Class Notes: Leslie Margherita “Gypsy”

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary: Class Notes with Leslie Margherita “Gypsy”

Podcast Information

• Title: BroadwayRadio
• Host/Author: BroadwayRadio
• Episode: Class Notes: Leslie Margherita “Gypsy”
• Release Date: April 17, 2025
• Description: Broadway's Premier Podcasts

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Introduction

In the April 17, 2025 episode of BroadwayRadio, host Lauren Klaus Schneider welcomes acclaimed actress Leslie Margherita, who is originating the role of Tessie Tura in the much-anticipated revival of Gypsy at the Majestic Theater. The episode delves deep into Leslie's portrayal of Tessie Tura, her creative process, experiences working with the creative team, and balancing her professional and personal life.

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Understanding Tessie Tura

Exploring the Character's Depth

Leslie Margherita discusses her nuanced interpretation of Tessie Tura, differentiating her from other performers who have portrayed the character. She emphasizes Tessie's unique "gimmick" as a ballerina, bringing a blend of finesse and true artistry to her performances.

• "Tessie’s gimmick is that she is a ballerina, and she actually thinks that she is demure. Her ballet strip is true talent, whereas the other ones don't really have talent. They just bump it and grind it. But Tess is a true artiste."
  (01:22)

Personal Connection to the Role

Leslie reveals her lifelong connection to Gypsy, having performed various roles as a child, with Tessie Tura always being her favorite.

• "I had done Gypsy a bunch of times as a kid. I had done all the Jones, I had done Louise, and so I always loved Tessie Taurus. She's been my favorite my whole life."
  (01:53)

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The Audition Journey

Taking a Leap of Faith

Leslie shares her bold approach during the audition process, where she decided to showcase her ballet skills by performing on pointe—a nod to Tessie's character—that hadn't been seen in previous portrayals.

• "I kicked my husband out of his office and he just said, you are going to break your neck. And I just took a huge swing with the character and what I wanted to do with her."
  (02:31)

Meeting George C. Wolfe

Her unconventional self-taped audition caught the attention of director George C. Wolfe, leading to a swift and seamless selection process.

• "I met with him, we talked about what I would want to do, what he would want to do... it was the easiest process I've ever been a part of."
  (04:00)

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Collaborating with Camille Brown

Innovative Choreography

Leslie expresses her admiration for choreographer Camille Brown, highlighting how Camille's storytelling through movement added unique layers to Gypsy.

• "Camille tells such a great story through movement that even the point stuff that she gave me was telling this incredible story of tackiness, of things that Tessie had probably seen once on a ballerina and doing it her way wrong."
  (05:40)

Breaking Traditional Boundaries

Under George's direction, Camille introduced modern and unconventional choreography, setting this revival apart from previous productions.

• "Every major production has used Jerome Robbins choreography. George has famously said, like, why do it if you're going to do the same thing... Camille is a genius and a genius director in her own right."
  (06:30)

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Character Evolution and Development

Adding Layers to Tessie Tura

Leslie discusses how she and George C. Wolfe collaborated to infuse Tessie with toughness and a unique "crazy fairy energy," diverging from the traditional delicate portrayal.

• "Tessie has probably been there the longest. She runs the place. There was this toughness that had to come out... if you cross her or get in the way of someone that she cares about, she will cut you."
  (07:26)

Shaping the Character

Leslie appreciates George's willingness to allow creative freedom during rehearsals, enabling her to explore and refine Tessie's multifaceted personality.

• "George would let me try whatever in rehearsal and then, you know, notes come and go. He really let us do our thing."
  (08:00)

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Life on Stage: Practicalities and Daily Routine

Behind-the-Scenes Activities

During Act One, Leslie engages in various tasks to stay productive and maintain her focus for Act Two.

• "I'm usually sewing ribbons and elastic on my pointe shoes... I'll read a ton. I'm a huge reader. I also have a big gamer. I'm playing Nintendo a lot."
  (09:39)

Balancing Responsibilities

Her proactive approach ensures she's always occupied, whether it's preparing for upcoming performances or honing her craft through workshops and concerts.

