"Gypsy" Original Cast Album (1959)

One of the best musicals that ever came of Broadway, "Gypsy" was surprising and refreshing step away from sugary musical confectionery and usual comedy stuff - it works as pure entertainment but it also has dark undertones about children abuse, emotional blackmail and the main character is a monster mother. And than there is brilliant way with Stephen Sondheim lyrics and how they match Jule Styne music - it's almost spooky how character of Baby June actually preceded Baby Jane in 1962. movie with Bette Davis.

Interestingly enough,Irving Berlin (who had great success with Merman playing in his musicals) refused the play, because "Gypsy" was too dark and disturbing for him. Even better - Sondheim and Styne did brilliant work together, though Sondheim was not exactly thrilled to again play the second fiddle to a composer (he wrote lyrics for "West Side Story" and hardly anybody noticed him as all the praise went to Leonard Bernstein). Years later, Sondheim complained that Merman was simply learning her lines like a "talking dog" and never understood character she was playing, but never mind - it was huge success in the theatre and played forever (from 1959 to 1961) to a audience of thousands. Again, music found its way to standard repertoire outside of Broadway though I must admit what really hits home for me is the comedy trio of old strippers (“You Gotta Get a Gimmick”) that always cracks me up,no matter how many times I heard it before.

This is not just the best musical work of Ethel Merman's career but also the one perfectly suite for her loud,brassy and often over-bearing singing. Somehow her pushy way with music matches the character of aggressive and domineering stage mother, so it's really combination made in musical Heaven. It's hard to take anybody else seriously in this role.

Again, Hollywood chose another actress for a movie version and Merman was understandably heartbroken though it's difficult to imagine her showing it - she probably cursed and went on performing sold-out shows, to show "them" what they are missed.