standouts in the cast are Charley Swarens as the kilt-wearing kiddie-show host Uncle Jocko, Elizabeth Tuell as the electrifying Electra, and Sophie Hill as the youngest Baby June. Rick O'Daniel Munger (last seen as Kanute Gunderson in Bunbury Theatre's A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol) appears as Herbie, the good-hearted candy salesman that Rose woos into becoming the kids' booking agent. Munger is particularly moving as he regretfully realizes Rose just isn't wife material. I heard several ladies whispering behind me, wistfully longing for his return. The costumes are well-made and appropriate to the period. The cow outfit that Rose (literally) dreams up for the act is a scene stealer, and a perfect symbol of Rose's treatment of Louise (who serves as the cow's rear end). The choreography is upbeat, particularly in the magical strobe-lit time-warp scene with the kids aging several years before our eyes. The show isn't perfect by any means, but that's part of Hayswood's aforementioned peculiar charm. There were a couple of muffed lines, but the actors covered for themselves well. Scene changes drag on too long to the extent of becoming humorous, and some of the songs are off-key, but taken as a whole, the experience was fascinating and is well worth the trip to Indiana's original capital.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable Hayswood Theatre Posted Feb. 26, 2008
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