Music: Jule Styne
Lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
Gypsy is loosely based on the memoirs of Gypsy rose Lee, the American burlesque star and striptease artist. The main focus of the narrative is Rose, mother to Louise and June, and her efforts to achieve fame vicariously through her relentless promoting of her daughters, with June being the favoured and more talented of the two and Louise often treated almost as an afterthought. With music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy has been called the greatest of all musicals by several leading critics so it’s perhaps a brave choice for a small company such as Sound Ideas to put this show on, all worries should be put to one side however as this is a superb rendition.
Backed by a live orchestra and presented on a very basic set with very little decoration save a few suitcases to hint at the constant life on the road, the focus is well and truly on the cast and thankfully they all deliver. As befits a tale attempting to squeeze a lot of detail into a short period of time the action moves along at a rapid pace, a particular highlight being the transition from the troupe of small children to the adult versions achieved with some effective use of strobe lighting.
Central to the work is Rose, the archetypal pushy, show business mother, always demanding that her daughter is made the focus and the star, well June, one of her daughters anyway. Louise is always pushed to the side or relegated to a minor supporting role. Onstage for what seems like most of the show, the role of Rose is clearly a very demanding one and Holly Graham is exceptional, never flagging, brash and a constant whirlwind of action and words, her performance was fully deserving of the rousing ovation she received at the finale. It isn’t all lung busting solos for Rose though, there are tender and more introspective moments and at these times Graham shows her acting skills are a match for her singing which is everything the role demands of it.
As Louise, later the Gypsy Rose Lee of the title, Nina Taylor brings a vulnerability to the character which is in stark contrast to where she finds herself by the end of the show, actually playing on the vulnerability of the men in her audience. Initially living in her sister’s shadow and seemingly content to play second fiddle we get to see her feelings a little during her solo of Little Lamb where she wonders how old she is after once again being side-lined despite it being her birthday. Taylor is fully believable as the young girl, lacking the confidence and the singing talent of her sister and you can sense her disappointment in herself for not being able to hold the show together when her sister leaves.
Sitting somewhere between these two emotionally is Herbie, the agent turned candy salesman turned agent again, who falls in love with Rose but ultimately sticks to his principles. Played with sympathy by Joseph Betts his is often the voice of reason but more often than not he gets shouted down by Rose and goes along with her ideas. When he joins Rose and Louise for ‘Together, wherever we go’ you sense the warmth and love he feels for both of them.
As befits a show encompassing a large period of time there are plenty of moments of fun interspersed with the more serious observations, chief amongst these is the segment where Louise finds herself being advised ‘You Gotta Get a Gimmick’ by some of the burlesque dancers shortly before she takes the plunge and performs for the first time, the cast had to pause slightly to allow the laughter in the audience to subside after some particularly entertaining routines.
How true to life the story really is remains debatable, how entertaining the show is certainly isn’t a matter for debate as this is a well thought out and impressive performance from start to finish. Grab a ticket while you can
Runs to 14th September
