Broadway Breakdown: "Matt Revisited GYPSY: Now What?"

Host: Matt Koplik
Air Date: January 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Matt Koplik revisits and reevaluates the much-debated Broadway revival of Gypsy, starring Audra McDonald as Rose and directed by George C. Wolfe. After seeing the production again post-opening, Matt dives into how (and if) the show has evolved since previews, dissects the creative choices—especially regarding Audra's performance and the show's handling of race—and addresses critical and personal responses. The episode is a passionate, foul-mouthed, and deeply analytical breakdown for hardcore theatre fans and casual listeners alike.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context & Listener Demand

• Matt explains this isn’t a planned “deep dive” but an urgent review episode since many listeners requested updated thoughts after seeing Gypsy again post-opening (00:35).
• He won the ticket lottery for January 5th and attended with fellow theatre aficionado Kevin Duda.

2. General Reception of the Revival

• Most reviews are highly positive, especially for Audra McDonald, but opinions about the production itself are mixed (05:00).
• Matt is less enthusiastic than the critical consensus, feeling improvements have been made but core problems remain.

3. Has Gypsy Improved Since Previews?

• Matt sees a smoother, tighter first act with faster transitions and slightly improved pacing, but still feels the show’s energy and sense of danger are lacking (12:40).
• "All of the problems that I had a month ago are still there. They're just softer now. They are softer problems than they were a month ago." (13:38)

4. Audra McDonald’s Performance as Rose

• Endless debate about a “first Black Rose on Broadway” and Audra’s suitability for the role, both racially and vocally (21:10).
• Matt admires Audra’s versatility and power, especially in the opening of “Some People,” but criticizes vocal key choices that make parts of her performance sound thin (28:00).
• "There is a lot of power to how Audra sings Gypsy. Which is ultimately all you really need if you're playing Rose, because Rose is a dynamo." (30:05)

– Acting Angle: Love vs. Drive

• Audra approaches Rose with more emotional connection and love for her daughters, rather than as a steamrolling, single-minded force.
• Does this angle work? Matt is unconvinced, sometimes perceiving Rose as naively oblivious rather than determined or cunning (32:00).
• "It was the first time I ever watched it and I thought, like, oh, is Rose dumb?" (33:59)

– Chemistry and Characterization

• Sees limited chemistry between Audra’s Rose and Danny Burstein’s Herbie; lacks the faux-marriage dynamic necessary for the plot stakes (38:30).
• Praise for Audra’s growth, sharpness, and comedic timing since previews—but he’s still not seeing a “fully crystallized performance” (40:39).

5. Scenic and Design Elements

• Matt thinks the set is a "football field's worth of dead space," negatively impacting the actors' ability to create intimacy and focus (43:00).
• Lighting has improved slightly ("People have found their light this time"), but the set and design lack cohesion and appropriate scale for Gypsy (44:20).

6. Handling of Race & Directorial Choices

• Director George C. Wolfe injects race as an explicit motif at key moments, e.g., replacing Black Newsboys with White for Dainty June’s act, and moving Louise (the darkest-skinned onstage) further back—a striking metaphor (47:10).
• "That’s already there. But then you add the fact that June is light skinned, Louise is dark skinned, the rest of the act is white performers... packs an extra punch when you add the race quota to it. And I think that is very effective and very intelligent and very well crafted." (49:53)

– But… Thematic Cohesion Remains Weak

• These moments are “distinct images that don’t tie together.” The show presents "postcards" about race but fails to weave them into a cohesive argument or emotional throughline (51:00).

7. Supporting Cast & Staging

• Jordan Tyson (June): Outstanding, show-stealing vocals and characterization.
  • Notable moment: "Kevin let out a guttural Jesus Christ when she was hitting that high note!" (37:17)
• Danny Burstein (Herbie): Improved but not “exceptional”—relationship with Rose lacks the complexity of past productions (55:00).
• Joy Woods (Louise): Charismatic and vocally strong but the book fails to help her craft a truly compelling transformation into Gypsy Rose Lee. Matt finds the famous “strip” number dramatically ineffective in this staging ("not even cracking 50% for me") (58:00).
• Choreography ranges from “fine” to “dramatically so wrong”—especially the infamous “Garden of Eden” strip, which Matt finds impressive as dance but totally wrong for character arc (1:00:00).

