Two days ago, Ethel Merman opened in "Gypsy," at the Broadway Theatre!
Can you believe that was 61 years ago, darlings? I was all of four years old, and believe me I could have sat through it, back then, except I would have wanted to jump up on that stage, and play Baby June.
This is the burlesque Christmas tree at Minsky's in the burlesque part of the show, in Act Two. It is my greatest wish that some future production of "Gypsy"--whenever that may be--recreates this moment, as none of the others, unfortunately have, though I do not know why.
As for "Gypsy," I have seen every Broadway Rose, save for Merman, and Linda Lavin. But, then, her replacement run for Tyne lasted only a week!
Love this tree, girls! Its theatricality and color cheer me up every time!
So, what happened with Linda Lavin?
ReplyDeleteWas she really that bad, or was something else going on??
Mama Rose isn’t supposed to be a great singer anyway.
ReplyDeleteVictoria,
I am really not sure. I know someone
who saw it with Linda, and said she was fine.
Tyne was no singer, either, yet she blew me
away. Only Bernadette was not up to it.
Linda had a toughness that would make her
perfect. But maybe the score was just too
hard on her voice, like Madeline Kahn in "On
The Twentieth Century."
Also, Linda has rep for being difficult to
direct. Restraint is not her thing, and she
has to be reigned in. Maybe she was not going
to put up with that.
She was beautifully restrained by John Dexter
in "The Diary Of Anne Back, years back, with a
then sixteen year old Natalie Portman. It was
one of Lavin's best performances!