Rose's Turn {Gypsy ~ Broadway, 1990} - Linda Lavin

[@bnorem09]

I was JUST here this morning, after watching her in No Good Deed on Netflix. Came here to re-live her magic in Gypsy. 12 hours later, I’m back to say RIP. What a talent.

[@MP-lq3xx]

😥

[@GeoSF0926]

I am so glad this clip is here. Over the past few weeks, as all the reviews of the new Broadway Gypsy have talked about the great Gypsy's of the present and past (Merman, Lansbury, LuPone, Midler, Peters, and now Audra, Linda Lavin was sadly missing. But she WAS GREAT in this role. I feel so luck to have experienced her live. Her Mama Rose was one for the ages. And after seeing her Mama Rose at the St. James Theatre that October night in 1990, my husband and I found ourselves sitting next to her at the bar at that venerable theatrical haunt Joe Allen, just around the corner from the theater. She was a delight, and I will always treasure not only her performance, but also our conversation. A cherished memory!! Rest In Peace, dear Linda. You had immense talent, and brought so much joy to so many of us.

[@gtlfb]

For my money, the greatest number in American musical theater.

[@bernieappugliese2029]

Saw her do this live and it was electrifying!! The pause before "Because I was born too soon and started too late that's why'." still chokes me up.

[@quinnaddison420]

The pause after “there wouldn’t be lights bright enough” is such a small detail but I got chills down my spine

[@botang6773]

She was a lovely human being. Worked with her on a show many years back. She was a charismatic performer in every role she undertook. Bless you, Linda.

[@jeffreybruce7679]

And THIS is why Lavin was/is my favorite Rose. I saw all of them, and it was thrilling to recall just "why." I remember thinking that her singing was terrific. Very little vibrato throughout, which was a dangerous yet correct choice. Have you ever heard any Rose who understood EXACTLY what she was singing? Her ability to throw in variations of characterization was so different from all who came before her. Merman was a walking siren. Thrilling, because she was the first. Lansbury acted it better than she sang it (sorry, folks.) LuPone? I thought her take on Rose was too vulgar. Peters? Good, but...really? Tyne Daly? Don't get me started. But Lavin? I never heard an audience throughout, where a pin drop would have been audible. She was a Rose who grabbed you right from the beginning and due to her acting technique, you LIKED her from the get go, you felt her heartbreak, her jealousy and her ambition. I have raved about her on this very site many times. I am thrilled that you (and I) can now see why.

[@bernieappugliese2029]

I agree with everything you said. I only saw Peters and Lavin and I really liked them both for different reasons. But Lavin was incredible!

[@wmjoh1]

I’m with you and that includes Betty, too. I’ll never forget the crazed, delusional look in her eyes at the end of Act I or how captivating she was in Rose’s Turn: she was like the person yelling on the subway who demands your attention but you don’t want to lock eyes with. Also, hers was the first and only time the applause in Rose’s mind worked for me- she broke the applause with the simplest of gestures and impeccable timing. The effect was magical!

[@royperez8965]

Wat about Middler?

[@jeffreybruce7679]

Sorry, uh uh.

[@zigmundp]

Lavin added all the additional beats, motivations and fresh line readings that really fleshed out the character. She wasn't just a pushy mother. Her moves in "Rose's Turn" are minimal but effective, just like the ones she instructed Louise to do when she became Gypsy. And she sang it fine and fiercely. She was one of my favorites in the role.

[@Gameboyboy17]

This interpretation of Rose is sensational! Manic, desperate, and yearning for something, someone, ANYONE, to tell her she is good enough. It's a brilliant representation of a narcissist at her lowest. BRAVA!

[@MM-cy1tc]

She was so very talented. Most people would not realize her theater chops. She had a great take on this role. Very different than the others and very special!

[@MsWittiR]

Which is a shame because she's a theatre actor who made good (really really good) with a hit TV series, but she started in the theatre and came back often.

[@echeleteich3347]

Very good. Each Rose brings something new to the role. Betty Buckley was phenomenal!!!!

[@TremelYoung]

That was fantastic!! Rip to a legend.❤

[@brianr4214]

This Lady was a helluva actress , watching you in Barney Miller right now. Cancer sucks , RIP Linda

[@paulp.6555]

Looks like Alice finally got her big break..... RIP Linda and thank you for all the roles.

[@dsm5523]

Brava! She was fabulous in everything I've seen her in. RIP.

[@smurf902]

I love that she's actually hitting real sharp stripper moves here, it adds to the scene. She's embodying what Gypsy was doing like she has been waiting to do this for so long, even though she despised the idea of her daughter being a stripper, although it was done in desperation to make her a star.

[@WHATTHEBUCKSHOW]

I believe every second of this!

[@JamesNYCGuy3]

So overshadowed & underrated! APPLAUSE!

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

L O V E the last 30 seconds - incredible performance!

[@Paigeturnernyc]

Oh she's such a perfect Rose type. Everyone will always have their favorite Rose, but this is fab!

[@daveku99]

A woman of many talents. Thank you God for letting us be entertained by her.