• "I can always work on other things. If I'm doing workshops of other shows, I can really kind of work on my material for that and concerts that I have coming up."
  (10:00)

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Balancing Broadway and Personal Life

Navigating a Long-Distance Marriage

Leslie opens up about her 17-year marriage, detailing how she and her husband manage the demands of her Broadway career with long-distance communication.

• "We have always... Since the day we met 20 years ago, I have always been gone doing shows."
  (11:15)

Utilizing Modern Communication

FaceTime and frequent visits help bridge the distance, allowing them to maintain a strong connection despite busy schedules.

• "The greatest thing is FaceTime... He'll come out here. I will sometimes fly home on a Sunday night."
  (12:00)

Commitment and Adaptability

Leslie emphasizes the importance of flexibility and commitment in sustaining their relationship, drawing inspiration from admired couples like Judith Light.

• "We just work it out. And we know these contracts, you know, we say, like, okay, let's take it a year at a time."
  (13:00)

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Lauren Klaus Schneider expressing admiration for Leslie's dedication and achievements. Leslie's portrayal of Tessie Tura in Gypsy promises to bring a fresh and compelling interpretation to this classic role, underscored by her artistic choices and collaborative spirit.

• "This was great. Thank you so much."
  (13:45)

Leslie concludes with enthusiasm for the role and gratitude for the opportunity, leaving listeners eager to experience her performance in the revival.

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Key Takeaways

• Leslie Margherita's Unique Approach: By integrating her ballet background into Tessie Tura's character, Leslie brings authenticity and a fresh perspective to the role.

• Collaborative Creativity: Working with directors like George C. Wolfe and choreographers like Camille Brown allows for innovative interpretations that distinguish this Gypsy revival from past productions.

• Balancing Act: Leslie's ability to manage a demanding Broadway schedule while maintaining a healthy personal life showcases her resilience and commitment both on and off the stage.

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Listeners of BroadwayRadio can look forward to seeing Leslie Margherita's captivating performance in Gypsy, enriched by her deep understanding of the character and her collaborative efforts with a stellar creative team.

Transcript

[Leslie Margarita]

Ugh.

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[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Hi, I'm Lauren Klaus Schneider with flashnotes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Leslie Margarita, originating the role of Tessie Tura in the current revival of Gypsy at the Majestic Theater. Hello.

[Leslie Margarita]

Hello. So glad to be here.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Thank you for being here. And we're just going to dive right in acknowledging that Gypsy is the landmark musical that takes place during the vaudeville era, inspired by the. The early life of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee and her domineering mother, Rose. And you, an Olivier Award winner playing the demure stripper Tessa Tura, who utters the wildly known statement, you gotta have a gimmick if you want to get applause.

[Leslie Margarita]

Yep.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

What? Tessie Tura's gimmick. And how is she different than the other girls?

[Leslie Margarita]

Tessie's gimmick is that she is. Is a ballerina, and she actually thinks that she is demure. And her gimmick is that she says she does everything with finesse. It's classy. It is true talent. Her. Her ballet strip is true talent, whereas the other ones don't really have talent. They just have. They just bump it and grind it. But Tess is a true artiste.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Before taking on the role, did you know it and how well did you know it?

[Leslie Margarita]

I knew it so well. I had done Gypsy a bunch of times as a kid. I had done all the Junes. I had done Louise, and so I always loved Tessie Taurus. She's been my favorite my whole life. And when this revival was announced, immediately called my agents and said, I have to be Tessie. She's just. I just loved her. She's the catalyst for Louise's. For, you know, Gypsy Rose Lee's career, really. She's the one who gives her her name and gives her her start and her gimmick, and I just. I just love that about her. And so I really wanted to do it. I get to put my own stamp on it.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Well, it makes it seem like, oh, there's a role I'd really like to play. I call my agent, and then, boom, I'm Playing.

[Leslie Margarita]

You're right.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Talk about that a little bit.

