Kat Stiennon
Michele Ragusa (Rose) in Capital City Theatre's "Gypsy."
Theater owners, brace yourself. Mama Rose is back in town, and with her bold, brassy voice, big dreams of success, and enormous bravado, she is emphatically not taking “no” for an answer.
After presenting the lesser known contemporary musical Violet last summer as its debut production, Capital City Theatre is back with the Broadway classic Gypsy, playing in the Capitol Theater at Overture Center for one weekend only; the final shows are today (Saturday, June 18), at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. A semi-staged production of the beloved ode to an obsessed stage mother and her long-suffering daughters, this Gypsy shines, thanks to an impressive 25-piece orchestra, led by Capital City Artistic Director Andrew Abrams, some imported Broadway talent, and some local performers who match them note for note.
Based loosely on the story of the famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee and her domineering mother, Gypsy presents the journey of a family doggedly pursuing stardom. Initially Mama Rose puts all her faith and energy into transforming her younger daughter, June, into a vaudeville sensation. With a mop of blonde curls, a strong singing voice, and a natural talent for charming audiences, June is thrust into the spotlight while older daughter Louise is pushed to the background — literally and figuratively. But when June abruptly leaves the act, Rose defiantly regroups and tries even harder to mold her shy, and less charismatic daughter Louise into star material. Along the way, Rose lashes out at any obstacle in her path, clinging to her dream at the expense of real relationships with her daughters. She also squanders the love of her beau, the smitten but mousy agent Herbie, who is willing to do almost anything to earn Rose’s approval — even believing that vaudeville is not in fact dead.
It is no coincidence that the actresses who have tackled the role of Rose in the past – from Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone to Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters — have earned extraordinary praise. The backbone of the show, the part is incredibly demanding both emotionally and musically. Rose closes both acts of the show with powerhouse solo numbers that, when done right, leave every bit of her heart on the stage.
Accomplished Broadway and regional performer Michele Ragusa not only embodies Mama Rose in Capital City Theatre’s production, she dazzles the audience with every overbearing word, every calculating move and every desperate song. Her singing voice is reminiscent of Judy Garland in her prime — powerful but easy, with a velvet touch. Ragusa fills the Capitol Theater with a persona that is larger than life, while also showing the vulnerability that threatens to break through such a tough façade. She is masterful and mesmerizing every time she comes on stage.
As the ugly duckling daughter turned burlesque luminary, local actress Liz Griffith also turns in a star performance as Louise. Her longing to be loved by her mother as a person instead of a product is palpable; the audience can almost hear Louise’s dream shatter when Rose refuses to marry Herbie and settle down to a quieter life. Griffith’s lovely dance duet with Tulsa (the smooth and accomplished Christopher MacGregor) in “All I Need is the Girl” displays both grace and comic timing as Louise begins to blossom. And when she morphs from awkward and insecure to sexy and confident as a striptease performer, singing “Let Me Entertain You,” with her newly discovered, gorgeous voice, it is a triumph of spirit.
As the devoted and disappointed agent Herbie, regional theater veteran Sean Thomas presents a lovable sad sack. Stuttering and stumbling, he is drawn to Rose’s strength, but realizes too late that she is more in love with her own ambitions than anything else. While his singing voice can’t match those of his leading ladies, his earnestness is a great foil for Rose’s insincerity.
In the large cast, several Madison area performers matched the caliber of the nationally-acclaimed leads. Donavon Armbruster, the aforementioned Christopher MacGregor and Jacob Rankin were each delightful in smaller roles. Other actors, particularly the trio of strippers who counsel Louise to find a gimmick for her act, worked much too hard, and too broadly, for a laugh.
Choreography by Madison Ballet Artistic Director W. Earle Smith is somewhat repetitive, and is performed unevenly by both the women’s and men’s chorus members, but overall director Jeff Whiting’s staging worked well. With the cast positioned directly in front of the orchestra, the set was composed of only costume racks, laundry carts, and a steamer trunk or two, underneath a faux proscenium arch made of lights. A curtain drop was used to great effect, depicting both backstage drama and grand entrances on to the stage.
Whether Gypsy is an old favorite of yours or a musical you’ve never experienced before, it is worth coming into a dark theater on a beautifully warm sunny Saturday to see the stars come out in this production. Everything is definitely “coming up roses” for Capital City Theatre’s Gypsy Rose Lee and her indomitable, unforgettable mother.
