Sarah on theater

Broadway Cares is back to extract dollars from me for signatures that I can’t identify. The wind ripped that baby right out of my hand onto 44th St about ten seconds after I bought it. (I awkwardly loped after it in some shoes I was breaking in. I’m sure I must have been an amusing sight for somebody.)

This is the first production of Gypsy I’ve been able to see as a transplant and it’s squarely for me and I feel delighted to have seen it twice. The material holds up and it’s a fabulous cast. ☺️ Please give me more opportunities to play catch-up. My hobby is whispering the word “operatic” to older folks in my immediate vicinity as though they were gumball machines standing at the ready to dispense stories about Tyne Daly

The latest is Montego Glover is staying on to do Sunday matinees for Gypsy, and I think that’s great. I really think that eight shows a week is a lot to ask for a demanding role like Mama Rose (this far into the run), plus it creates a reliably less-expensive option for folks who need it, and nerds like me can go back and hear someone else sing the material. Win-win-win.

Here’s, like, threeish opinions:

1.) Montego offers a legitimate alternate take on the role: her “Turn” feels like less of a narcissistic meltdown and more like the lament of someone who doesn’t understand how she pushes people away. She performs this take very well, and I felt the difference in interpretations more than, say, Nicole/Mandy across the street.

2.) Broadly, I feel like I have a better grasp of what matters about this show and why Broadway’s leading ladies of a certain age tend to circle this part. A high-replacement-level fill-in doesn’t quite cut the mustard; Gypsy really hangs on the charisma of the lead, and very few performers could anchor a production of it on Broadway. It’s no strike against Montego to say that she’s not Audra McDonald. (Few of us are, after all.)

3.) To restate that last point, I really came to appreciate just how distinct Audra is. Hearing a more traditional musical theater voice sing these songs makes me better understand why Audra’s operatic soprano sticks out to people. But I like it. That violent vibrato perfectly complements Audra’s acting choices, particularly during the final meltdown, and it really elevates the material to have role, talent, and decision-making so aligned.

To bring it back to the performance I actually saw this time, I basically have no meaningful criticism of Montego. I thought she was excellent and her interpretation worthwhile, especially if Audra’s been your only Rose. Montego gives 100%—this is just the rare show that can reward going to 120%.