Rosalind Russell, a true world-class actress, brought perfect line readings and comic timing and delivery, along with a nice patrician air, to the role of Rose, and no one has matched her -- before or since. I've seen every Mama Rose -- Merman, Peters, Midler, Lansbury, Betty Buckley, Andrea McArdle, Mary McCarty, Joanne Worley and Giselle MacKenzie -- and none of them touches Russell in the role, certainly not in the kind of nuanced humanity she brought to it. (There have been a lot of caricaturing, mugging and over-acting in this role.) And Natalie Wood is the only actress I've seen to do anything remotely three-dimensional with the underwritten role of Louise/Gypsy. Bravo to both!
Review of Gypsy
