Broadway Gypsy Revival Posts Early Closing Date

Broadway's current revival of Gypsy, starring six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald as Rose, has moved up its closing date, and will now play its final performance August 17 at the Majestic Theatre. The revival will have played 28 previews and 269 performances as of its final curtain. The production had previously been expected to continue through at least October 5.

“George C. Wolfe's exquisite production of Gypsy managed to both capture the full integrity of the original, without changing a word, and at the same time brought a historic new level of depth with his casting the magnificent Audra McDonald," says David Saint, a spokesperson for the Arthur Laurents estate, in a statement. "He shed a complex light of racial awareness on this quintessential American story, one that would make Arthur, the lifelong advocate for social justice, extremely proud."

“This production of Gypsy made a once-in-a-lifetime event out of arguably the most revered American musical," adds Rick Pappas, speaking for the Sondheim estate. "With George C. Wolfe’s sharp and illuminating direction and a performance for the ages from one of our greatest living performers, Audra McDonald, its legacy is etched in Broadway history. Steve and Audra had a conversation about roles in his canon she should tackle, and they agreed Rose should top that list. We know he would have been thrilled with everything this historic production came to be on stage."

The earlier closing notice is a surprising finish for a starry revival of a beloved musical, which has become a trophy for Broadway's most revered leading ladies. This news will make the production the second shortest-running Broadway revival of the Jule Styne-Arthur Laurents-Stephen Sondheim musical, with only the 1974 revival starring Angela Lansbury (always planned to be a brief limited run), giving less performances since the 1959 original production. The seminal musical is a frequent face on the Main Stem, getting revivals in 1989 starring Tyne Daly, 2003 starring Bernadette Peters, and 2008 starring Patti LuPone, along with Lansbury's go.

Directed by George C. Wolfe, the staging opened at the Majestic Theatre December 19, 2024. With her 11th Tony nomination, McDonald made history this year as the most Tony-nominated performer of all time (along with her previous record of being the most Tony-awarded performer in Tony history, with six).

Along with 2025 Tony nominees McDonald as Rose, Danny Burstein as Herbie, and Joy Woods as Louise, the cast is led by Jordan Tyson as June, Kevin Csolak as Tulsa, Lesli Margherita as Tessie Tura, Lili Thomas as Miss Mazeppa, Mylinda Hull as Miss Electra, Jacob Ming-Trent as Uncle Jocko, Kyleigh Denae Vickers as Baby Louise, and Marley Lianne Gomes and Jade Smith as Baby June. Tryphena Wade is the standby for Rose. Montego Glover will play Rose at Sunday matinees for the remainder of the run, after filling in for McDonald's pre-planned vacation earlier this month.

READ: Audra McDonald Talks to Gavin Creel Every Night Before Gypsy

Gypsy, based on the mostly fictional memoir of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee, features a book by Arthur Laurents and songs with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The work has been filmed three times: a 1962 feature film starring Rosalind Russell, a 1993 TV film starring Bette Midler, and a filmed stage performance of a 2015 London revival starring Imelda Staunton.

READ: How George C. Wolfe Continues to Push Audiences (and Himself) Out of Their Comfort Zone

Wolfe's creative team includes choreographer 2025 Tony nominee Camille A. Brown; music director and supervisor Andy Einhorn, who's also penned additional arrangements; scenic designer Santo Loquasto; costume designer Toni-Leslie James; lighting designers Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer; sound designer Scott Lehrer; hair and wig designer Mia Neal; makeup designer Michael Clifton, and animal trainer William Berloni. Orchestrations are by Sid Ramin and Robert Ginzler, with dance music arrangements by John Kander, and additional orchestrations and arrangements by Daryl Waters. Rick Steiger is production stage manager.