Actors shine through low-budget production
“Gypsy” has proven to be a surefire crowd-pleaser for five decades, yet on opening night of this national tour, the crowd seemed only semi-pleased.
We can’t blame the energetic and talented troupe, led by the world-class Kathy Halenda, as Mama Rose. One problem was clearly beyond their control. When the crowd arrived at the INB Performing Arts Center on Thursday night, they were greeted by the distinct odor of smoke throughout the building.
Apparently, a light bulb got too hot backstage before opening curtain. The situation was taken care of by the time we took our seats, but still, the curtain was delayed about fifteen minutes. Smoke lingered in the air the entire first act. There was never any danger, yet the faint scent of smoke in the nostrils isn’t exactly conducive to sitting back, relaxing and enjoying the show.
Yet as a critic, I must point out that this lukewarm response might have been caused by a couple of artistic reasons as well. This tour, mounted by Phoenix Entertainment, is a low-budget, non-Equity affair. This was particularly glaring in the orchestra pit, which contained an “orchestra” of six. A lot of the orchestration was electronically sequenced, and it sounded that way.
The sets were also on the underwhelming side, with a lot of painted backdrops. The Spokane Civic Theatre consistently has more impressive sets.
The scent of low-budget in the air is a particular problem with “Gypsy,” because the first half of this show is, essentially, a spoof of cheesy vaudeville entertainment. We’re supposed to laugh at the sheer corniness of “Baby June and Her Newsboys,” and “Dainty June and Her Farmboys.” But if the rest of the show looks almost as cheap as these staged scenes, the audience doesn’t know if they’re supposed to laugh. Thursday night, they didn’t.
Yet the onstage talent far transcends the production values. The star is clearly Halenda, who takes her place quite comfortably beside some of the legendary Mama Roses: Ethel Merman, Rosalind Russell and Bette Midler.
Halenda’s Rose is nuanced. Sure, Rose is loud, bossy and more than a little bit off-kilter psychologically. But she’s tender, loving and absolutely obsessed with pouring her soul into her children’s success. In other words, Halenda’s Mama Rose is truly a mother; overwhelming, exasperating, but motivated always by love.
Halenda’s voice is outstanding, which is a good thing since she sings nearly all of the show’s biggest songs. Where Merman’s voice was a brassy trombone, Halenda’s is more a rich clarinet. In her quieter passages, her voice is especially expressive. And she delivers a chilling “Rose’s Turn,” tearing at her clothes, staggering across the stage, a soul in meltdown.
Missy Dowse is a great Louise, shoulders slumped when she is overshadowed by sister June and mother Rose. But when she turns into Gypsy Rose Lee, the star stripper, she suddenly becomes the embodiment of the saucy, confident woman.
The crowd came most alive during the classic “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” number with the three strippers played by Loriann Freda, Rachel Abrams and Maria Egler. They each demonstrate their bump-and-grind gimmicks – trumpet, electric lights and butterfly costume. This is one of the great comic scenes in musical theater and these three hit it out of the park.
This production also gave me a new appreciation for the tune, “Together, Wherever We Go,” performed by Halenda, Dowse and Nicholas Hamel, who does a great job as Herbie. This tune usually gets overshadowed by “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Let Me Entertain You,” but these three turned it into one of the show’s well-deserved highlights.
Yet overall, this production of “Gypsy” mostly helped whip up anticipation for the new season, just announced, with “Phantom of the Opera” and “Spamalot.” No low-budget worries there.