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Gypsy-mania! |
Feature/March 2012 |
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Barbra looks on ...
Clockwise from top right:
Tyne Daly, Rosalind Russell, Patti LuPone, Angela Lansbury, Bette
Midler, Bernadette Peters. Ethel Merman
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Gypsy-mania!
In
anticipation
of
what
will
undoubtedly
be
one
of
Barbra's
finest
film
performances,
we
put
together
a
few
fun facts about the stage and film versions of Gypsy.
And be sure to test your knowledge by taking the "Gypsy Quiz"
below. |
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Gypsy Trivia |
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Kay Medford
in
Gypsy
?
Kay
Medford
is
probably
the
last
person
you'd
expect
to
find singing
the
score
from
Gypsy.
Medford, the Oscar nominated actress who portrayed
another Mama Rose
(Brice) opposite Barbra in the stage and film versions of Funny Girl also
belted
out
those
iconic 'Mama' Rose
(Hovick)
tunes on
her 1969 studio recording of Gypsy.
Listen
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"Mama's
Turn"
Ethel
Merman's
Demo
We
all
know
the
big
finale
of
Gypsy
is
called
"Roses
Turn."
But
when
the
show
was
in
development,
it
was
called
"Mama's Turn."
The
song
was
released
in
1999
on
an
Ethel
Merman
album
of
demo
recordings
called
"Mermania."
It's
basically
the
same,
but
without
the
big
finish.
Listen
to a
sample,
or
download
the
full
song
at
Amazon
or
iTunes.
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Merman
Sings
Streisand
(with
friends)
 It happened in 1982 on a special episode of the
popular TV show, "The Love Boat." In a fun filled hour entitled The Love Boat Follies,
guest
stars
Ethel
Merman,
Carol
Channing,
Ann
Miller
and
Della
Reese
team
up
to perform a rousing rendition of an iconic show tune made famous by Barbra Streisand.
The song they performed was
the
Broadway
version
of "I'm the Greatest Star" from "Funny Girl." This television moment is
memorable for
one
obvious
reason.
It featured
both Merman (who originated the role of Madam Rose in "Gypsy") and Channing (Broadway's "Dolly") performing one of the most famous of all Barbra Streisand showstoppers.
It
was
one
of
Merman's
final
performances.
She
passed
away
in
1984.
Of
course,
Merman
and
Channing
were
no
strangers
to
the
music
of
Jule
Styne.
But
we
suspect
this was the first and perhaps only time Carol Channing
dared
to venture anywhere near the score of "Funny Girl."
Watch
the
video
here.
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Holy
Cabooses! It's Barnaby!
Danny Lockin (left)
appeared with
Rosalind Russell in
"Gypsy"
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Remember Danny Lockin? He played
Barnaby Tucker opposite
Barbra Streisand in the
film version of "Hello,
Dolly!". Did you know
he was in the film version
of "Gypsy" too?
Lockin played one of Madam
Rose's traveling troupe of
farm boys in the original
Rosalind Russell film. He
was featured prominently in
the "Mr. Goldstone"
number. His role was
uncredited.
And speaking of "Dolly," while Barbra's film version of Hello, Dolly! was still playing in theatres
in 1970, Ethel Merman was starring in
the role on Broadway. Merman (the original Rose in Gypsy) was the final actress to play Dolly during the show's initial run.
And Danny Lockin was with
her on stage.
Lockin played Barnaby
Tucker on Broadway that
year. You could have seen
him as Barnaby opposite
Barbra on the screen
(photo, left) and then
opposite Merman on stage
(photo, right) - all in
the same day if you
wanted.
 
Incidentally,
Lockin
also
played
Barnaby
on
Broadway
opposite
Phyllis
Diller,
and
in
early
"Dolly"
road
companies
between
1966
and
1968
opposite
Betty
Grable,
Eve
Arden,
Ginger
Rogers,
Dorothy
Lamour
and
Annie
Russell.
One
of
those
performances
obviously
caught
the
attention
of
"Dolly"
film
producer
Ernest
Lehman. |
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Rosalind Russell & Gypsy Rose Lee
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After playing Gypsy Rose Lee's mother in the film Gypsy, Rosalind Russell was
later cast as
a
different
mother
of
sorts:
the Mother Superior in Columbia Pictures' The Trouble With Angels. In one scene, an ex-showgirl is hired to teach the girls of St. Francis something about grace, poise and charm. On Rosalind Russell's insistence, the part was given to the real Gypsy Rose Lee. |
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Jule
Styne's
Film
Cameo
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Composer Jule Styne, who wrote the music to Gypsy makes an appearance in the film version during both the opening and closing credits.
As the film begins, we see a magnificent orchestra taking its cue from maestro Styne himself as he proceeds to conduct the show's brilliant overture.
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Ethel
Merman's
Film "Cameo"
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Ethel
Merman,
who
created
the
role
of
Rose
in
the
Broadway
version
of
Gypsy,
appears
in
the
film
version
...
sort
of.
As
an
homage
to
the
woman
who
started
it
all,
a
vintage
caricature
of
Miss
Merman
hangs
in
Gypsy's
dressing
room.
Eagle-eyed
viewers
of
the
film
will
notice
it
in
the
scene
just before
Gypsy
goes
on
stage
for
her
first
strip. |
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The Lost "Gypsy" Scene
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Styne
and
Sondheim's
"Together
Wherever
We
Go"
is
one
of
the
most
recognizable
songs
from
the
score
of
Gypsy,
but
general
audiences
never
got
to
see
it.
Rosalind
Russell,
Natalie
Wood
and
Karl
Malden
filmed
the
complete
number
which
was
featured
in
the
film's
initial
road
show
release.
However,
when
Gypsy
went
into
general
distribution,
the
number
was
cut
to
presumably
shorten
the
picture.
What
remains
of
this
footage
comes
from
a
16mm
print
and
is
included
on
the
Gypsy
DVD
as
an
extra.
Watch
it
here.
"Together
Wherever
We
Go"
is
just
one
of
the
numbers
(the
other
being
"Mr.
Goldstone")
where
Rosalind
Russell's
actual
singing
voice
is
used.
Most
of
Russell's
other
vocals
were
dubbed
by
Broadway's
Lisa
Kirk. |
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And Finally, A Little Photoshop Fun ...
 
SOURCE: Kimmyman on
Flickr |
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The
old
Regency
Theatre
in
New
York
(now
torn
down)
hosted
this
intriguing
double-feature
during
the
1980s.
We
just
couldn't
resist
a
little
Photoshop
play
time.
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