Went to the Stanley Theatre to catch their production of Gypsy, which I have never seen. It's always a hit and miss with the Stanley. My Fair Lady was well, fair. But their versions of Evita, Sweeny Todd, and Hamlet left much to be desired. To leave at intermission or not to leave at intermission, that is the question. Sadly, that night really was a tragedy.
However, they redeemed themselves with Singin' In The Rain. And now, with Gypsy starting its run, I found myself mildly entertained. In terms of older musicals, it didn't blow me away in a Fiddler On The Roof kinda way, yet it didn't suck as much as The Music Man. I would watch Gypsy over Bye Bye Birdie, South Pacific, The King and I, and Guys and Dolls anyday.
I found the true life story of Gypsy Rose Lee fascinating, and who knew that her at-first more famous sibling, Baby June, was born right here in the city of Vancouver!!
The actress who played the lead, Mama Rose, was a bit over the top, but I understand that this is who the character was: loud, brassy, and bossy. She seemed to growl and scream her way through most of the songs and I would have been annoyed had it not been for the lovely girl who played Gypsy, as well as the cute guy tap dancing as Tulsa. A decent production for the Stanley. Musical enthusiasts will be entertained.
Now I want to go watch the movie version of this! But do I go for the Natalie Wood original or the Bette Midler remake?
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