Theater Review: 'Gypsy' at Goodspeed Musicals

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

Goodspeed Musicals kicks off their 60th Anniversary season with a production of ‘Gypsy A Musical Fable.” The classic musical has a book by Arthur Laurents, suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by the late great Stephen Sondheim in his sophomore outing.

It is difficult to believe that this is the first time that Goodspeed has produced this brassy masterpiece about vaudeville and burlesque. Artistic Associate Michael Fling writes that Mamma Rose is the King Lear of Musical Theater and the role is tied for the most nominated musical role in the history of awards.

Judy McLane, who played both Donna and Tanya in “Mamma Mia!” on Broadway for over 4,000 performances, stars in the role of Madame Rose and makes her entrance through the house. Her performance as Rose is somewhat understated and does not really reach the level of Gypsy Rose Lee’s ultimate stage mother. Equity actress Talia Suskauer, who played Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway and in the national tour, makes her Goodspeed debut in the role of Louise and masters the arc of her character very well.

Philip Hernandez, an Equity actor, gives a great performance as Herbie, the agent who wants to be Rose’s fourth husband. Hernandez, the only actor in Broadway history to star as both Jean Valjean and Javert in “Les Miserables, and won the 2019 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his portrayal of Quixote in “Man of La Mancha.”

The young performers in the cast are great. Equity member Laura Sky Herman makes her Goodspeed debut as Dainty June and is appropriately perky. Herman is a recent Harvard graduate, where she made history as one of the first women to perform with the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Baby June is played by Emily Jewel Hoder, an Equity performer who began her professional career at seven and appeared on Broadway in “The Music Man.”

Cameron Blake Miller, age 11, makes her Goodspeed debut as Baby Louise. She has performed with East Lyme Regional Theater and Stonington High School Drama. Carlos Velasquez Escamilla, who plays a rich boy, recently appeared in the Sacred Heart University production of “A Christmas Carol” as Henri Cratchit and played himself in an episode of “Sesame Street.”

Kudos to the three Equity actresses who step out of the ensemble to play the three strippers. Victoria Huston-Elem shines as Electra, Romelda Teron Benjamin plays the trumpet as Mazeppa and Valerie Wright is a delight as Tessie Tura. Michael Starr dances well as Tulsa.

Overall, the press performance felt as if it was not quite ready for reviewers. More than one actor had trouble with a line and one of the ruffles in Dainty June’s petticoat came loose onstage.

The Goodspeed production is directed by Jenn Thompson, who has done a bit of trimming of the famously long musical. The choreography is by Patricia Wilcox. The music direction by Adam Souza is quite wonderful and the score sounds superb when performed by the group of musicians. The music director gets a spotlight as he heads to his keyboard to conduct the musicians.

The scenic design by Alexander Dodge is unique and works really well on the small Goodspeed Opera House stage. By illuminating a card on the busy backdrop, the audience knows where we are in the early 1920’s to 1930s throughout the United States.

The costume design by Eduardo Sicangco is one of the best parts of this production, from the iconic costumes for the aging strippers to the lovely gowns that usher in the new career of the title character. The hair, wig and makeup design always fits the scene and is better than I expected. Wig design was by Jason P. Hayes, with wig design for Ms. McLane and Ms. Suskauer by J. Jared Janas.

There is fine lighting designed by Paul Miller. William Berloni returns to the Goodspeed as the animal director and trainer for the tiny Cha Cha, who tackles the role of Chowsie.

“Gypsy” continues at the Opera House through June 25, with additional performances added from June 19 through June 25.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.