'Gypsy' review: The Croswell mounts an ambitious crowd-pleaser

Courtesy of The Croswell Opera House/Ashlee Sayles

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It’s all coming up roses at The Croswell Opera House’s production of the musical theater classic “Gypsy.” A smash when it premiered in the late fifties, the show arrived at a moment when Broadway was beginning to embrace more psychologically complex storytelling. Mama Rose quickly became one of the most formidable roles ever written for a woman in musical theater. With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the creative pedigree is almost impossible to overstate. Riding the renewed cultural wave from the 2024 Tony-winning revival starring Audra McDonald, The Croswell and director Erica Wyman Abrahamson (who also shepherded the theater’s recent standout production of “Cabaret”) have captured a surprising amount of that momentum. Their production is rich in detail and powered by a fiery lead performance from Julia Spanja Hoffert.

“Gypsy” is a whole lotta theater, running just a shade over three hours on opening night. Like other mid-century masterpieces such as “West Side Story” and “Guys and Dolls,” it remains a staple because it still works and The Croswell doesn’t resist that, embracing a traditional staging, complete with the infamous strobe transition that ages the children into adults.

“Suggested” by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the story begins in 1920s Seattle, where a group of children rehearse for Uncle Jocko’s (Joe Capucini - rambunctious as ever) vaudeville act. Baby June (a remarkable Cece Underwood in her Croswell musical debut) and her sister Louise (the excellent Giuliana Kozak) are the stars of the act until their mother Rose (Hoffert) manically bursts in and immediately takes control. Rose’s ambitions for June are enormous, and she is more than willing to bulldoze anyone who stands in her way.

From there, the troupe travels across the country. Rose drags her daughters through Hollywood, New York, Omaha, and anywhere else she can keep the dream alive. Along the way she meets Herbie (Jared Hoffert, warm and grounded as always), a candy salesman who becomes the girls’ agent and Rose’s long-suffering partner. As the Great Depression reshapes the entertainment world, the act grows stale. June (now played by a spirited Abigail Lipsitz) and Louise (a terrific Emma Skaggs) age out of the cutesy routines, and audiences lose interest. The cow costumes and Shirley Temple curls no longer satisfy paying crowds. 

The score remains a powerhouse collection of classics. “Some People,” “You’ll Never Get Away from Me,” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” all land with force. In particular, Hoffert’s rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” is a showstopper that displays her vocal power and emotional command. Bill Hayes’ music direction and Bradley Baker’s vocal work give the ensemble a strong foundation, and the cast handles this iconic material with confidence. Christopher Childer’s choreography, Marty Tutt’s scenic design, and Deidre Reed's costumes, her first mainstage design with help on the specialty side from Rachel Buechele, provide the production with a polished visual identity that feels distinctly Croswell.

Abrahamson also appears onstage as Tessie Tura, part of the burlesque trio with Stephanie L. Stephan’s Mazeppa and Cindy Eberhardt’s Electra. Their act two number, “You Gotta Get a Gimmick,” is one of the evening’s highlights. The costume design and the way they are used create a burst of energy audiences are going to absolutely devour.

The production maintains the show’s humor, from fake Bible verses to stolen silverware, and both Hoffert and Skaggs show strong comedic instincts. The emotional core, however, rests on Louise’s transformation. I always felt the script delayed this shift longer than necessary, but Skaggs makes the moment count. She pivots from awkward, overlooked girl to commanding star with impressive clarity. Her transformation reinforces the show’s central theme in that “Gypsy” is a story about ambition, exploitation, and the complicated inheritance passed from mother to daughter. Rose’s relentless drive creates both the problem and the opportunity. Louise eventually learns to monetize the very image her mother tried to suppress, which feels strikingly relevant today.

Rose is a hungry, relentless force, and “Gypsy” is a musical that refuses to let audiences settle into comfort. It is old-fashioned in structure but emotionally sharp and Hoffert threads that needle with precision. Her Rose is charismatic, infuriating, vulnerable, and unstoppable. She wants a better life for her family, but she is willing to crush obstacles and relationships to get it. That intensity fuels the production. And while this production could probably benefit from cutting down ten or fifteen minutes, “Gypsy” remains a vivid reminder that women like Rose, flawed and ambitious and impossible to ignore, are always going to be the ones to shape the world around them. 

IF YOU GO: 

The Croswell’s production of GYPSY continues through June 21st at The Croswell Opera House, you can purchase tickets here.