The final performance of Lyric’s production of Gypsy wrapped up today at the University Theatre in the Riddell Centre at the University of Regina…and a terrific production it was. Kudos to everyone involved…all of whom you can see in the photo above, or read about in the program by clicking the link below.

That also wraps up Lyric’s 33rd season. Up next: auditions for the first show of the 34th. See you there!

Gypsy Program

Once upon a time, Lyric shows were regularly reviewed by the Regina Leader Post, but it’s been years since that’s been the usual case. Which made it a pleasant surprise to discover that Gypsy did receive a review. And what makes it even better, of course, is that it’s a favorable one!

In today’s paper, Joe Couture wrote:

The show focuses on Rose, who is a polarizing character — perhaps the reason for the love-it-or-hate-it proposition that Ursan described. He also said that while he could never like or befriend Rose, he understands her — and hopes audiences will too. No matter what your opinion, she’s an interesting figure.

And the Regina Lyric Theatre — through a very strong performance by Trainor — has done a great job of bringing Rose’s story to life on stage.

It’s the first time that Gypsy has been done in Regina and opening night on Wednesday also featured strong performances from the other three lead actors and the rest of the cast, the list of members of which is 28 names long.

Read the whole thing!

Madison DeWalt (left), Jeff Tonita and Donna Trainor star in the Regina Lyric Musical Theatre's production of Gypsy. Photograph by: Troy Fleece, Leader-Post

Lyric’s production of Gypsy, which runs May 26 to 30 at the University Theatre, was profiled in today’s Regina Leader Post by reporter Joe Couture.

An excerpt:

“It’s hysterically funny and you can’t help but felt that you’ve watched something incredible when you hear these voices singing,” Ursan said. “It’s a brilliant show — it’s always been one of those shows that people who know about Broadway musicals point to as being perfectly written. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry — it’s a great show.”

Read the whole story online here.

The May edition of Lyric Notes, the newsletter of Regina Lyric Musical Theatre, is now online as a PDF file, with information about Gypsy, a Q & A with Gypsy director Robert Ursan, profiles of the show’s lighting designer and production manager, and dates for auditions (plus some show information) for the 2010-2011 season.

We believe Lyric’s production of Gypsy is a Regina premiere—maybe even a first in Saskatchewan. Why hasn’t anyone mounted the show, do you think?

Even though Gypsy has a very well-known collection of songs in its score, it’s a hard musical to cast. This show requires a cast whose ages range from single digits to almost triple—lots of singing and dancing for the younger members of the cast and several large and challenging dramatic roles to fill. And—to lead into the next question—the demands of the lead role of Mama Rose are tremendous.

The character of Rose has been played by some of Broadway’s greatest female divas. How do you interpret the character? Why is she so hard on her kids?

The role of Rose is kind of hard to swallow for some people. Stage parents are living vicariously through their children. The behaviour of stage parents toward their children can seem incredibly cruel to outside eyes. In Rose’s case everything is about the fulfilment of “dreams” in which Rose has so much belief. These God-given dreams seem to grant Rose behavioural carte blanche in the pursuit of stardom for one of her children. In fact, the first thing you hear in the show is the trumpet playing the melody associated with “I had a dream.”

You’ve worked with Donna Trainor and Jeff Tonita many times. What do they bring to the lead roles in Gypsy?

Working with Donna and Jeff is nothing but joy and laughter. I first worked with Jeff 17years ago and with Donna 15 years ago. These are two people in whom I have nothing but confidence. They bring beautiful voices and acting panache to whatever they do.

Can you tell us more about the children you’ve cast for the show…the two girls who play the young daughters and the others who play talent show contestants and the members of Mama Rose’s vaudeville act? Are they all stage veterans or do you have some newcomers? Do they have to have a dance background?

It’s great to work with the kids in this show. Some have tons of dance background, and some, even at their tender ages, have a great deal of stage experience. The audience is going to love them. It’s been a great deal of fun for me to stage all of their dances.

Are you working with a choreographer? Is there much dancing?

Asked and answered, Your Honour.

The three aging strippers are fun roles. Can you tell us about the women you have cast for these parts?

It’s probably best not to call them ageing strippers! “Broken-down” is a more apt description. None of the three are old—it doesn’t really specify in the script that they are, just that they perform in a gone-to-seed burlesque house. It merely indicates bad luck, bad judgement and bad career choices. These are three tough broads and Jamie, Aubree and Jessica are doing wonderfully.

Is set important in this show? Is lighting important in the show?

