"I had a dream…" is the repeated refrain from Mama Rose in Gypsy. Well, "I had a dream" that one day we'd see this show at the Tiny Desk.
Gypsy's visit encapsulates what fans love most about this musical. Since its debut in 1959, whether it be on stage or screen, on cast albums or at karaoke, audiences have flocked to Jule Styne's music and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, with a book by Arthur Laurents. The show tells the story of a struggling showbiz family led by matriarch Rose. Six-time Tony award-winner Audra McDonald stars in this George C. Wolfe-helmed revival, chiseling a new visage into the rockface of Mount "Rose"-more that includes Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti Lupone. For the first time on Broadway, the fraught family at the center is portrayed by Black women, allowing theater fans like myself to not just imagine ourselves in these complex characters, but to actually see it.
On Broadway, musical supervisor Andy Einhorn conducts a 26-person orchestra, but for Tiny Desk that ensemble was stripped down to 11 musicians. Sisters Louise and June, played by rising stars Joy Woods and Jordan Tyson, respectively, plead for a moment of peace and independence in, "If Momma Was Married." Leading man Danny Burstein joins Woods and McDonald for the charming "Together, Wherever We Go." The trio of "stunning strippers" portrayed by Lesli Margherita, Lili Thomas and Mylinda Hull leave a mark with the comedic crowd pleaser, "You Gotta Have a Gimmick." McDonald's enthralling performance of "Some People" closes out the show, making this theater nerd's dream come true.
SET LIST
- "If Momma Was Married"
- "Together, Wherever We Go"
- "You Gotta Get A Gimmick"
- "Some People"
CAST
- Audra McDonald ("Rose")
- Danny Burstein ("Herbie")
- Joy Woods ("Louise")
- Jordan Tyson ("June")
- Lesli Margherita ("Tessie Tura")
- Lili Thomas ("Mazeppa")
- Mylinda Hull ("Electra")
MUSICIANS
- Andy Einhorn: piano, music supervision, conducting
- Greg Chudzik: bass
- Alvester Garnett: drums
- Ben Kono: clarinet, alto saxophone
- Zac Zinger: flute, piccolo
- John Lowery: clarinet, tenor saxophone
- Ravi Best: trumpet
- Nick Grinder: trombone
- Tomoko Akaboshi: violin
- Sita Chay: violin
- Meaghan Burke: cello
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producer: Mitra I. Arthur
- Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter
- Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Sofia Seidel
- Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai
- Production Assistants: Dora Levite, Ashley Pointer
- Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
- VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
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