8. Fundamental Issues with the Production

• Many improvements: better pacing, stronger performances, sharpening of individual moments.
• But core issues persist: lack of momentum, disconnect between design and storytelling, and thematically unresolved racial commentary.
• Greatest issue: “a great Rose alone is not enough to make Gypsy worth it.” The show’s holistic demands go unmet (1:05:20).

9. On Revivals and Expectations

• Matt compares this Gypsy to revival “greats” (e.g., Sam Mendes’ Cabaret, 1994 Carousel)—shows that fully reinvented themselves or captured their material’s electricity.
• His hopes were sky-high for Wolfe and Audra, which may have primed him for disappointment, but he stands by his critique: "My expectations were so high, my hopes for it were so high, that I was bound to be disappointed somewhat by it. And I still am disappointed in it. I'm more disappointed light." (1:11:40)

10. Audience Response & Industry Buzz

• Matt teases a future episode about Tony predictions and what “the room” (insiders, voters, etc.) is really saying about Gypsy and other contenders.
• Emphasizes the gap between public praise for the revival and more nuanced private conversations (1:14:50).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "A production shouldn't be great if you're only in, like, the first half of the theater. ... If you're playing the palace ... your production has to hit the back wall." (07:05)
• "Everyone sent [the reviews] to me after I posted my review. And the general idea ... was that all the reviews were in agreement that Gypsy is a phenomenal musical and that Audra was unmissable. ... And that bugs me." (07:50)
• "I've always felt that Audra as a singer was far more versatile and far smarter about using her voice than people ever gave her credit for." (25:59)
• "If you're the kind of person who whoops during Rose's Turn, you're also the same person who, like, whoops right after the title song in Cabaret. Like, I don't want to know you." (1:17:32)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |:--|:--| | 00:35 | Matt introduces the purpose of the episode and context on the Gypsy revival | | 05:00 | Critical and audience response to the revival; Matt discusses industry buzz | | 12:40 | Has the show improved? Thoughts on pacing, energy, and lingering issues | | 21:10 | Audra McDonald: Casting debates, vocal analysis, expectations discussed | | 28:00 | Vocalization and key choices, especially in “Some People” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” | | 32:00 | Audra’s approach—emotional vs. driven Rose; question of characterization | | 37:17 | Jordan Tyson (June) hits a “gut-punch high note” (Kevin Duda: “Jesus Christ!”) | | 43:00 | Scenic and staging issues: “football field’s worth of dead space” | | 47:10 | Handling of race: Newsboys sequence, transition, implications | | 51:00 | Moments of racial commentary are “postcards” not dramatically integrated | | 58:00 | Breakdown of the Louise/Gypsy transformation and “the Strip” | | 1:05:20 | What makes a Gypsy revival truly great—ensemble, style, momentum | | 1:14:50 | The split between public praise and backroom industry reactions | | 1:17:32 | Observations on inappropriate audience response (“whooping” at wrong moments) | | 1:20:00 | Sign-off; preview of next episode on Tony predictions |

Tone, Language & Delivery

Matt stays true to his reputation:

• Passionate, occasionally foul-mouthed (but never gratuitous)
• Upfront about opinion and bias; mixes humor with pointed critique
• Deeply knowledgeable, with references to past productions, Broadway history, and vocal technique

Episode Takeaway

Matt ultimately concludes that while the current revival of Gypsy with Audra McDonald has improved since previews, it still fails to achieve the momentum, cohesion, and inspiration expected of a transformational Broadway event. Audra gives a compelling, emotionally robust Rose, and select supporting performances (notably Dainty June) are exceptional, but issues in design, pacing, choreography, and the handling of signature moments like the “strip” persist. The racial commentary, though occasionally striking, isn’t fully integrated. Matt encourages listeners to decide for themselves—but sets his expectations for truly great revivals as higher than what this Gypsy currently delivers.

Next week: Matt teases his take on 2025’s (way too early) Tony predictions, promising even more insider theatre talk.