[Leslie Margarita]

I, you know, luckily I've been around here for 100 years, so if there's something that I want to audition for that I'm even right for, I'll normally get a request for either an in person audition or because I live in Los Angeles, usually if it's a Broadway show, they'll have me do a self tape. So that is what I did. I was in Los Angeles and I knew because it was George C. Wolfe, living legend George C. Wolfe, that he wasn't going to do anything that hadn't been done before. And honestly, like, you know, Gypsy, there have been so many amazing character actresses that had played Tessie Tora. And I just wanted to do something different. And with a self tape, I was kind of allowed to do what I wanted and then send it off. And if they don't resonate with it, then fine, but. So I had always done ballet my whole life and had done point, but I hadn't done it in probably 20 years, 25 years. And I had a pair in the back of my closet and I decided that because Tessie's always saying she's a ballerina. And I had never seen a Tessie actually on pointe shoes. And I thought, well, that automatically is going to make it mine. And I don't remember. I kicked my husband out of his office and he just said, you are going to break your neck. And I just took a huge swing with the character and what I wanted to do with her. And luckily George saw something on the tape that he loved. And about a month had gone by and I was in New York rehearsing 49 at the Kennedy center. And I got a call saying, you know what? George wants to meet you. He's got to meet everybody to make sure they're not nuts. And he wants to talk about the character and all that. And normally for a show you go through four or five auditions, months of auditions, and this was the craziest experience because I think because it took such a giant swing that George loved. I literally met with him, we talked about what I would want to do, what he would want to do. We really got along. And then I found out like two hours later it was the easiest process I've ever been a part of. And I don't think it'll ever happen again. But it really was so special. And I was like, wow, I just must, somebody must be looking out for me going, you know, she really wants to play this role. And I think I just took A leap. And it paid off. It doesn't always pay off. I take a lot of big swings that don't always pay off. But luckily this one did, so I was very lucky.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Well, and bravo to you. And I think it's not, not just luck as you refer to George Wolf, the director of this revival, also with Camille Brown as the choreographer. What was it like to be working with her as you were putting your movement together and you were on point for the. For the performance?

[Leslie Margarita]

I have been such a fan of Camille's for so long and didn't always know if I would get to do a show that had her type of movement. She usually does, like, really cool, kind of, like modern stuff. And when I heard she was doing this, I was like, oh, I gotta be all in. I gotta be in. So I knew that the point work, because there's just certain parameters. We knew that the point section would be pretty straightforward. But what Camille does, I think, better than anyone is she tells such a great story through movement that even the point stuff that she gave me was telling this incredible story of tackiness, of things that Tessie had probably seen once on a ballerina and doing it her way wrong. And it just made me laugh so hard. And then the other movement that we have is so amazing and fun, and it truly is unlike any other. Well, I mean, it is. Every major production has used Jerome Robbins choreography. And George has famously said, like, why do it if you're going to do the same thing? And I think hiring Camille, who's just genius and a genius director in her own right, was just the best move he could have made. And I just love working with her. I really. I would love to work with her again as a director. I think she's just incredible. Very lucky.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Again, I'm going to say, in addition to luck, in rehearsal with George on your book scenes, how did the evolution and work of your character come about?

[Leslie Margarita]

I, you know, I had what I had sent in and I had what we had talked about, and the evolution kind of came. Tessie, because she's the ballerina, has typically been more of a delicate flower. I was not interested in that. I and George also, we wanted to find, like, these. What he kept stressing was, this is the bottom. These women are strippers in Wichita. This is the bottom. And. And we needed to make sure that these women had seen it all, have. Nothing gets past her. I think Tessie is. Has probably been there the longest. She runs the place. And so in that there was this toughness that had to come out there's still this kind of motherly, I like to call it, like, crazy fairy energy. But if you cross her or get in the way of someone that she cares about, she will cut you. And that is how we came up with that. Tessie and George was so amazing. He would let me try whatever in rehearsal and then, you know, notes come and go. Don't do that again. And so he would really shape it. And he said that with everybody. He really let us do our thing. And then goes, here's what I'm thinking. And normally he's right and it would be within what you were doing, but he would just really kind of shave off the rubber rough edges. And I love that he let us not be the typical versions of any of these characters, which is why I think it makes this production so special. Yeah, but, yeah, I came with a lot of it, but. And obviously he resonated with it. But we really played around with it and how far we could take it. How vulgar is she? Does she know she's being vulgar? I don't think she does. I think it's all these things that I just loved working on with them that are different.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

And we don't meet this crazy fairy Tess until Act two.

