Actress Andrea Canny
brings fiery life to the Garden Theatre’s “Gypsy.”
Matthew J. Palm The Artistic Type
Momma Rose — that mother of all musical-theater roles — comes with its built-in attention-getting opener: “Sing out, Louise!”
In the Garden Theatre’s season-opening “Gypsy,” Andrea Canny shouts it from the audience as she makes her way to the stage. Then, for the next two and a half hours, she tears up that stage, illuminates that stage and flat out owns that stage with a blazing performance.
Sure, “Gypsy” is an old favorite but the production feels new again thanks to Canny. From the back of the theater, you can see the fire burning in her eyes — and you can feel it fueling her soul. In some productions, Rose seems like a monster for the way she treats those around her — but not here. Canny’s Rose just doesn’t see other people. Her gaze is fixed on the only goal that matters: stardom for her precious daughter.
As the story unfolds, it turns out Rose was betting on the wrong daughter. Precocious June lets Momma down, and it’s Rose’s other daughter — mousy Louise — who eventually enters the pop-culture pantheon as legendary striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee.
Under Tom Vazzana’s direction, the first act flies by in a rush of exhilaration; the second act hustles too, but the pace isn’t always as welcome there. When Gypsy finally begins to peel off those gloves, the routine doesn’t have the drawn-out teasing sensation of forbidden pleasures ahead — the titillation that made the real-life Gypsy Rose Lee an iconic celebrity of the 1930s. And Louise’s transition from wallflower to stripper leaves portrayer Andrea Stack lurching awkwardly from cartoonish gracelessness to polished performer.
Canny’s energy burns so brightly that her co-stars tend to pale in comparison — though Stack and Grace Flaherty, as June, make merry with “If Momma Was Married.” Michael Hartson is a fine doormat as Rose’s beau, but he’s cheated out of his moment of empowerment by missteps in pace and staging.
Jena Simmons lights up the stage as Baby June, and Orlando Ballet’s Arcadian Broad shines in his spotlight number. The Orlando Ballet dancer hoofs his way through “All I Need Is the Girl” with his usual flair, but also displays an appealing singing voice and a boyish charm as the object of Louise’s desire.
The “You Gotta Get a Gimmick” actresses score laughs — though miming the song’s trumpet playing underscores the fact the music is recorded.
Joe Klug’s set cleverly pays homage to showbiz — and you feel Momma’s frustration pulse with the Vaudeville-style lights during the climactic “Rose’s Turn.” Momma may not come out a winner, but the performance is a triumph for Canny.