Some Broadway musicals are classics, revived over and over again. And then there are the divas, the performers who create the starring roles. If you are lucky enough to see them, you will witness unforgettable performances.

This year’s outstanding revival stars Audra McDonald as Mama Rose, the matriarch of the classic musical Gypsy with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Having seen the show several times, I must admit I was less than enthusiastic about seeing it once again. But this revival is marvelous and features a wonderful cast and an exhilarating performance by Audra.

Based on the memoir by Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy tells the story of a domineering, relentless stage mother determined to make her daughter a star. June grew to be June Havoc, a successful movie star and Gypsy found her calling in burlesque.

Rose is the epitome of the stage mother. If she had been born later and perhaps had talent, she might have been a star herself. This new version adds the barrier of color to the limited opportunities for women in the 1920’s.

Rose primps, prods and pushes her daughters, specifically her younger one June ( played by 4th grader Jade Smith). She has one stock act featuring Baby June, who even as she matures remains forever infantilized with blond Shirley Temple curls. June sings “Let Me Entertain You” backed up by several chorus boys. Teenage June, portrayed by Jordan Tyson in a clever cast change mid-song, grows more resentful of her mother. However, through it all, Audra shows the love Rose has for her daughters,

When June leaves with Tulsa, one of the dancers (talented Kevin Csolak) the act is about to fall apart when Rose turns to her other daughter Louise ( Joy Woods ). Despite Louise’s lack of talent, Rose determines that she will make her a star. Along for the ride when he falls in love with Rose is Herbie, her agent, played by Danny Burstein.

The show is filled with wonderful familiar music and I found myself smiling in recognition. One of my favorites is the stripper number “You Gotta Get A Gimmick” performed by Lesli Margherita as balletic Tessie Tura, Lili Thomas tooting her horn as Mazeppa, and Mylinda Hull as Electra twerking to light up her body. The number brings the house down.

Baby June’s act is often silly and laughable but the performers make it endearing. The act and its permutations also provide the big ‘splashy’ numbers with a touch of amateurishness, especially when Rose includes a cow. The Junes are shrill and saccharine sweet but obviously the performers are quite talented. Rose is the master of thrift and reconstitutes everything, from wigs, to costumes to the cow. Later she uses June’s signature song, “Let Me Entertain You” when she convinces the grownup Louise to take a star turn in burlesque as a stripper. ((Musical supervision, Musical Direction and Additional Arrangements by Andy Einhorn)

The staging works well and is effective making the large Majestic Theater feel more intimate, especially in the backstage scenes at the burlesque theater and in the room that the troupe shares when they are on the road. (Scenic Design by Santo Loguasto).

Audra’s intensity and energy is astounding. How can she do this twice a day on Wednesdays and Saturdays? Yet her charm is undeniable and it’s clear why Herbie follows her around the country, hoping to get her to marry him. Besides her masterful acting skills, she demonstrates her gorgeous soprano voice, showing off her vocal range. But Audra makes it a play about family dynamics as well as a musical.

The rest of the cast is fine. As always, the affable Burstein is a treasure and smiles constantly. Herbie is a gentleman and softens Rose’s rough edges. Burstein seems pleased to be there, especially with Rose.
Joy Woods who was one of the three women in The Notebook, gets to shine in Gypsy with her voice and her beauty.

Impeccably directed by George C. Wolfe, Gypsy feels new again with vitality when it could easily have felt hackneyed and stale. The musical is close to three hours, long by modern standards but it moves flawlessly. In the final number. Although Audra is alone onstage singing "Rose’s Turn," her presence and her talents encompass the entire stage.

Audra, the recipient of 6 Tonys, will certainly be nominated again this year for this outstanding performance. She also has 2 Grammys and an Emmy and is in the American Theater Hall of Fame. Gypsy is a show well worth seeing-if you’ve never seen Gypsy. It's a classic, so go. If you’ve seen it before, you’ve never seen it quite like this, thanks to Wolfe’s brilliant direction and Audra’s superb talents. It will entertain you!