Audra McDonald to Headline Broadway Revival of Gypsy

A new revival of Gypsy is heading to Broadway, with the iconic role of Madame Rose played by Audra McDonald.

Directed by George C. Wolfe and choreographed by Camille A. Brown, Gypsy will reopen the Majestic Theatre, with previews beginning November 21. Opening night is set for December 19.

Featuring a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy is loosely based on the life of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and tracks her relationship with her overbearing stage mother. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1959 with Ethel Merman starring as Rose. It has since been revived four more times with legendary lead performances by Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters, and Patti LuPone.

McDonald and Wolfe previously collaborated on the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, which ran in 2016. Wolfe will receive a 2024 Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement later this year.