Gypsy

We went to the Arizona Broadway Theatre to see Gypsy a few nights ago and once again were delighted with the performance. Julie Cardia played Mama Rose to perfection—big voice, great actress. She was on loan from Actors’ Equity and had a most impressive list of credits. This is ABT’s fifth season and the productions just keep getting better—great sets and lighting, great costumes, great pit orchestra. And the people in them are much better than in normal local theatre. The choreography may not come up to Broadway standards, but it’s getting close. And the lead voices are really good, as seen in Ms. Cardia’s vocals. She closed the show with a tour de force (I’ve never before had a chance to use that expression) segment, called “Rose’s Turn,” in which she sings about what she might have been if things had been different, alone on the stage for six or seven minutes, singing, whispering, crying, dancing, acting up a storm, to the final curtain when she blasted us out of the house. What a nice place to go for a great meal, great service, great theatrical performances, and it’s only twenty minutes away.