From North Iowa Area Community College, www.niacc.edu

Performing Arts Series
Sukup and the NIACC Performing Arts Series Present Gypsy
Mar 27, 2008

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North Iowa Area Community College and Sukup are honored to present Gypsy. Gypsy will take the North Iowa Community Auditorium stage on Saturday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. as a part of the 2007-2008 NIACC Performing Arts Series. Tickets are on sale now and cost $38 in advance and $45 at the door.

From the blast of the first trumpet to the last hot spotlight, it’s little wonder why Gypsy remains one of the greatest Broadway musicals of this century. The big, brassy, funny, and unforgettable show features music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephan Sondheim, and is based on the book by Arthur Laurents.  Gypsy gloriously returns to the stage in this Phoenix Entertainment production at the North Iowa Community Auditorium.

It's the story of the quintessential stage mother, her dreams for herself and her daughters, and the daughter who dared live her own dream.  One of the greatest musicals of all time, Gypsy entertains one and all.

Based on the memoirs of entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee, Gypsy tells the story of Rose, an overbearing stage mother who is determined to make her girls the stars of vaudeville.  Rose overwhelmingly favors her younger daughter, June, who headlines the act, while Louise is relegated to the chorus.  Rose’s attention eventually turns to her older daughter, but it is Louise herself who discovers her own talent, and becomes a bigger star than Rose ever dreamed possible.  Set against the freewheeling days of vaudeville and burlesque, Gypsy explores ambition, jealousy, family relationships, and the bittersweet loss of innocence.

Gypsy was written by three virtuosos of American musical theater:  Arthur Laurents (book), Jule Styne (music), and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics).  The original production, starring Ethel Merman as Mama Rose and directed by Jerome Robbins, was an instant hit when it opened at the Broadway Theatre in 1959.  Subsequent revivals garnered a total of three Tony Awards® and featured such talents as Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly and Bernadette Peters in the role of Mama Rose.

Gypsy, produced by Phoenix Entertainment, is directed by Sam Viverito, with Michael Borth as musical director.  The creative team includes Michael Hotopp (scenic design), Charlie Morrison (lighting design), and Craig Cassidy (sound design).

Now entering its ninth year of operations, Phoenix Entertainment is an international theatrical producing and management enterprise founded by long-time colleagues Stephen Kane and Michael McFadden.  Over two decades of theatrical success and industry partnership have resulted in the Phoenix team delivering thousands of performances with more than 70 live productions on four continents.

Packing a powerful wallop, Gypsy serves up one popular standard after another like Everything’s Coming Up Roses, You Gotta Have a Gimmick, and Let Me Entertain You. Everyone agrees- Broadway musicals don’t get much better than Gypsy.

For tickets to Gypsy, call the NIACC Box Office at 1-888-466-4222, ext.4188.  Platinum sponsors for the 2007-2008 series include NIACC, Globe Gazette Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund; the Globe Gazette; Alliant Energy; Community National Bank; Henkel Construction; and Principal Financial Group.  Gold sponsors include David and Cathy Beck; First Citizens National Bank; First State Bank of Belmond; Kraft; Mercy Medical Center – North Iowa; Martin, Cooney, MacNider & Cooney, Financial Consultants of Raymond James and Associates, Inc.; Sukup Manufacturing; and UBS Wealth Management.  In kind sponsors include Hanford Inn; KIMT; and Pepsi.

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