Broadway Moments

When I think of quintessential Broadway experiences, four specific events come to mind.

1. Hearing Marin Mazzie sing "Back to Before" in the original production of Ragtime.
2. Hearing Victoria Clark sing "Fable" in the original production of Light in the Piazza.
3. Hearing Stew and co. sing "Amsterdam" in the Public run of Passing Strange (not technically Broadway, but still).
4. Hearing Patti Lupone sing "Rose's Turn" in Gypsy on Broadway (do a Youtube search).

The last of these happened last night. Holy hell-bent stage mom. I don't even know how to translate into words the physical sensation of watching Lupone--arguably the finest stage actress of her generation--sing arguably the finest song in American musical theater... all from the fourth row of the orchestra, dead center.

Now, I've seen Rose's Turn performed before--never in person--by Bette Midler (thanks to the TV production), Tyne Daly (thanks to Youtube) and Bernadette Peters (also Youtube). Frankly, I never got what all the fuss was about. Sure, it's a killer number, but not necessarily something that you can sing along to. And really, outside of the context of the show, it doesn't really make a ton of sense.

So last night, the slow build started with Patti doing the Mama Rose "Sing out, Louise" entrance from the back of the orchestra. Then it got bigger with each successive number. By the end of Act I, when Patti sang "Everything's Coming Up Roses," it was one of those, oh-my-goodness-this-is what-Broadway-is-meant-to-be moments.

So the second act, that's really where all the fireworks are. Laura Benanti, who plays Louise, blew my mind with her transformation from a dowdy tomboy to a world-class stripper. Really, her tour of Burlesqe theaters near the end of the show is, in a word, stunning. And then the big confrontation scene between Mama Rose and Louise... devastating, beautiful, raw, unforgettable.

So then there's Rose's Turn, the song in which Mama Rose has a nervous breakdown while recounting all the missed opportunities in her life. Judging from the audience's response, you would've thought it was a major league baseball game. People were screaming--SCREAMING--throughout the number. At the end, there was a solid standing ovation, something I've never experienced in the middle of a performance. Lupone was untethered, totally available to the character's weaknesses. Superhuman and grounded at once. This is the work of a magician. Not to be missed.

As for the production, it was beautiful. Sure, there were some unfortunate stuffed animals masquerading as the real thing. But that almost seemed fitting, given the show's time period--the days of Vaudeville--and its emphasis on the material and performers. Without exception, everyone in the cast delivered the goods. The three strippers who sing "Gotta Get a Gimmick" were, without exception, hilarious. All of the kids were spot on--including a little boy from Austin (Andy Richardson) who I once saw play the son in a concert of The Music Man starring Rebecca Luker.

What a great night in the theater. Go see it if you get a chance. You will not be disappointed.

I'll post more on South Pacific later. It was a beautiful production. But frankly, it lost some of its luster after seeing Lupone's Gypsy in the same day.