Gypsy

Composer
Jule Styne

Composer/Lyricist
Stephen Sondhiem

Librettist
Arthur Laurents

DIRECTOR
Emma Griffin

September 12 – November 2, 2002

Gut-busting, in-your-face comedy!

SYNOPSIS

Just how far will a mother go to make her little girl a star? The last,
desperate gasps of vaudeville provide the backdrop for Gypsy, a
timeless story of ambition and family. Featuring classic songs like
“Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,”
Gypsy is a vivid retelling of the emergence of the little girl who
would become the notorious Gypsy Rose Lee–with a little help
from mom. The Express production of this landmark of musical
theatre features cabaret sensation Libby Whittemore and a
posse–say, 22–of Atlanta’s finest performers.

Gypsy opened atthe Broadway Theatre on May 21, 1959 and closed on
March 25, 1961 after 702 performances. It was made into a motion
picture starring Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell in 1963 and a TV
movie starring Bette Midlerin 1993. A Broadway revival was staged in
1974 with Angela Lansbury and again in 1989 with Tyne Daley.
Suggested by the memoirs ofthe notorious stripper Gypsy Rose
Lee, Gypsy tells the story of Rose, an overbearing stage mother who is
determined to break into the big time by pushing the vaudeville career
of her younger daughter June. However, unwilling to tolerate her
mother’s manipulations, June elopes with a dancer. Rose then turns all
of her attention to her older and less talented daughter Louise. Rose’s
dreams come to fruition when Louise’s careertakes off on the
burlesque circuit as a stripper. Confronting the reality that she is no
longer needed in her daughter’s life,the play concludes with Rose and
Louise coming to an understanding aboutthe true legacy of a mother’s
desire to live out her own dreams through her children.
Theatre people are obsessed with stories abouttheatre people. We
know deep down thatthe very pathologies thatfuel our commitmentto
this work-low pay and crazy hours and the constant emotionalroller
coaster of approval and validation inherentin a performer’s life-well,
that stuff makes for greattheatre. And there’s no more vivid rendering
of a performer’s drive than this beautiful story of a mother who lives
through her daughters.

Our creative team’s outstanding-the amazing Libby Whittemore, Obie-
winning director Emma Griffin, pageant designer Jay Reynolds on

clothes, notto mention a cast of 21 humans AND a little dog called
Rambo – Gypsy is easily the largest projectthe theatre has undertaken
in my three seasons here. With its relevance to the season’s core
themes-lostinnocence, and the liberating,redemptive power of
performance-and the sheerresources it demands to bring itto life, it’s
no exaggeration to say we’ve built our year around it. Plus, it’s really fun
to open a season with Gypsy,the definitive American musical, and close
it with Hedwig, her crazy,trouble-making progeny.

“ALL THE MORE POWERFUL FOR BEING SO FEARLESSLY UNPREDICTABLE.”

– Los Angeles TIMES

“SEARING AND SENSATIONALLY FUNNY!”

– New York Times

“EXPLOSIVE. INSANELY ENTERTAINING AND COMPLETELY ENGAGING.”

– New York Magazine

Cast & Creative Team

Meghann Bouchane

Hollywood Blonde

KIn Bowers-rheay

Tessie Tura

Katy Carkuff

Hollywood Blonde

Barbara Cole

June

Jennifer Courtade

Hollywood Blonde

Tessa Edmundson

Baby June

Jason Feldman

Newsboy

Ethan Foster

Tulsa

Mark Gray

George

Scott Higgs

Herbie

Margy love

Baby Louise

Richard Marson

Yonkers

Kendyl Mccray

Hollywood Blonde

Wendy Melkonian

louise

Sarah onsager

Electra/renee

Richard Marson

Yonkers

Christopher Parkerson

Newsboy

Jacob Marion Velcoff

Newsboy

Shane Vickers

L.A.

Libby Whittemore

ROse

Brit Whittle

Uncle Jocko

Donna Wright

MIss Cratchitt/Mazeppa

COMPOSER

Jule Styne

COMPOSER/LYRICIST

STEPHEN SONDHIEM

LIBRETTIST

ARTHUR LAURENTS

DIRECTOR

EMMA GRIFFIN

CHOREOGRAPHER

ROBERT EGIZIO

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

CHRISTIE KLOUSE

MUSIC DIRECTOR

PETE HAUENSTEIN

CHARGE SCENIC PAINTER

AMY FERGUSON KOHAN

Scenic designer

rod lemmond

PROPS

CHERRYL LLOYD-MILLER

CASTING DIRECTOR

RACHEL MAY

SOUND ENGINEER/PRODUCTION MANAGER

JOSEPH P. MONAGHAN III

COSTUME DESIGNER

JAY REYNOLDS

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER

NILS ONSAGER

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

TUSK SCOTT

STAGE MANAGER

ANNE STAINBACK

LIGHTING DESIGNER

CATHERINE TATE

CONDUCTOR

KAREN HUCKABEE

KEYBOARD

BJ BROWN

TRUMPET

JAMES CAGE

REED DOUBLER

DUSTIN CICERO

DRUMS

JEREMY CUDD

TROMBONE

ERIC DOTSON

PIANO

KAREN HUCKABEE

RUNNING TIME

Two hours with one intermission

CONTENT ADVISORY

Audience Advisory: This production contains full nudity, strong adult language and descriptions and depictions of sensitive and intense issues and situations. For more detailed information about potential trigger warnings, please click HERE

SEATING

There is open seating for this production.

PERFORMANCES

Previews

May 12 & 13 at 8 pm

Opening Night

May 14 at 8 pm

Regular Performances

May 14 – June 12, 2022
Wednesdays – Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 2 pm

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