Because this show is about the theatre, the set, built by Gerry Weir, is hyper-theatrical. Everything is two-dimensionally flat and, like theatre, fake: at least so long as Rose and her dreams are in charge. Everything is painted, by Lanaya Chartier, onto flats and rolling platforms. Some reality creeps in near the end as Louise (Gypsy) asserts herself and creates a life of her own. And we’re lucky enough to have a marvllous young designer, Melanie Rogowski, from the University working on the lighting as a graduating project for her degree.

Does Gypsy have a message for the audience? How will we feel when we leave the theatre?

It’s hard to say that there’s a moral to all this. This is based on the real-life story of someone who was famous for being famous. But the score is so exciting and the performances are so touching that I can’t imagine someone not wanting to see this show again and again.

Anything you’d like to add?

One other thing to mention would be the great work of Joan Ziffle (Producer) and Gillian Barker (Stage Manager)—they’re taking great care of me and the cast and deserve a huge amount of praise for their work.

Last spring Lyric presented Stephen Sondheim’s masterpiece Follies, about a reunion in a condemned theatre in the 1970s of the aging performers from a Ziegfeld Follies-like revue that had run before the Second World War.

This week, the last surviving Ziegfeld girl, Doris Eaton Travis, died at age 106.

Writes the New York Times:

Beneath towering, glittering, feathered headdresses, the Ziegfeld Girls floated across grand Broadway stages in lavish pageants known as the Ziegfeld Follies, often to the wistful tune that Irving Berlin wrote just for them: “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody.”

They were former waitresses, farmers’ daughters and office workers who had dreamt of becoming part of Ziegfeld’s own grand dream of “glorifying the American girl” (preferably with exact measurements of 36-26-38) in splendiferous spectacles.

Doris may have been the youngest Ziegfeld Girl ever, having lied about her age to being dancing at 14. She went on to own a string of Arthur Murray dance studios…and she never stopped performing. In fact, her obituary in the Times ends this way:

A little more than two weeks ago Mrs. Travis returned to Broadway to appear again at the annual Easter Bonnet Competition held by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, this time at the Minskoff Theater. She did a few kicks, apologizing that she no longer performed cartwheels.

The Toronto cast of Rock of Ages. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Rock of Ages, a musical built around rock hits of the 1980s, officially opens at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre tomorrow, May 11. It’s been in previews since April 20.

From Playbill:

Elicia MacKenzie (Canada’s “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” and The Sound of Music) plays Sherrie, “the impressionable young woman who comes to Los Angeles from small-town Kansas to become an actress,” and Yvan Pedneault (We Will Rock You) is Drew, “the raw, young rock ‘n’ roll talent with a set of pipes from the gods.” Aaron Walpole (“Canadian Idol”) plays Lonny, “the quick-witted sound guy in the Sunset Strip’s Bourbon Room who also acts as narrator.” David W. Keeley (Stratford Festival) is Dennis, the owner of the Bourbon Room; Peter Deiwick (Toronto’s Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You) is Stacee Jaxx, the lead singer of the band Arsenal; and Victor A. Young (Toronto’s Dirty Dancing) portrays Hertz, “the story’s seemingly evil businessman who wants to strip all the fun from the Sunset Strip and bring in a lifeless corporate culture.”

The ensemble comprises Tessa Alves, Ashley Burton, Eric Coles, Caleb Cosman, Cody Scott Lancaster, Tony LePage, Jennifer Mote, Carson Nattrass, Josephine Roberts, Valerie Stanois, Angela Teek, Melvin Tunstall and Emily Williams.

If you’re planning to go, you can get tickets for anywhere from $28 to $99 online at  at www.mirvish.com.

The original Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.  It was written by Chris D’Arienzo.

The nominations for the 64th Annual Tony Awards were announced today. The Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony from Radio City Music Hall on CBS on June 13.  Here are the musical theatre nominees (there are also categories for non-musical plays):

Best Musical
American Idiot
Fela!
Memphis
Million Dollar Quartet

Best Book of a Musical
Everyday Rapture
Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!
Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones

Memphis
Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet
Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
The Addams Family
Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron
Music: Adam Cork
Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences
Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis
Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan

Best Revival of a Musical
Finian’s Rainbow
La Cage aux Folles
A Little Night Music
Ragtime

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a MusicalKelsey Grammer,
La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Kate Baldwin, Finian’s Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian’s Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Christine Jones, American Idiot
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Marina Draghici, Fela!
Santo Loquasto, Ragtime
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Donald Holder, Ragtime
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Wierzel, Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

Best Orchestrations
Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises
Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis