Once upon a time our celebrated Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake decided to headline their new season with the powerhouse musical Gypsy, with the equally powerful Shaw veteran Kate Hennig in the lead role. Then the pandemic happened. And continued...and continued...
So finally this year, the show is on and it has proven to be well worth the extended wait.
I still have vivid memories of the last Shaw production of Gypsy back in 2005 with Nora McLellan in the lead role, and oddly enough Kate acted as occasional fill-in for that production. Nora was magnificent then; Kate is equally magnificent now.
It's a very tough role and takes a huge, larger-than-life stage presence a lot of stage actors simply do not possess. But with Kate you have someone who explores the driven mind of the ultimate "theatre mum", pushing first her youngest daughter June into the spotlight on the fast fading vaudeville circuit and when she bolts, pushing even harder to get her daughter Louise to not only fill that role but run with it.
For Louise it is not an easy transformation, as she is the shy, more reticent of the two daughters, very much aware the younger June steals the limelight and as a result, much of her mother's attention. But in the second act when this transformation occurs, we see Louise change from that shy, reserved girl into a seductive, very sexy burlesque performer clearly revelling in the ability to get noticed.
But for Mama Rose, she still can't rise above the poverty level it seems and finally, via either daughter, be a showbiz success. Set in the dirty 30s when rubbing two cents together might be the highlight of one's day, Mama Rose struggles to keep things going and remain positive. That being said, throughout the show we see an impressive array of costumes for both daughters and their retinue and you have to wonder how in the world she could afford to get all that fabric and get the outfits made for them all.
Ah, the lure of musical theatre...sorry I forgot to check my reality at the door...
While not perfect, this production of Gypsy, directed by Jay Turvey, hits all the right notes. He allows all the characters to grow as much as the musical and Rose will allow. There is depth to most every role save for one of the pivotal ones...that of Rose's long-suffering manager and husband-in-waiting, Herbie. Jason Cadieux does an admirable job with the role, presenting a Herbie full of gentlemanly qualities. Still, one wonders how the role could have been beefed up somewhat to counteract the bombastic nature of Rose.
Perhaps it's just me, but Herbie, what do you see in this woman anyways?! Ah love...
Without exception the cast is uniformly strong, leading of course with Hennig in the demanding role of Mama Rose. Cadieux is likeable, as is Drew Plummer in the lesser role of Tulsa. Baby Jane and adult Jane, played respectively by Ariana Abudaqa and Madelyn Kriese are well suited to their roles and provide just that right amount of nauseating positivity needed to keep the "show" Mama Rose has crafted for them on the rails.
But the second act belongs to Julie Lumsden as daughter Louise, pushed into the role vacated by sister June. Her charisma grows, she learns how to tease and titillate the patrons without getting carried away, and develops the confidence needed to cope with an overbearing stage mom.
But with all that success, what becomes of Mama Rose? The answer comes late in the second act when Hennig gives us a tour-de-force performance of Rose's Turn.
That's just one of the fine musical numbers crafted by June Style and the young, up-and-coming Stephen Sondheim. It is full of endlessly optimistic numbers everyone knows almost by heart now, including Let Me Entertain You, Small World, All I Need is the Girl and of course, Everything's Coming Up Roses.
Oh and special mention must go to the gravelly-voiced Jenni Burke as the large-and-in-charge burlesque performer Mazeppa, singing You Gotta Get a Gimmick. What a treat!
The orchestra under the direction of Paul Sportelli is in fine form and the choreography by Genny Sermonia is inventive and fun. The sets are sparse but what's there is just right, and as mentioned earlier the costumes by Cory Sincennes are just wonderful.
There's lots to like in this production of Gypsy, and yes, it was indeed worth the long wait. It rates a strong three out of four stars and runs at the Festival Theatre until October 7th.
Call the Shaw box office or go online to Shawfest.com to book your tickets.
Have a great day!
June 26th, 2023.
