“Her sister [June Havoc] said the musical portrayed who Gypsy [Rose Lee] wanted to be before the burlesque thing happened she wanted to be this beautiful, romantic person with dreams. So Gypsy told the story of her life as she wished she'd lived it: embellishing, softening the edges, eliminating certain things altogether.” PersonsSaidStoriesDreamWantedBeautifulCertainHappenedRoseMusicalEdgesThings HappenJuneGypsyEliminatingHavocBurlesqueBeautiful RomanticRomantic Person Author:Karen Abbott
“It was a great challenge to reconstruct Gypsy Rose Lee life, and my interviews with her sister [June Havoc] proved invaluable. It's not often that writers have access to living primary source material; this was the only person who experienced life on the vaudeville circuit with Gypsy during the 1920s, and who saw her perform at Minsky's Burlesque in the 1930s. She knew things that no one else could ever possibly know.” KnowsPersonsChallengesSawsMaterialsSourceRoseAccessPrimariesInterviewsJuneGypsyCircuits1930sInvaluableHavocVaudevilleBurlesquePrimary Source Author:Karen Abbott
“Burlesque thrived during the Great Depression, and by extension, so, too, did Gypsy [Rose Lee]. Men could no longer afford to pay $5.50 to see a show on Broadway, but they could scrape together $1.00 for a matinee at a burlesque house.” MenShowsTogetherHousePayRoseExtensionsBroadwayGypsyGreat DepressionBurlesque Author:Karen Abbott
“Classic burlesque in the style of Gypsy which many modern burlesque troupes practice is, at its core, so playful and teasing and innocent. It's not hardcore stripping so much as letting your body tell a story; the women are playing characters and unfolding a complete narrative onstage, with beginning, middle, and end.” EndsCharacterStoriesBodyPracticeModernMiddleStyleYour BodyCoreInnocentNarrativeClassicUnfoldingTeaseGypsyHardcoreStrippingBeginning Middle And EndBurlesqueTroupe Author:Karen Abbott
“There is nudity, of course striptease is an essential component of burlesque but it's much more complex and intelligent than a display of nudity for nudity itself. And its often laugh-out-loud funny.” CoursesLaughingEssentialsIntelligentComplexesLoudDisplayComponentsNudityLaugh Out LoudBurlesqueLaugh Out Loud Funny Author:Karen Abbott