[@shane8808]

I think she's pretty good. People need to get over the idea that only one person can ever play a role.

[@abesylvia3818]

Ba-dum-bump! LIVING FOR THAT!

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

Thank you, Moonfall! You're a hero! Linda is terrific! So happy to finally be able to see this.

[@russellcandy9850]

Fantastic!! I'd love Miss Lavin in anything!!

[@gabrieltaylor2589]

She sounds and acts a lot like Patti which of course she came before. I find the performances very similar. Listen to their Rose's Turns back to back and you'll see what I mean. For me, only Bernadette truly broke the Merman blueprint and made it completely her own (Ben Brantley also said as much in his NY Times review).

[@dabbsie100]

Did you see Lansbury? I’ve seen most all except Lavin and Buckley. Angie brought a manic grandiosity to Rose- a sexiness I had never seen before. This is why Rose is considered the Lear of musicals. It’s what each actress makes it ‘her own’.

[@ActorsWithIssuespodcast]

She puts so much power and emotion into it and spite and neglect, it's wonderful. Also I prefer her staging as opposed to Daly's constant pacing that made her seem manic.

[@nealhenderson3922]

The " King Lear" role for women. Very few can portray this character and sing that song. Ms. Lavin delivers ! Perfection. Feel every ounce of her pain and frustration. There should be Awards for each season. This performance was brilliant and deserved to be recognized.

[@seansolis6157]

She's confused and dazed and I have never seen a performance like it think it gives more to the character as her daughter just basically said buzz off wonderful interputation

[@tr3sidential]

Loved it!!!

[@sfogjm]

Thank you for sharing! I always wondered about Lavin's stint playing Rose on Broadway. As I recall, she had a surprisingly short run but the show had already been running for quite awhile. (And, that's no reflection on Lavin. Remember how quickly SONG AND DANCE closed when Betty Buckley took over.) What a fresh interpretation with lots of small gold nuggets throughout. Also, gotta reference how deftly she reinterpreted the "Mama" breakdown moment to be more consistent with the overall performance she gave of the number. The performance strikes me as a distinctly "Lavin" performance--aspects of her public personality are solidly present and don't disappear in the turbulence of that song. I thought that was very interesting. As to the criticism that Rose is supposed to be losing control in that number, it's also true that the number is generally supposed to be in her imagination (which is why the extended bows were added subsequent to the original production)., I take Lavin's performance to be how Rose would see herself in one of her many dreams. . .

[@prestonnorris9822]

God I wish I'd have seen her do this 💜🙌🏼👏🏼🙌🏼

[@Btown-xs3kd]

She was meant to play this role. She will be greatly missed. Rest in love.

[@MichaelHammond]

Well done, Ms. Lavin!

[@robertperry814]

great rendition of this number. she has some moves.

[@larrydirtybird]

Thanks for posting this! This was the first musical that I ever saw on Broadway, with her in it, so it's great to see a bit of it again. I later saw the show again when Tyne Daly returned to it. Daly effortlessy glided through the role and was funnier, while Lavin seemed to put a lot more into it. I think to a lot of people it looked like she was trying too hard, but I think she gave more complexity to the role. And she was certainly better than Bernadette Peters, whom I saw in the another Broadway revival of the show many years later.

[@mzmiller52]

I loved Bernadette Peters. Saw Lavin, Buckley, lupone at encores and broadway ( better at encores), and Tyne Daly( loved her as well). Buckley was at paper mill, pretty good and started this revolving door of gypsy productions. Still liked peters’ vulnerability and letting others shine, though not the real character. Would like to see someone tell the true story of mama rose. Murder and all.

[@hnc52]

Wow! I knew Linda Lavin was in Gypsy,but until today had never seen this. She may be my new favorite Rose,tying with Angela Lansbury.

[@cynaraslover]

My late partner saw this without me; we had seen Daly together. He had also seen Lansbury in his 20s, and a year earlier, he saw Dolores Gray. He always said each was excellent in her way, Gray being his favourite, but he loved Lavin in it, saying her only flaw was that she played Rose rather coldly. l was impressed with seeing this.

[@richardmayora6974]

So many of the comparisons are meaningless if people have not seen Delores Gray. She was magical.

[@johnpickford4222]

Dolores Gray did it in London, didn’t she, following Lansbury? She did the London company of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN when Mary Martin turned it down since she didn’t want to stay in London after starring in Noel Coward’s PACIFIC 1860 which didn’t do well. Gray had a very warm voice, a contralto who could bet and would have been very good. Too bad she didn’t follow Lansbury on Broadway. Elaine Stritch wanted to GYPSY in the London company following her runs in COMPANY but her name wasn’t big enough (and her star bright enough) to get the backing.

[@stephaniekeyes2928]

One of the best

[@jaltmedia7740]

I never saw her in the role. However, I wonder if it is possible that she was panned early in her run as Rose and took the "notes" graciously and improved. Because I actually like this a lot! She does it differently, and I always like seeing a different and non "merman-esque" rendition.

[@Muttonchop_USA]

I saw this live. The audience went wild for her! I think some people were nonplussed by the Irish brogue she used (which Rose actually had).

