“Let me entertain you!” can be heard echoing through the rehearsal space for Mariposa Arts Theatre (MAT) for their upcoming production of GYPSY: A MUSICAL FABLE.
Coming to the Orillia Opera House from November 7th to 17th, MAT is excited to present one of the greatest American musicals of the 20th Century. Written by Arthur Laurents and based on the real memoirs of striptease legend Gypsy Rose Lee, GYPSY tells the story of one fiercely devoted mother’s singular destructive ambition to find fame and fortune for herself and her two daughters as they tour through the vaudeville circuit of the 1920s and the ever-evolving demands and desires of show business.
GYPSY is a fascinating tale of greed, ambition, selfishness, show business, and self-discovery, featuring a show stopping combination of unforgettable music and indelible characters which has helped it stay relevant and spellbinding 65 years after its Broadway debut in 1956.
The show highlights the complicated relationship between mother Rose, played by Finnie Jesson, a newcomer to MAT; and her daughters June, played by Alyse Squirrell (The Rocky Horror Show) and Louise, played by Olivia Everett (Chicago, Urinetown). Spanning from their early childhood growing up on stage in children’s vaudeville acts, where young June and Louise are played by Charlotte Houldsworth and Charlotte Dionne respectively, both who just came from Duck Soup Productions’ Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. Caught up in the fleury of a star-driven Rose and her daughters, is Herbie, a traveling salesman turned agent played by Ted Powers (Bard in the Yard’s Twelfth Night and Shakespeare Abridged) and the dreamer chorus boy Tulsa, played by Stephen Dobby (All My Sons, The Rocky Horror Show). The traveling troupe eventually stumble into a burlesque hall meeting the hilarious Tessie, played by Stephanie Anderson; Mazeppa played by Laura Macdonald; and Electra played by Anna Gagliardi, setting in motion a new trajectory to stardom. The ensemble cast features over 20 additional local talents with fun and hilarious side characters.
Seasoned MAT actor, Josh Halbot (Chicago, The Rocky Horror Show, The Play That Goes Wrong), steps into the director’s chair for the first time with a life-long passion for the musical. “Gypsy is one of the first musicals I remember seeing,” says Halbot, “the Bette Midler version (1993) left a deep impression on me: the Bob Mackie costumes, the campy vaudeville sets, and above all, the iconic score. It’s loud and funny and brassy, but also contains these intense moments of pure vulnerability and sadness.”
That iconic score, penned by Julia Styne with lyrics by the late great Stephen Sondheim, is brought to life by the incredible local band, The 4th Street Jazz Project, under the musical direction of Sami Jo Whalen and band leader Robin Watson. You may have heard this group of over 20 musicians play around Orillia and their big band sound will underscore the entire show, performing on stage alongside the actors. With such staples as “Let Me Entertain You”, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and the showstopping “Rose’s Turn”, these performances will barely be contained by the Orillia Opera House’s Gordon Lightfoot Auditorium.
It is a large undertaking to put on a show of this scale. “Hubris, mostly,” says Halbot, with a laugh, when asked about what inspired him to take on this production. “I’ve always had a sort of ‘well I could do that’ approach to show production that I’m learning daily is not the case. Thankfully the material is timeless and our production team is absolutely incredible. I’m inspired by them and by how much I’m learning and growing as a creative in this field.”
Behind the scenes, there are over 20 more production crew setting the stage. For audiences who saw MAT’s 2022 smash hit The Rocky Horror Show, many creatives are back for another round including choreographer Sheri Nicholls, costume designer Erin Hawke, set designer Brian Halbot, properties master Susan Mitchell and more! Their teams continue to grow with more interest from the community looking to be involved and volunteer in every aspect of the production. “The production team is so deeply professional, and the cast is wildly talented, so it’s made the process genuinely thrilling,” reiterates Halbot.
GYPSY: A MUSICAL FABLE runs Thursdays to Sundays from November 7th to 17th at the Orillia Opera House. Evening performances start at 7:30pm with Sunday matinees at 2pm. Be sure to cheer on our Understudies for a special scheduled performance on November 14th as they step into their lead roles and take to the spotlight!
