Bankstown Theatre Company: Gypsy - Review by Benjamin Olivera

If you’ve ever seen shows such as Dance Mums, you know that often times, the “show business” parents can be brutal, dramatic and will do anything for their kids. Well, before it’s existence was the Laurents & Styne musical classic “Gypsy” which tells the true story of strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and her committed mother Rose. Bankstown Theatre Company’s production of “Gypsy” leaves it all on the table with a ridiculously talented cast and a band who lead with strength and precision, making for quite an enjoyable night of theatre.

Director Diane Crease, assisted by Kianna Vorillas has a clear passion for the show, having played the lead role before, and brings this passion and emotion to the stage. In her vision, she states that “Gypsy is one of the only shows that has endured the test of time. There is no need for alterations because the script and story still resonate strongly to contemporary theatregoers” This was clear through the many character interactions and the involvement of quite a small ensemble in multiple elements of the show.

With this show being one that connects to multiple generations of theatregoers, it is crucial that it has a cast with the ability to not only portray but also embody these emotions so that they can connect to their audiences; and I can happily say that they can do this in tenfold.

Michele Lansdown leads this cast as Rose with beauty and wisdom in her performance, clearly doing her research to make sure this character is multi—dimensional and scarily relatable. Her vulnerability onstage as she strives to keep her family together despite the precarious sacrifices she’s had to make is fascinating to watch and keeps the audience in the palm of her hands for the whole show. She also possesses incredible stamina for such an unforgivable role as she leads multiple songs with ease and maintains her strong characterisation throughout. She is truly a seasoned veteran of the stage and it is fantastic to watch her in her element, exactly where she belongs. Opposite her is the stoic and precise Christopher Hamilton as Herbie. These two work seamlessly as a pair onstage with equal parts chemistry and tension that creates for a wonderful dynamic. His voice is amazing as it soars through the audience and he creates a character that is down-to-earth and clear amongst all of the chaos that goes on around him.

Isabella Rodrigues as Louise is next level, and dare I say worth the price of the ticket alone. Her character transformation throughout the show is written in the script, but the way that she takes it upon herself to change her voice, mannerisms, body language and essence is incredible and the work of a true pro; and that’s even before she opens her mouth to sing. Keep your eyes out for this name, as I personally cannot wait to see what show she does next. Aimee Crispin is a delight as June, radiating the same energy (and moves!) as her child counterpart. Often a thankless role due to it’s short-lived time, Crispin steals the stage at any time she’s on it and brings the audience with. Her on the first half of this wild ride. Seamus Fuary as the suave debonair Tulsa has the moves to die for as well as an effortless tenor voice. I can definitely understand why June chose to elope with him! His presence onstage is strong, confident and charming.

The children in this show are some of the highest calibre that I have seen in the community theatre scene recently and should definitely be commended for their commitment, enthusiasm and, most of all, talent! Leading this group of children and Baby June and Baby Louise themselves Pauline Ponomareva and Eva Veloso. They open the show with the same level of conviction and strength as their adult counterparts and are just fantastic at all that they do.

The other thing about Gypsy is its plethora of comedic side characters. With quite a serious main plot, they have made sure to include some incredible characters along the way to warrant several belly laughs, and the actors to fill the shoes of those roles and then some. Dale Selsby as Miss Cratchitt is hilariously dry and sarcastic, and has no shame in crushing the dreams of Rose and her girls. Talent must run in the family because Kate Selsby as seasoned burlesque star Tessie Tura is a star in her own right. Despite some technical issues, Selsby leads us through the transitionary step in Louise’s career with flair, thrusting and a whole lot of beads… not to mention a strong vocal performance!

The choreography in this show is clear, crisp and extremely 1920’s-40’s in style as it honours the vaudeville style gone by and is a great homage to the craft. Carly O’Rourke’s precision and hard work are so evident on that stage as the ensemble and leads are at such a high calibre. One of my personal favourite’s was “Together” in Act 2 as it had the perfect mix os fun choreography whilst not taking away from the emotional connection.

Musical director Greg Crease and his 14-piece band are faultless. This is some of the best musical direction that I have seen in a while, especially when the band are in another room. The brass section are on the entire time (notably Richard Sandham and Liz Gilberthopre bringing the motivic musical themes), the direction is clear, the vocals are polished and strong, and the band are supporting each and every vocalist on stage to sound the best they can. It is incredible work that I haven’t stopped thinking about since the show on Sunday! Reuben Hung’s sound engineering is the best that I have ever heard in the Bryan Brown theatre and the blend of vocals and band was on par. These things ultimately were the cherry on top of the clean and polish of a great show. There were some set changes that were a little laboured and tedious and some follow spots that didn’t hit the right spots all the time but these minor technical things are not to take away from the incredible performance that was delivered by this incredible company.

I came into this show not knowing the full story of Gypsy Rose Lee and walked out amazed and proud that good-quality thought provoking theatre still exists in the Sydney community theatre scene. Bankstown Theatre Company should be highly commended at their re-creation of “Gypsy”, a classic musical theatre staple. This show is perfect for everyone and honestly should be seen by everyone as it is something you don’t see everyday. Don’t let your chance to get your tickets go, because they are almost sold out for their closing weekend! Playing at the Bryan Brown Theatre until November 15th. Book tickets at their website.