| LYRIC STAGE PRESENTS
GYPSY
with full 39-piece orchestra
September 9-19, 2011
at Irving Arts Center's Carpenter Hall
 Before
there was "Toddlers and Tiaras," there was Mama Rose. Lyric
Stage opens its 19th season with GYPSY the story of Rose Hovick,
the mother of all stage mothers, and her relentless pursuit
of stardom for her two daughters, Louise and June. The production
runs September 9-19, 2011 and performances are in the Irving
Arts Center's Carpenter Performance Hall. Tickets can be Ordered
Online by Clicking Here or by calling the box office
@ 972-252-2787.
GYPSY has been celebrated as the greatest American musical by
numerous critics and writers, including Ben Brantley and Frank
Rich of The New York Times. Rich called GYPSY American musical
theatre's answer to King Lear. The show, with music by Jule
Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Arthur Laurents,
is loosely-based on the memoirs of legendary striptease artist,
Gypsy Rose Lee. The score contains many popular standards, including
"Everything's Coming up Roses," "Some People"
and "Let Me Entertain You." The Lyric Stage production
of GYPSY will be the first since the 1959 original Broadway
production to be performed with a full, 39-piece orchestra playing
Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler's original orchestrations.
GYPSY has enjoyed four Broadway revivals since its 1959 debut
and, over the years, the music and orchestrations have been
reworked to fit production needs. Jay Dias, Music Director at
Lyric Stage, has been working closely with the Jule Styne estate
to restore the musical to its full, 1959 sound. Dias describes
the process saying, "When the show opened at the Broadway Theater
in 1959, Jule Styne had orchestrators Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler
use a string section that consisted of violins, cellos, and
bass. After the initial Broadway run closed, the orchestration
was adjusted to allow for theatres to use a more conventional
string section division. For the Lyric Stage production, Jule
Styne's estate and Sid Ramin himself have not only given permission
for the original GYPSY cello parts to be restored, but an originally
written acoustic guitar part, cut before the first rehearsal
due to budget and seating capacity of the pit, will finally
be heard. Lyric Stage's production will form the basis for the
Jule Styne estate's work on the critical edition of the score,
and it's quite a thrill that Lyric Stage audiences will soon
be part of this major step in the restoration of one of the
greatest scores in American musical theatre."
Lyric Stage Founding Producer Steven Jones has reassembled the
powerful creative team from last season's critically acclaimed
production of MY FAIR LADY. GYPSY will be piloted by Director/Choreographer
Len Pfluger and Lyric Stage Music Director Jay Dias will conduct
the 39 member Lyric Stage orchestra.
Sue Mathys, star of the original German production of SUNSET
BLVD, will star as Rose. Mary McElree, last seen at Lyric Stage
as Kim in BYE BYE BIRDIE, will play Louise and Sonny Franks,
last seen at Lyric Stage as Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY, will
play Herbie. Ashton Smalling, Baby June in the Ravinia Festival
production of GYPSY that starred Patti LuPone, will play Dainty
June. Caitlin Carter, of Broadway's CHICAGO, will play Tessie
Tura. Also in the cast are Shannon McGrann (Electra), Sara Shelby-Martin
(Mazeppa), Michael Whitney (Tulsa), Kevin Acosta, Alex Altshuler,
Brian Boyce, Luke Boyce, Mallory Brophy, Caitlin Darby, Michelle
Foard, Gordon Fox, Katharine Gentsch, Ben Giddings, Hunter Hall,
Skylar Halliday, Taylor Hennings, Logan Macaulay, Chet Monday,
Bella Murphy, Stephen Raikes, Thomas Renner, Neil Rogers, Michael
Sylvester, Chloe Voreis, Lisa Ward, Keith Warren, James Williams
and Kristen Wright.
Gypsy runs September 9-19, 2011. Performances are in the Irving
Arts Center's Carpenter Performance Hall, 3333 N. MacArthur
Blvd. Tickets can be Ordered
Online by Clicking Here or by calling the box office
@ 972-252-2787. Performaces are September 9, 10, 11, 16 &
17 @ 8:00 PM and September 12 & 18 @ 2:30 PM.
Download
the program for GYPSY (PDF)
Read
reviews of GYPSY
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