West End’s Gypsy With Imelda Staunton Streams Free Now
The 2015 West End revival of the classic Broadway musical GYPSY is now free to stream, thanks to Shout Factory TV. Considered the "mother of all musicals," this revival of Gyspy marked the first time the musical played London's West End in more than 35 years. Based on the true-life memoirs of legendary burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee, the musical tells the tale of Momma Rose and her two daughters, Baby June, and Louise, trekking across America in their family vaudeville act. Since Gypsy’s original Broadway production in the late '50s, Broadway has seen four major revivals - Angela Lansbury (1974), Tyne Daly (1989), Bernadette Peters (2003), and Patti LuPone (2008). The 2015 London revival starred Imelda Staunton and was captured live for release through Ellen M. Krass Productions (Sweeney Todd, She Loves Me). Originally staged at the Chichester Festival Theatre, the revival transferred to London's Savoy Theatre, where it was filmed live by Emmy Award-winner Lonny Price for Ellen M. Krass Productions. The 2015 production of Gypsy is now available to stream in the US and Canada through TUBI TV. A direct link to the stream was added to our list of free streaming musicals. The London production won five Olivier Awards, including Best Musical Revival, Best Actress in a Musical (Imelda Staunton), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical (Lara Pulver). Gypsy opened at the Savoy Theatre in April 2015 and was extended multiple times after the show received critical acclaim. Directed by Jonathan Kent with choreography by Stephen Mear and set and costume design by Anthony Ward, the production starred Imelda Staunton as Rose, Peter Davison as Herbie, and Lara Pulver as Louise. In his review for The Guardian, Michael Billington said Imelda Staunton gives ‘one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen in a musical’ and added that "Anthony Ward’s designs and Stephen Mear’s choreography, evoking the vanished world of vaudeville, add to the gorgeous pleasure of an evening that both celebrates showbiz and at the same time exposes the psychotic nature of addiction to stardom."