Extra! Extra! Hey, look at the headline! Historical news is being made.
Last night I saw the Vancouver Arts Club production of "Gypsy". I had initially wanted to give my mother a ticket for Mother's Day, but it didn't work out. It would have been worth it just to see her face when she realized it was about the "quintessential stage mother".
Anyway, the theatre was packed. Vancouver responds terribly well to every musical the Arts Club chooses to perform. So, even before the show, it was a great atmosphere. The pit band began to warm up, and I was sorely tempted to talk to them about the score but thought better of it.
Then the director of mentioning the sponsors and warning us against taking pictures or video appeared and the house lights went down. Cue overture. As the band played, my excitement grew exponentially. I was finally going to see a Sondheim show, even if he did only write the lyrics. And the curtain came up.
I won’t lie; I only liked the first ten or fifteen minutes. I was already familiar with the music and “Some People” didn’t grab me the way I had hoped. Barbara Barsky did a good job and it was good, but it wasn’t amazing. On the other hand, I found Babies June and Louise rather hilarious. Baby June kept doing her kicks within a foot or so of the end of the stage, so I found myself thinking that she was going to fall into the pit.
The magic started when the babies grew up a bit. That’s when Barsky really got to sink her teeth into the role of Rose, making her overdramatic, but not over the top. In contrast, Lauren Bowler was subtle and heartbreaking as Louise/Gypsy. June had a strong, clear voice, which has been hidden in the chorus of “Beauty and the Beast” for the past two seasons. Andrew Wheeler was perfectly downtrodden as Herbie (which I’ve always thought of as an unfortunate name).
I especially adored the striptease scene. It was well-directed and Bowler’s portrayal of Louise’s transformation into Gypsy Rose Lee was excellent.
In summation: awesome show with a fantastic cast, which is basically par for the course with the Vancouver Arts Club. Sometimes I love living here.
Anyway, the theatre was packed. Vancouver responds terribly well to every musical the Arts Club chooses to perform. So, even before the show, it was a great atmosphere. The pit band began to warm up, and I was sorely tempted to talk to them about the score but thought better of it.
Then the director of mentioning the sponsors and warning us against taking pictures or video appeared and the house lights went down. Cue overture. As the band played, my excitement grew exponentially. I was finally going to see a Sondheim show, even if he did only write the lyrics. And the curtain came up.
I won’t lie; I only liked the first ten or fifteen minutes. I was already familiar with the music and “Some People” didn’t grab me the way I had hoped. Barbara Barsky did a good job and it was good, but it wasn’t amazing. On the other hand, I found Babies June and Louise rather hilarious. Baby June kept doing her kicks within a foot or so of the end of the stage, so I found myself thinking that she was going to fall into the pit.
The magic started when the babies grew up a bit. That’s when Barsky really got to sink her teeth into the role of Rose, making her overdramatic, but not over the top. In contrast, Lauren Bowler was subtle and heartbreaking as Louise/Gypsy. June had a strong, clear voice, which has been hidden in the chorus of “Beauty and the Beast” for the past two seasons. Andrew Wheeler was perfectly downtrodden as Herbie (which I’ve always thought of as an unfortunate name).
I especially adored the striptease scene. It was well-directed and Bowler’s portrayal of Louise’s transformation into Gypsy Rose Lee was excellent.
In summation: awesome show with a fantastic cast, which is basically par for the course with the Vancouver Arts Club. Sometimes I love living here.