Speculated by many (including NY Times critic Ben Brantley) to be the greatest of all American musicals, Gypsy tells the story of the dreams and efforts of one hungry, powerhouse of a woman to get her two daughters into show business. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoir of famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, entitled Gypsy: Memoirs of America鈥檚 Most Celebrated Stripper. The memoir and the musical focus on the story of Gypsy Rose Lee鈥檚 mother, Rose, and earned Rose a place in the theatrical and literary canon as the quintessential, archetypal 鈥淪tage Mother.鈥� The musical features songs that have become standards of the musical theatre canon, including 鈥淪ome People,鈥� 鈥淟et Me Entertain You,鈥� 鈥淩ose鈥檚 Turn,鈥� and the show-stopping 鈥淓verything鈥檚 Coming Up Roses鈥�. Gypsy is famous for helping launch lyricist Stephen Sondheim鈥檚 career, and features a book by Arthur Laurents that is widely considered to be one of the classic examples of a traditional 鈥渂ook musical.鈥� At the heart of the musical is the gregarious Rose, whose journey made critic Frank Rich call Gypsy, 鈥淏roadway鈥檚 own brassy, unlikely answer to King Lear.鈥�
Gypsy guide sections