[Leslie Margarita]

Yes.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

From a practical standpoint, you're at the theater. What do you do during act one?

[Leslie Margarita]

Lots of things. I. The things that have to do with the show. I'm usually sewing ribbons and elastic on my pointe shoes because that is something that I have done my entire life. And I think most dancers who do point ballerinas, whatever, will sew their own ribbons and elastics because there is a very specific way to do it. And there's something that is just. I wouldn't trust anybody else to do it. Even though these are the most amazing wardrobe people in the world. It's just. I just have to do it. So I'm usually sewing pairs because I go through about two pairs a month, which is great for pointe shoes. A real ballerina goes through like one a day. But I don't do too much in this. And. And so it's, you know, just a couple pairs a month. But I'm usually sewing those. Otherwise I am. I'll read a ton. I'm a huge reader. I also have a big gamer. I'm playing Nintendo a lot. And it goes by so fast. I do my makeup during the first act and. And then I, you know, do my warm ups and it really goes by so quickly. And then once I'm on, it's. It's then we're done. It's. Yeah, I really thought I would be bored. I was worried and I'm just not. There's so much to do and it's great because I can always work on other things. If I'm doing workshops of other shows, I can really kind of, you know, work on my material for that and. Or concerts that I have coming up. I can work on that. So it. It. I Very occupied. Very occupied.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Great. Last question. LA is home.

[Leslie Margarita]

Yes.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

How do you manage your personal life with so much time on Broadway?

[Leslie Margarita]

My husband and I have now been married 17 years as of a couple days ago. And so we have always. He's been, he. I call him a muggle. He's got a regular job, a regular, regular career. And we have always. Since the day we met 20 years ago, I have always been gone doing shows. So that's all we know. I mean, I was in London for three years while he was in la and that was half of it was. We were just about to get married, then we got married and I went back to London and it, you know, we were just really used to it. So it's a lot of miles. The greatest thing is FaceTime. That happened and that happened. You know, that's only been about a decade. I remember that when I was in London, I was like, oh, God, this is the greatest thing ever. Because we could really connect. And I feel like I see him every day. We don't go too long. He'll come out here. I will sometimes fly home on a Sunday night. He'll pick me up at LAX at like 1 in the morning. I will be home for one day to see him, to see my dog who loves LA more, and he was just miserable here. And then I'll fly back early on a Tuesday to be back for the show on Tuesday because I don't like to miss shows. And so. But I have done that quite often and I'm not. I don't even get that tired because I feel. I love going home and just checking in. And he comes out here all the time. So it's really all we know. It was funny during COVID we were like, okay, now it's too much time together. Too much time. I don't want to see your face anymore. But we've just made it work. And I have met a couple other people. Judith Light does that and I just love her so much. And I just. There are a few people that I admire that that is how they have stayed married and stayed in their relationship so long. Because you actually miss the person. And, yeah, we just work it out. And we know these contracts, you know, we say, like, okay, let's take it a year at a time. This is just a year. So that it goes by so quickly and it's, you know, never forever. And, you know, we'll see. He's. He's an east coaster. He's from Pennsylvania, so, you know, he would love to end up on this coast eventually. And. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, I'm. I'm a die hard California girl, but I'm being converted little by little.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Well, selfishly. And selfishly for Broadway, I'm going to say. Good. I'm glad to hear it. This has been great. Thank you so much. No, thank you. I'm Lauren Klashchneider with Leslie Margherita originating the role of Tessie Tura in the current revival of Gypsy at the Majestic Theater. Thank you.

[Leslie Margarita]

Yay.

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