Limited Edition. HYPE-STICKER on front. Double LP. Unopened/new vinyl, factory sealed, and in excellent condition. Very mild-wear along spine. Very-little shelf-wear along top/bottom-edge. (Not a cut-out.)
Gypsy: A Musical Fable is a 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The character of Louise is based on Lee, and the character of June is based on Lee's sister, the actress June Havoc. The musical contains many songs that became popular standards, including Everything's Coming Up Roses, Together (Wherever We Go), Small World, You Gotta Get a Gimmick, Let Me Entertain You, All I Need Is the Girl, and Rose's Turn. It is frequently considered one of the crowning achievements of the mid-twentieth century's conventional musical theater art form, often called the book musical. Gypsy has been referred to as the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers. Patti LuPone first portrayed Rose in Gypsy at the Chicago Ravinia Festival in August 2006, directed by Lonny Price and accompanied by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It began as a concert production but evolved into a full-fledged production featuring Jerome Robbins' original choreography (recreated by Bonnie Walker) and even a live lamb. Excitement was generated around LuPone playing the role of Rose and producers were eager to see Price's production, with the hope of moving it to New York. Jack Viertel, the artistic director of New York City Center Encores! saw the production and was so impressed that he contacted Arthur Laurents, requesting that he direct a new production of the show for a new summer Encores! program. From July 9 to 29, 2007, the show was presented at New York City Center with LuPone once again. Directed by Arthur Laurents, the production also featured Laura Benanti as Louise, Boyd Gaines as Herbie and Leigh Ann Larkin as June. Nancy Opel, Marilyn Caskey, and Alison Fraser played the strippers Mazeppa, Electra, and Tessie Tura (Lenora Nemetz assumed the role of Mazeppa / Miss Cratchitt for the Broadway transfer.) This production won numerous awards including the Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards for LuPone, Gaines and Benanti. The show was originally scheduled to close in March 2009 on LuPone's final performance, but closed on January 11, 2009 due to decreases in ticket sales. Like the 2003 production, this revival also closed at a loss. The production played for 332 performances and 27 previews. On the eve before the final performance, LuPone made news when she stopped the show during the song Rose's Turn to scold a patron for taking illegal photographs during the performance.