GYPSY - Marloo Theatre

With its brassy orchestrations, large ensemble of players and “big Broadway” feel, Gypsy possesses all the components of a conventional musical; and yet, at its heart, it is a very intimate story of one woman’s single-minded determination, and the effect it has on those around her. The book unfolds in a series of episodes that follow Rose, the stage mother from hell, as she desperately tries to catapult her talented daughter June, and then her considerably less-talented daughter Louise, to stardom on the dying Vaudeville stage. In doing so, the show plunges to dark dramatic depths commonly unexplored in traditional musical theatre. Having been referred to as the American musical theatre equivalent of King Lear, Gypsy is not an easy show to approach, from both a production and performance standpoint. A lot of effort has clearly been poured into the production currently playing at Marloo Theatre until July 16th; and while the resulting performance does not always soar, it certainly provides a smooth, steady ride through one of musical theatre’s greatest, and most challenging, triumphs. Any production of Gypsy lives and dies by the strength of its Rose, and this production is lucky enough to have two incredibly different but equally talented ladies sharing the demanding main role; Lucy Eyre and Lindsay McNab. I saw the show twice, on two consecutive Friday nights (the 1st and the 8th) in order to receive the “full” Gypsy experience, and witness these two women take on the role that has been tackled by such greats as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone. Lucy Eyre’s loud, brash belt perfectly complements her characterisation; her Rose is a straightforward, uncomplicated woman who knows precisely what she wants and goes straight for it with no hesitation, and often little thought. Like a true tragic heroine, we see her making a direct beeline towards a fate that is obvious to all except her. This allows Eyre a fantastic payoff during her final number, “Rose’s Turn”, when she is suddenly forced to face a truth she has ignored for years, and we see her whole world struck suddenly down around her. By comparison, Lindsay McNab’s Rose is less oblivious to where she is heading. When the show begins, she is a woman clawing through life using her charm as currency, and for a moment she has us believing that her half-baked schemes and ridiculous dreams might actually come to fruition. But as the first act concludes, the rug is essentially pulled out from under her and from that point we witness the struggle she undergoes to hold together the dream that is slipping through her fingers with increasing speed. The detail in her characterisation is incredible, and there is a deep-rooted mental instability to her Rose that is terrifying to watch at times. Her performance of the Act One closer “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” gave me waves of goosebumps. Rose is clearly the star of the show, but in this production she is given a huge amount of competition from Sam Warne’s beautifully understated Louise. Earnest and sweet, Louise is the heart of the piece, and Warne captures her exquisitely. A particular highlight is the longing in her face and body during the number “All I Need is the Girl” (performed by eager and energetic Josh Money). She also nails the tricky transition from ugly duckling to sultry stripper. Of the supporting players, Bonnie Coyle provides great comic relief throughout the first act as June, and Scott Burns adds a touch of darkness to the mild, caring Herbie, playing his final scene with perfect restraint. Special mention should also be made of Claire Taylor, Hayley Mane and Mirella Renel as Tessie Tura, Electra and Miss Mazeppa, three strippers at a lowdown burlesque house who give Louise a few lessons on her bump’n’grind technique. Their showstopping number “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” is really where the show kicks into high gear, and the resulting energy helps bring the show to a strong, electrifying finish. For if there is one small flaw that prevents this production from reaching stratospheric heights of musical entertainment, it is simply that the first act lags a little in terms of pace; several of the scenes feel lukewarm in comparison to the red-hot energy of the musical numbers. The scene changes were swifter at my second viewing of the show, but still halted the flow of the action in some places. That being said, the set itself was used quite effectively to create a variety of different locations. The costumes, by Merri Ford, were appropriate and used a wide-ranging colour palette that kept each scene visually interesting. Louise’s stripper gowns were particularly stunning. Also, on that note, congratulations to ‘Madame Conductress’ and her effective choice of wardrobe…not only did the outfits look fantastic from behind, but gave a classy air to the onstage band. Worthy of a special mention is the choreography by Manuao TeAotonga – bright, sharp and well-executed, the dancing really added to the effectiveness of the musical numbers. Many congratulations to the production team of Danni Ashton, Manuao TeAotonga, Tim How, Ashlee Clapp and Shelley Ormerod for attempting such a challenging show and succeeding. I highly enjoyed my first viewing, and the second time around demonstrated that the show is growing stronger with each performance. I hear that the show is booked out for the remainder of the season, so I can only recommend those without tickets to look out for any cancellations that may occur! Good luck to the cast and crew of GYPSY for the remainder of their season.