I went to the Firehouse Theatre with a friend of mine last night and saw a production of Gypsy. The theater itself is a converted firehouse. We had fun trying to figure out what the original parts of the structure were. They give you a blanket when you come in, because the air conditioning is so powerful and it gets very cold in there. I was glad for the lap blanket.
“Gypsy” is the story of how Gypsy Rose Lee found her career. If you know musical theater at all, this is the one that gave us “Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”. Gypsy was a famous strip tease artist back in the day, working burlesque halls. The story centers on her mother, though. And it is heartbreaking. The mother is not a likable character and yet, by the end, I really felt for her. It was good casting too, the actress was totally believable in the part. The actress playing Gypsy had a very Dita von Teese vibe, which is understandable when you know that Gypsy is one of Dita’s influences.
There were a few technical problems with sound so I can’t give it the highest marks, but I would say a solid 8..5.