Opening Night Critics Jump For Gypsy
It appears that there was true Broadway magic last night at the St. James Theatre when Patti LuPone opened in Gypsy! Today the critical response has arrived. The musical is considered one of Broadway’s five best, and the response from critic’s suggest that this production is second to none. Everything is coming up Gypsy!
Consistently, reviewers enthusiastically praise LuPone’s performance and the work of Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti. Director Arthur Laurents’ also earns constant praise for his no-nonsense, faithful production of a musical he helped create in 1959. Critical response to the production is overwhelmingly positive, making the new Gypsy and old-fashioned Broadway hit! Below are excerpts from the critics:
“…this latest incarnation … shines with a magnified transparency that lets you see right down to the naked core of characters so hungry for attention that it warps them.”
-Ben Brantley, New York Times
“What’s special about LuPone is the unexpected shading and nuance – brassy one moment, grotesque the next, then pathetic, even tragic…”
-Clive Barnes, New York Post
“What Laurents brings, unsurprisingly, is complete understanding of the material, never flinching from the dark, unsettling hues of a story about an overbearing, borderline-abusive monster…”
-David Rooney, Variety
“…It’s wondrous to see what she (LuPone) has done to deepen her portrait of a woman desperate for recognition but who channels that desire through her daughters…”
-Michael Kuchwara, AP
“…the musical has that radiant nucleus around which everything else coalesces into a parade of delights.”
-John Simon, Bloomberg
“LuPone’s Rose may not be incapable of love, but she’s the perfect show-business monster, a shiny cauldron of frustration and ambition who remains oblivious to her children’s needs until it’s too late.”
-Elysa Gardner, USA Today
“In a performance that’ll have musical comedy fanatics buzzing for months, LuPone executes a show-biz finish to end all finishes.”
-David Finkle, Theatermania
“This is arguably the definitive production of what is unquestionably a perfect musical…” -Matt Windman, AM New York
“Her (LuPone) huge belts got the biggest ovations, but she also stands in front of a curtain and tears out her insides…”
-Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune
“With all this talent no gimmick is needed and awards galore are a sure thing…”
-Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp
