Audra McDonald, who scored raves for her performance as Rose in the current Broadway revival of Gypsy, says that falling asleep after her high-voltage performance at the Majestic Theatre can be difficult.
During her recent appearance on The Late Show, the six-time Tony winner told host Stephen Colbert, "I have a really hard time going to sleep at night…I get on my phone, and I wait, because I'm up so late, that I wait for the New York Times puzzle games to flip over to the next day so that I can do Connections or Spelling Bee or Wordle or one of those…. Wait a minute, yesterday, I just have to show off, I got Wordle in two, and that's never happened in my life!"
McDonald also spoke about which scene in Gypsy includes an homage to her late grandmother, her younger daughter's reaction to "Rose's Turn," how having three Black actors in lead roles make certain lines in the script resonate differently, the role she played at age 10 in a Fresno, California, staging of Gypsy, and how the late Gavin Creel was the impetus for her decision to play the ultimate stage mother. Watch the complete interview in the video above.
Gypsy opened at the Majestic Theatre December 19, 2024. Read the reviews by clicking here. Starring McDonald as Rose, the cast also features Tony winner Danny Burstein as Herbie and Joy Woods as Louise, with the company filled out by Jordan Tyson as June, Kevin Csolak as Tulsa, Lesli Margherita as Tessie Tura, Lili Thomas as Miss Mazeppa, Mylinda Hull as Miss Electra, Jacob Ming-Trent as Uncle Jocko, Kyleigh Denae Vickers as Baby Louise, and Marley Lianne Gomes and Jade Smith as Baby June. Tryphena Wade is the standby for Rose.
Here's why Playbill thinks you should see the show.
The ensemble features Jace Bently, Brandon Burks, Hunter Capellán,
Tony d’Alelio, Summer Rae Daney, Kellie Jean Hoagland, Aliah James,
Brittney Johnson, Zachary Daniel Jones, Ethan Joseph, Andrew Kober,
Krystal Mackie, James McMenamin, Majo Rivero, Sally Shaw, Brendan
Sheehan, Thomas Silcott, and Jayden Theophile. Swings Shanel Bailey,
Sasha Hutchings, Cole Newburg, Joe Osheroff, Ken Robinson, Jordan Wynn,
and Iain Young round out the company. Casting is by Jordan Thaler and
Heidi Griffiths.
Gypsy, based on the mostly fictional memoir of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee, features a book by Arthur Laurents and songs with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The show is one of Broadway's favorites to revive. Since premiering in 1959, the show has returned to Broadway in 1974, starring Angela Lansbury; 1989, starring Tyne Daly; 2003, starring Bernadette Peters; and 2008, starring Patti LuPone. The work has been filmed three times: a 1962 feature film starring Rosalind Russell, a 1993 TV film starring Bette Midler, and a filmed stage performance of a 2015 London revival starring Imelda Staunton.
Wolfe's creative team includes choreographer Camille A. Brown; music director and supervisor Andy Einhorn, who's also penned additional arrangements; scenic designer Santo Loquasto; costume designer Toni-Leslie James; lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer; sound designer Scott Lehrer; hair and wig designer Mia Neal; and makeup designer Michael Clifton. Orchestrations are by Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler, with dance music arrangements by John Kander, and additional orchestrations and arrangements by Daryl Waters. Rick Steiger is production stage manager.
Tom Kirdahy, Mara Isaacs, Kevin Ryan, and Diane Scott Carter are leading the producing team.
To buy tickets to Gypsy, visit GypsyBway.com.