We round up the critics reviews for this revival of the musical starring Audra McDonald.
The Guardian: **** “Joy Woods’s Louise, initially a too one-note wallflower to her mother’s firehouse, sharpens as she matures into a chameleonic striptease artist, a woman of lambent physicality and erstwhile warmth. Her latent sensitivity pairs well with McDonald’s quavering Rose, and ushers in this revival’s ace: McDonald’s rendition of the second show-stopper, Rose’s Turn. Alone on the stage apron, every bead of sweat and spit and tears alit, she channels a performer of abject desire, love and desperation. It’s a true bravura performance, the type of mesmeric, shamanistic, nearly unbelievable wattage promised by the best of musical theater.”
The New York Times: “Hold your hats and hallelujah, our leading musical tragedienne offers an ultra-dramatic Rose in George C. Wolfe’s Broadway revival.”
WhatsOnStage: ***** “Regardless, there’s enough to admire about this Gypsy that you will leave feeling like you’ve gotten your money’s worth, and then some. Wolfe honors the brilliance of the material while finding a new way in, and those willing to go for the ride will find great rewards. And how lucky are we that we get to see Audra McDonald, a living legend, push herself to even further heights? The whole production is a rare privilege; you either got it or you ain’t — and this one’s got it.”
amny.com: “Compared to her many illustrious predecessors in the role, McDonald gives an emotionally raw, full-bodied performance as Rose.”
Variety: “Moreover, this specific production has a distinct stamp under Wolfe’s direction. The humorous beats are present, of course. Rose’s fake Bible verses, silverware theft and social ineptness showcase a woman clamoring for the life she so desperately wants, but seeing no way to achieve it other than through the daughters she’s birthed. The show doesn’t explicitly discuss race, but nods and winks about colorism are present. Rose initially throws all of her energy into Baby June, not simply because she’s talented but also because of her light skin.”
New York Post: “Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas and Mylinda Hull are very funny as the eccentric dancers. But they perform the parts so enormously that they’re out of whack with the rest of the show, which has been frustratingly dialed down and never settles on a consistent tone other than dull.”
Deadline: “And finally there is the inevitable “Rose’s Turn,” that very definition of the showstopping 11 o’clock number in which Rose’s pent-up ambitions and decades of resentments come roaring to the fore. There’s often a temptation to add one eruption too many – Tyne Daly famously slapped the floor – and McDonald doesn’t sidestep the urge. She plays down the soprano trills successfully enough, but in their place she chews more scenery than might be necessary. There’s no denying her power, here and throughout this revival. Her Rose is her Rose (just as – let’s not forget – her Billie Holiday was her Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill) – and who are we to do anything but treasure its fragrances?”
Talkin’ Broadway: ” But this is Audra McDonald’s turn at bat, and she sinks her teeth into the role like no other. Whatever quibbles we might have with her vocal range here, her rendition of “Rose’s Turn” ranks among the best acted and sung of this show-stopping mental breakdown of a number. And even if you think Rose is indeed a monster, McDonald goes all out to show us the troubled person beneath, which of itself makes this Gypsy a worthy addition to those many Roses who came before. Salute them all: Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, Patti LuPone, and now Audra McDonald.”
Time Out: ***** “This Rose has a defiant pride and an aspiration to higher class, and they come together in McDonald’s unique voice; it’s like a physical manifestation of Rose’s will-to-fanciness. Yes, it’s an unconventional sound for Rose. Every song is a bit of a test, a rite of passaggio between McDonald’s chest voice and her head voice; she hits you with a switch instead of a belt. But she makes the tension work to her advantage. The big notes that land in her upper register are not delicate; they throb with intensity and grandeur. Some people, Rose sings dismissively in her first song, have “the dream but not the guts.” McDonald’s voice has equal parts of both, and she uses it to deliver an unforgettable star turn.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “I could pick faults with the production. Camille A. Brown’s choreography is more often busy than effective, notably in Gypsy Rose Lee’s Ziegfeld-esque “Garden of Eden” number, in which the chorus in sheer body stockings and strategic fig leaves look like they’ve stepped out of Showgirls. And Louise’s transformation from a shy kid just wanting her mother to notice her into a resplendent glamazon feels too abrupt. But rising star Woods looks so sensational in a Marcel wave and a shimmering red gown that she makes it work, a lifetime’s dejection melting away as Louise seizes her liberation from the shadows.”
New York Theater.me: “Audra McDonald is certainly entertaining in “Gypsy.” In the first part of Rose’s Turn, she gets fully into the suggestive and sexy moves of a stripper, albeit as the middle-aged Rose would interpret one. She is a precise actress. When she’s decided to build up Louise, she calls her “the talent” but stumbles on the word, exactly as Rose would, still convinced her oldest daughter has none. But her greatest contribution to this production might be the way she connects us to Rose’s feelings, and to our own.”
New York Theatre Guide: “McDonald’s take on Momma Rose is all her own from her very first line to her triumphant final song. She oozes with all of Rose’s insecurities but loves so fiercely and protectively. McDonald throws her entire being into “Rose’s Turn,” building and building until you begin to marvel that you are lucky enough to witness such a performance. And when Rose finishes her song, soaking in the adoration from the audience that is both imaginary and also very real, there is no other choice but to give her a standing ovation.”
For more information about the production visit: https://gypsybway.com/