TBT: Patti LuPone Celebrates Opening of GYPSY on Broadway!

Everything's coming up roses this week because the original production of the legendary musical GYPSY is celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of its opening night! To celebrate, we're looking back at the opening night of Broadway's most recent revival in 2008 starring Patti LuPone in the iconic role of Mama Rose. Check out the video to see our chat with LuPone, Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines, and more!

Directed by theatrical legend and author of the musical Arthur Laurents, the 2008 Broadway revival of the great American musical GYPSY played 332 performances and 27 previews at the St. James Theatre. It starred Tony Award winners Patti LuPone as "Rose," Boyd Gaines as "Herbie" and Laura Benanti as "Gypsy." The show began preview performances on Monday, March 3, 2008 and officially opened on Thursday, March 27, 2008.

GYPSY was awarded three 2008 Tony Awards, one for each of the show's three stars: Patti LuPone (Leading Actress in a Musical), Laura Benanti (Best Featured Actress) and Boyd Gaines (Best Featured Actor). The production was nominated for seven Tony Awards in total, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical (Arthur Laurents), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Martin Pakledinaz) and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Dan Moses Schreier). In addition, GYPSY was nominated for six Outer Critics Circle Awards (boasting wins for LuPone and Benanti), four Drama Desk Awards (including wins for LuPone, Gaines and Benanti) and three Drama League Awards including the "Distinguished Performance Award" for Patti LuPone.

LuPone leads the cast in the role of "Rose," the quintessential stage mother, joined by multiple Tony Award winner Boyd Gaines (Journey's End) as "Herbie" and Tony Award nominee Laura Benanti (Into the Woods) as "Louise," the daughter who transforms into the title character of "Gypsy Rose Lee." GYPSY also stars Leigh Ann Larkin as "Dainty June," Tony Yazbeck as "Tulsa," Marilyn Caskey as "Electra," Alison Fraser as "Tessie," Lenora Nemetz as "Mazeppa," Bill Bateman as "Mr. Goldstone," Jim Bracchitta as "Uncle Jocko," Sami Gayle as "Baby June," Katie Micha as "Baby Louise," Bill Raymond as "Pop," Brian Reddy as "Weber," and The ensemble of GYPSY features Beckley Andrews, Andrew Boyer, Nancy Renée Braun, Jacob Clemente, Kyrian Friedenberg, Matt Gibson, Sarah Marie Hicks, Steve Konopelski, Matthew Lobenhofer, Nicole Mangi, Matty Price, Lisa Rohinsky, Jaclyn Taylor Ruggiero, Jessica Rush, Alicia Sable, John Scacchetti, Geo Seery, Rider Quentin Stanton, Dorothy Stanley, Pearce Wegener and Emma Zacks.

This production of GYPSY was based on the critically acclaimed New York City Center Encores! Summer Stars production which enjoyed a triumphant three week run in July of 2007.

GYPSY, the musical fable suggested by the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, is written by three legendary theatrical giants. The book is by two-time Tony Award winning legend Arthur Laurents, with music by two-time Tony Award winner Jule Styne and lyrics by multiple Tony Award winner Stephen Sondheim. The 1959 blockbuster, originally directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, boasts a legendary score with such classic songs as "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "Rose's Turn" and "Some People."