Theatre Guild of Hampden, Hampden, MA
through October 25, 2026
by Michael J. Moran
With music by veteran composer Jule Styne, lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, and a book by seasoned writer Arthur Laurents, “Gypsy” was called “what might be the greatest of all American musicals” by former NY Times theatre critic Ben Brantley. Based loosely on the 1957 memoir by stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, the original 1959 Broadway production starred Ethel Merman as Gypsy’s mother Rose, the prototype of the overbearing stage mother.
Act I follows Rose as she tries to build a career for her young daughters June (the actress June Havoc) and Louise (Gypsy) on the fading vaudeville circuit of the 1920/30's, from which June eventually elopes with a dancer named Tulsa. In Act II, Rose gets Louise booked into what turns out to be a burlesque theatre that features striptease acts. Terrified at first, Louise soon finds her new niche. The show climaxes in Rose’s solo reflection on her daughters’ fortunes and her own.
Every “Gypsy” hinges on a compelling Rose (the lead role, despite the show’s title) and TGH’s stirring production has a formidable Rose in Anna Giza. From her opening “Sing out, Louise” as she enters from the audience, this is a no-nonsense Rose who will never take “no” for an answer. But the breakout star is Aubrey Vargas, whose sensitive acting makes Louise’s growth from awkward, shy adolescent to glamorous, self-confident woman not just believable but inevitable.
Heath Verrill is winning and sympathetic as Herbie, Rose’s love interest and the manager of her act. Ashley Barnes excels as “Dainty June,” as does Austin Kopp as Tulsa.
For all the dark turns in this story, there are many lighter moments, and musical highlights abound: an exhilarating “Together, Wherever We Go,” by Giza, Vargas, and Verrill; a hilarious “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” by Jami Wilson, Becca Greene-Van Horn, and Andrea Stolar as hapless strippers Tessi Tura, Mazeppa, and Electra; and Giza’s shattering finale, “Rose’s Turn.”
Music Director Dan Mashia’s six-member band offers spirited backing.
Astute direction and staging by Mark Giza draws skilled performances from the large cast and features seamless scene transitions with minimal props. Fanciful choreography by Dina Lynn Del Buono and period-appropriate costume design by Ester of Sturbridge add further attractions.
This entertaining and powerful take on a musical theatre classic, complete with a surprise ending, is enthusiastically recommended for mature audiences.
