The West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre’s acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Gypsy has been confirmed for a 35 week run, starting 30 March 2014.
The production staring Imelda Staunton as the iconic figure of Mamma Rose, will play at the Savoy Theatre in the heart of London’s West End from 30 March to 28 November 2015, replacing Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the hit show currently calling the Savoy Theatre home.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne, Gypsy is based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee and is considered by many to be the greatest of the Broadway musicals.
The entertaining and moving story of Gypsy follows Mamma Rose as she does whatever it takes to keep her daughters in the theatrical spotlight, in an age when the lights are dimming on family vaudeville acts in America. Featuring iconic songs such as ‘Let Me Entertain You’, ‘Rose’s Turn’ and ‘Everything's Coming Up Roses’.
The last time Gypsy graced the stage of London’s West End was back in 1973, when Angela Lansbury stepped into the shoes of Mamma Rose. Now, 40 years later the tale of survival and complex family relationships returns to dazzle audiences once again.
Director Jonathan Kent teams up with Imelda Staunton for the second time. The pair found huge success with Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, with Staunton playing the coveted role of Mrs Lovett opposite Michael Ball, winning her an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Further casting has yet to be announced, but look out for more news in the coming weeks.
The producers of Motown The Musical have finally broken the silence surrounding the speculated arrival of this Broadway success. They have now confirmed that the production will play in London in 2015, but an exact date has yet to be confirmed.