Review: Live Arts’ ‘Gypsy’ peaks later in life

During his 18 years as Artistic Director for Live Arts, John Gibson has put his stamp on things, whether it be on the theater itself or the shows he directed; whether it be for better or for worse. He’s not afraid to take risks.

That hasn’t changed as Gibson steps down from that job, and it shows in Live Arts’ current production, Gibson’s last directorial stint as Artistic Director.
The show, which opened last Friday in the DownStage, is “Gypsy,” called by some one of the best musicals ever, loosely based on the life of burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee, but focusing on her mother, Rose, the “mother of all stage mothers.”
Maybe in a bow to both budget and simplicity, Gibson has directed this as though everything happens backstage, in some vaudeville or burlesque theater.
There’s no set to speak of, props are trunks or tables rolled around the stage, doors are designed to be held by people, the lighting is inexpressive, and the fourth wall (such as it is) has come tumbling down, sort of. The result is a somewhat confused and drab show, especially in the first act, though it perks up in the second.

While that is in some cases appropriate, this musical was written to be a show, sometimes a show within a show, with some literally and figuratively colorful production numbers. Here, especially in the first act, there’s no color, no theatrical magic. It almost seems as though Gibson has forgotten that the purpose of the show is to entertain the audience.
It’s a color production interpreted in black and white. Even the animals in the show (a purse-sized dog, a lamb, a monkey, a fake cow) are all-white puppets that look like they’re based on the artwork downstairs in the Second Street gallery, which itself is based on the amorphous forms taxidermists use. Since the cow actually has a sort of role in the show, that choice is especially confusing.
There doesn’t seem to be any purpose to that, or to some other directorial choices, though it may be that Gibson got a little carried away with sentiment for his final show.
The music, directed by Greg Harris, also is sometimes more cacophony than music, though that appears to be deliberate, since the band is seen on stage and also serves as band for the vaudeville and burlesque shows.
On the upside, the performances are uniformly terrific, from Georgia Castleman, and Camden Luck, the talented little girls who play the young Louise and her sister baby June; to Lydia Underwood Horan as Momma Rose and Doug Schneider as her long-suffering agent/lover; and especially to Robin Marie Hyer, who is exceptional as the shy Louise who becomes the flamboyant Gypsy.

Every performance is terrific.
While the first act is gloomy, the second act lights up the stage, literally and figuratively. This may have been what Gibson intended—a black and white life until Burlesque and stardom for Gypsy and a vicarious life for Rose, but that’s almost too obvious a choice for Gibson, too much a cliché.
The second act almost feels like a different show, and gives full glam to the showstopper number “You Gotta Gotta Get a Gimmick,” impeccably and hilariously performed by Michelle Majorin, Geri Carlson Sauls and Jane Scatena. So, if it’s a choice, don’t leave at intermission. Show up at intermission.

The performances, all of them, make this show worth seeing.
This isn’t a bad show, just — different. And it wouldn’t be like John Gibson to do it any other way.
He’s contributed a great deal to theater in this community, often by taking risks. For that, he deserves praise, and we wish him well.