[@quinnaddison420]

I think that story is actually inspirational! She was a well established actress, but it’s beautiful to hear she took notes and there was a noticeable change.

[@karthelow]

I saw this in 1991. RIP 😢 🎭

[@adollarajoke]

I got to see Tyne Daly in Gypsy at the St. James many times - I loved her in the show. She was raw and callous and funny. Or, as Arthur Laurents said, Daly's Mama Rose was "as common as dirt" - he loved her. Her vocal performance was generally very good, raw and affecting - like her performance, and yes, she had some rough nights. So did Callas, and Pavarotti - right? Linda Lavin was a different beast. I thought she was supremely confident - as an actress, and in that regard, she was similar to Lupone. Lavin also didn't seem to care if you liked her Mama Rose or not. She was gonna lay it out, and if you didn't like it.... hit the door, pal. Not a bad way to play the part. I didn't think her singing was pretty (nobody ever said Merman's singing was pretty) but it was a great character voice, and probably authentic to the sound Mama Rose would have created in that era. Lavin was a great stage actress, for sure. Safe Passage.

[@michaeldemarco7694]

Loved Linda’s interpretation but Patti LuPone was just phenomenal…. Rest in Peace 😢

[@aarontakesbroadway]

I don’t actually hate it! I think there are aspects of this performance that are half decent, however, I feel like towards the end she should have been more angry, obviously keep that joy of being on stage but put raw passion into the ending!

[@MrQbenDanny]

Brilliant tour de force, she's better than I think she herself thought. I like the Brooklyn Jewish dominating mother she brings to Rose. Fantastic.

[@misplacedstoic]

This is wonderful.

[@mousecarroll9758]

She was the best MamaRose I ever saw, including Merman.

[@patnstephen2]

this was astonishing. i adore this lady. stephen mosher.

[@victordunson719]

Yasssssssssssssssss

[@richardjohnson9593]

I saw this.... I enjoyed it....

[@ky2here]

Maybe because she's shrill and doesn't understand the material. Rose essentially decompensates and hurls into madness. Lavin looks like she's in control and this song is about losing control. There's nothing frightening (besides her tone and foghorn singing). The audience is supposed to be terrified at the end of Rose's turn and Lavin terrified them in the wrong way.

[@kumada84]

Um.... No. 😊

[@benrimalower]

Whoa.

[@mosshart21]

It seems she hasn't quite yet found the rhythm yet. This feels like what usually gets seen in rehearsals before an opening. Seeing as how she was a replacement, maybe she just didn't have adequate prep time for this leviathon of a character. Though not polished, I can see the work she's doing as an actress and I'd feel confident she would just get better. As for the voice, i hear power, not foghorn at all. Thanks for posting!

[@stevehinnenkamp5625]

Valiant performance. She acted the hell out of it. I applaud her. It just didn't quite land. I think she tried too hard. Merman didn't try hard enough--that is why performance landed. A great performance always looks easy.

[@Empoweredwoman1234]

She sort of reminds me of Staunton but different. We’ll done.

[@sammy7819]

I've always thought Linda Lavin was a very good broadway actress

[@taikob0y]

OMG her screechy nasal voice is awful. I love Lavin but not in this role. But thanks for posting, I was always curious how she performed Rose

[@liesljones5987]

Anyone who believes Lavin isn't delivering a first-class version of this tour-de-force number has only seen GYPSY performed by a 7-year-old in a grammar school sandbox. And as far as that "acclaimed" Brit lady goes - back to Gilbert & Sullivan!

[@stedmantx]

+LieslJones59, I hope you mean Staunton and not Lansbury.

[@readerjoy]

Or maybe we don't like horrible singing.

[@sharoncarrier18]

I'm not impressed. Annoying voice.

[@jonthesYT]

The accent misguided.

[@Muttonchop_USA]

Except for the fact that that's how the real woman sounded.

[@jamesbyrne2223]

painful. worse than watching reruns of "Alice."

[@karenmckenny2587]

She didn’t let go quite enough. Too controlled when the character was supposed to be having a breakdown. Patti Lupone played Rose the best.

[@johnpickford4222]

Well, for the breakdown she could channel getting displaced UNFAIRLY from the Broadway opening of SUNSET BOULEVARD. She should have ALW and asked, “I’m ready for the opening now.”

[@johnflynn9619]

Linda is a Great Actress. But, her vocals were not up to the material.

[@drewy412]

Yikes!

[@markcarpenter9235]

I would have been very disappointed if I had paid money to see this. I think she's dreadful Her reading of the opening monologue is one of the worst pieces of acting I have ever witnessed. Her cadence makes no sense to me.

[@glp329]

Merman, Russell, Daly the rest forget it.

[@johnpickford4222]

And not ANGELA LANSBURY? ‘You don’t know talent, not what I call talent, Mr. George Paterson’

[@glp329]

@@johnpickford4222 I Love Angela Lansbury .Can't name everyone.

[@capt.molyneaux7037]

Dear god.....this reeks of poo !