GENESEO, N.Y.—SUNY Geneseo is bringing an iconic canon of American musical theater, “Gypsy: The Musical,” to the stage to both amuse and teach valuable lessons to its audience.
The Department of Music will present this Tony award-winning Broadway production in the Alice Austin Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on April 5-8; the Sunday matinee on April 9 will begin at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $15 and $10 for Geneseo students, available for purchase online here or at the Brodie Box Office one hour before each show.
Based on Gypsy: A Memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee, the multiple Tony award-winning Broadway production is set in the world of vaudeville and burlesque houses during the 1920s and 30s. “Gypsy: The Musical” centers on “Mama Rose”—as played by junior communication and musical theatre double major Sophie Yeomans. Rose is a mother who raises her two daughters to always aspire for the spotlight. Louise is played by junior musical theater major Jessica Murphy and “Baby June” is played by senior musical theater major Nicole Eras
“This is a story of a domineering mother's determination to pursue fame and success for her two young daughters, but at what cost? Mama Rose is the classic stage mother—brash, tough, persuasive and larger-than-life,” said stage director Scott Scaffidi, guest artist-in-residence this semester at Geneseo. “She believes she knows what is best for her children, and her strong-willed character has both positive and negative effects, simultaneously uniting her adopted family and tearing them apart with her unflappable ambition.”
Rose thrusts June and Louise into the show business life without blinking an eye—but while June exemplifies the extroverted child star, older sister Louise is much quieter.
“Louise is a very strong character who struggles with finding herself in the world and becoming an independent person,” said Murphy. “All that she wants is her mother's approval and to be loved for who she is.”
Unlike June, Louise finds a different kind of fame, as Louise winds up working at a burlesque house as a young woman. Although Rose is not pleased with the change of plans, when Louise grows to be a renowned burlesque star, Rose has a change of heart, to say the least. It is then that Louise realizes that she no longer needs her mother anymore as ‘Gypsy Rose Lee’—the very person who pushed Louise down this path of life.
“Before I began working on the character [Rose], I saw her as an older woman with whom I could not relate to,” said Yeomans. “However, throughout the process, I have started to realize how much she is a symbol of strength and power and, while her actions are, perhaps, too aggressive and strong at certain times, I think her willingness to strive and achieve is something that should be admired and adopted by many. She has a tendency to put her goals and achievements above the people in her life, which results in her, and others, getting hurt. However, I think that is an important lesson to learn.”
The need for recognition drives “Gypsy: The Musical,” influencing every choice made in the production, according to Scaffidi—and not only Rose’s desire for acclaim.
“All the characters have a fundamental need to be recognized: as a mother, as a daughter, as a husband, as a father, as a lover, as a star,” said Scaffidi.
At the end of the day, “Gypsy: The Musical” takes powerful American themes and puts a humorous twist on them.
“‘Gypsy’ is an iconic show with a great score,” said Yeomans. “While it certainly has emotional moments, at the crux of it all, the show is a comedy and there are definitely moments that will make everyone laugh out loud. The show takes place in the extravagance of a vaudeville theatre, so with that comes great scenery. I think the audience will be amazed by the set pieces that we have and the spectacle created.”
That would be the spectacle of theater, according to Murphy. The production’s visuals and overall atmosphere would not be complete without the singing newsboys, secret marriages, a dancing cow and even a strip routine—or two.
Songwriter Jule Styne composed the music for the production with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Music direction for show comes from the coordinator of Geneseo’s Musical Theater Program, Don Kot, and choreography by Katie LeSuer, also a guest artist-in-residence this semester. The team of designers consists of Eric Williamson as scenic designer, Toni Elderkin as lighting designer, Laura Fox as costume, wig and make-up designer, Dave LaDue as sound designer, Graydon VanRy as scenic carpenter, Brodie McPherson as props designer and Kayleigh Barclay as stage manager.
The student performers in the cast also include Kimberly Cole as Tessie Tura, Maria Floriano as Electra, Brett Hammes as Tulsa, Erica Milliman as Mazeppa, Aram Peers as Herbie Also in the cast are student Katelyn Brooks, Erin Burris, Maria Cento, Pat Hurley, RT James, Annie Levine, Ben Reiner, Brian Sousis, Tristan Strasser and Rachel Wilson.
For more information on the production, visit the Department of Music’s calendar and the Facebook event page, called “Gypsy: A Musical Fable at SUNY Geneseo.”
Release written by College Communications and Marketing intern Alexandra Ciarcia.
Media Contact:
David Irwin
College Communications and Marketing
(585) 245-5529
Irwin@geneseo.edu