ARTS
Raleigh production of 'Gypsy' called bland, dull
By D.F. WILSON
Staff Writer
If anything ever revelled in mediocrity,
Gypsy does. The final production in Raleigh
Little Theater's 1981-82 season, it is almost
as if the whole show is one big sigh of relief.
After the Wednesday, May 26 preview, all
that came to mind were phrases like "not
bad," "O.K.," and "so-so." Every high point I
was able to pick out had a contrasting low
spot. It is to be hoped that director L. Newell
Tarrant will be able to tighten up the
performance for further shows.
The Broadway classic, written by Arthur
Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with a
score by Jule Styne, is based on the autobi
ography of the first lady of burlesque, Gypsy
Rose Lee. Portrayed along the road and in
seamy theaters across the country, it is the
story of the classic stage mother. Rose
Hovick (played by Phyllis Busby) and her
two daughters, June and Louise (Wendy
Stanley and Ruthie Martinez). Rose pushes
her pride and joy, June, until June finally
walks out Then Rose turns to the previously
neglected Louise for star material. Louise
eventually does become a star not as her
mother had planned, but as a strip-tease
artist.
Busby does an adequate job in the role of
Rose, created by Ethel Merman in 1959.
While she is vocally immaculate, her acting
leaves a lot to be desired. She does a marve
lous job of portraying a brassy, driven
woman, yet that character rarely changes
at all. Only a few of her lines break out of
the mold she has created.
Charles Barrett is the other side of the
coin of this problem. While in the role of
Herbie, Rose's agent-friend, his acting is
above average, his vocal talents are lacking.
In a cast numbering over 50, Ruthie Mar
tinez does the almost impossible job of
being memorable as the lively Louise. It is
remarkable how well she effects the slow
transition of age, going from a freckled girl
in pigtails to the naughty lady of the stage.
Not only does her appearance change con
vincingly, but her voice and manner evolve
as well.
One of the problems that plagues the cast'
is that of their Southern accents, although!
Under the direction of Alan Neilson, the
orchestra starts out shaky, but tightens up
considerably as time passes. Lola Renfrows'
choreography is adequate while Steve Cur
rie's lights need a total overhaul. There are
some terrible shadows and there were sev
eral missed cues.
Tickets for Gypsy are $6 for weeknight
and matinee shows and $8 on Fridays and
Saturdays. Student and Senior Citizen prices
are $4 weeknights, $6 Fridays and Saturdays,
and $2 for matinees. The remaining 8 p.m.
performances are June 2-5, 9-13, 16-19 and
the 3 p.m. matinee is June 6.
fortunately none of the main characters suf
fers this.
Some of the highl ights of the show are the
numbers "If Momma Was Married," sung by
June and Louise, and "All I Need is the Girl,"
performed by Louise and chorus-boy Tulsa
(Victor Mangum). On the other hand, one of
the hits, Rose's "Everything's Coming Up
Roses" is particularly disappointing. One of
the most entertaining moments of the eve
ning is "You Gotta Get a Gimmick' sung by
strippers Mazeppa, Electra and Tessie Tura
(Gina Massel-Castater, N. Caroline Banks
and Becky Johnson).
'Old Fearsfails in cliche of terror
By JEFF GROVE
Arts Editor
There is something evil lurking in the
cellar. And in the closet. And under the
bed. And in the coal pit at the edge of
town.
Or so John Wooley and Ron Wolfe
would have us believe. Wooley and Wolfe
have written a novel titled Old Fears
(Franklin Watts, 280 pp., $13.95) which at
tempts to breathe life into everyone's
darkest childhood terrors. The result is a
dreary photocopy of the slash-'em-up hor
ror film formula. .
Old Fears offers cliches and nothing
else. The hackneyed characters and situa
tions are not even thinly disguised. There
is the placid small town which this time
happens to be Tanapah, Oklahoma and
its brusque sheriff who believes that there
is a rational explanation for the mysterious
deaths which have been occurring in the
town. There is the lady doctor who fur
nishes the love interest, the stalwart hero
who protects her, and the crusty editor of
the local newspaper, who once worked in
the big city but escaped to the unhurried
life offered by Tanapah. There are even
some victimized teenagers.
books
As the cause of the deaths of the locals
gradually emerges and it could not
emerge more gradually you wonder why
you had to go through all this to arrive at
such a cop-out explanation. The novel is
painfully slow-moving and predictable.
Not a touch of. imagination relieves the
boredom elicited by the overworked, time
worn figures of speech and the clumsy
prose.
Old Fears reads suspiciously like a
screenplay, and it would. not be surprising
if it turned out that Wooley and Wolfe had
tried to sell the idea to a studio and, fail
ing that, novelized their script. If they had
an original conception well-suited to the
form of a novel, they might have had more
success. The jacket of Old Fears says that
the two authors are at work on a second
book. Perhaps their next effort will be bet
ter than Old Fears; it could not be much
worse.
THIS SUMMER.
... BE PART OF IT
POLO COIylESsTO CAROLINA
A group of Polo Players called POLO SOUTH is bringing Polo to North Carolina
this summer. There will be games every Sunday af ternoon beginning in June. We also
want to teach people to play and hope to have UNCM Teams by this
fall. Beginners classes are just beginning. We provide everything (horses, mallets,
helmets, etc.) . . . except your boots. Riding experience preferred.
For details please call (919) 471-0147
POLO SOUTH is headquartered at Quail Roost Farm approximately 12 mi. north of Durham on Roxboro Rd.
Hwy 501 N. call nd come visit us. :
10 The Tar Heel Thursday, June 3, 1982