Definately Bernadette, but Rosalind's a close second. I just love how human Bernadette's Rose is...her's is the most believable performance. Most of the others portray Rose as this awful, angry monster instead of a real human being with feelings. There's just more depth to Bernadette's Rose...and that wins me over.
Does anyone have the full version of Bette Midlers Gypsy mine is on VHS sadly and we all know what happend to those. I would love to see the whole movie online. Thanks
BERNADETTE all the fucking way! Midler and LuPone were way too hammy throughout their entire performances. I like Buckley too but Bernadette gets my vote :)
Patti LuPone is the best in my opinion, I think she's perfect in that role (and well, she's something like my idol xD) but I have to say that I LOVED Bette Midler.
However, my opinion is that they were all wonderful.
So who would you LOVE to see as Rose, who hasn't played it yet? Personally, I would love to see Allison Janney's take on the character. She certainly has the acting chops, but I am not sure if she has the singing chops.
Peters- I have a soft spot for this one because I actually saw this revival on Broadway. Although I hate the frumpy costumes designed by Anthony Ward. She looks like Helen Mirren in 'The Queen' with that horrible pill-box hat.
LuPone-Saw this revival as well. Transcendent. She steam-rolls through the monologue because she's building up the energy to start into the song, but I agree, at this performance she could have taken it a tad slower. Overall my favorite though. Patti was amazing.
Daly- I like it, but I think she could have gone a little further.
Midler- Epic, Epic FAIL. Poor Bette could have done justice to the part but got zero direction. So she played the result. Also whats with all the CRAP in the background? Totally over-worked.
Buckley-You could drive a train through all those self-indulgent dramatic pauses. LAND THE PLANE BETTY I'VE GOT KIDS AT HOME!
Thanks for posting! What an interesting topic and I loved reading everyone's thoughts. Here are mine:
Merman- Meh.
Russell- Loved it when I first saw the film initially. But I hate how she says "If I ever let it GO" and not "If I ever let it out." Which is the correct line as Laurents wrote it. I know its a knit-picky thing. But it is his words and I think if you're doing ROSE in GYPSY you better get the words right. Lets face it, the role is King Lear of the musical theatre.
In most productions of Gypsy, after the number "Rose's Turn", there is actually reconciliation between Rose and her daughter Louise. Except for the 1974 Broadways revival starring Angela Lansbury and the 2008 Broadway revival starring Patti LuPone. Because in these versions there is no hope of reconciliation between the two but rather Louise gives somewhat of a sarcastic laugh, and Rose's insanity sets in.
I would have to say, my favorite is Buckley. She didn't try to hard, but tried just enough, and i pictured this scene as bleak, when I read the script (before I saw it.)
Acting: Rosalind Russell she plays all the nuance as tho she was talking to herself, not to the audience. Singing: no contest, Merman! She's the only one who truly 'supports' those belting notes. It would be very interesting to see Glenn Close play Mama Rose, when I saw her in Sunset Blvd. I kept thinking hmmmm maybe. My guess for the next broadway revival in about 10 years or so will be SUTTON FOSTER!
I LOVED the Rosalind Russell/Natalie Wood movie, and they are two of my all-time favorites. None of these other women come close to Rosalind Russell in the acting department... but Bette Midler has a lot of heart... and gives it all she's got. Also, she is in the top 5 of my favorite female vocalists. Overall, I'd say
Russel was best acting, no one will ever beat her in that aspect, but i think bernadette had the best singing. There has been talk in hollywood recently of making a new movie. They offered it to barbra streisand but she turned it down, and thank god she is way too old. Bet you anything they will try to use Meryl Streep. Personally I think they should use Catherin O'hara... and I dont know if she can sing, but joan cuzak would be great too.
Wow! Catherine O'Hara is a pretty amazing choice! She's a phenomenal actress! Of course, knowing the idiots in Hollywood, she's probably not "mainstream" enough! It's hard to sell a musical these days and they probably think only a big wig like Streisand will bring in viewers, which is a damn shame! This is why I wish Gypsy would just keep running on Broadway like Chicago, so all kinds of wonderful actors could fill in every few months!
@ChrisRandomSinger i wish that too, that way we wouldn;t have to wait every few years to see yet another revival and decide who wins or not at playing the same roles, we could just appreciate each actor individually and see a great many of them.
Completely agreed! There's so many fine actresses I'd love to see play Rose. I think I've enjoyed bits and pieces of everyone's performance, some more than others. Most of Bette's performance is unredeemable, but she has maybe one or two moments I like.
i liked Bette Midler and Patti Lapone though they seemed like they had the tone of the moment down Mama Rose is going crazy at this point cause she lost June then Herby walks out on her Louise has been the only one who has put up with her and who Rose thought wud always be on her side the scene before Louise finally stood up to her so she feels like shes lost everything
My votes also go to Russell and Midler. Russell really seems to capture the emotions, without going overboard. Peters, in my opinion goes WAY overboard - and seems like a child interpreting the anger in a school play. Midler captures a real sense of emotions as well. I always liked Merman on the recordings, but listening here for comparison, she surprised me by coming in after both Russell and Midler on my scorecard.
Daly and Lupone strike me as television-quality performances.
This is tough. Every one of these talented ladies' performance has great merit. I think it boils down to personal preference. I have always held the opinion that Rosalind Russell's COMPLETE performance (yes, including the musical numbers) was so beautifully realized, that all others fall in line behind it. But in what order? I am constantly rearranging that list as I discover something new in every one of them that I hadn't noticed before.
I'm partial to Patti Lupone, but I'm horribly biased because I LOVE Patti Lupone to the point of finding it difficult to see flaws in any performance she gives. I have a much more realistic adoration for Bette and Bernadette - both of whom I've seen given amazing concert performances of the piece, but who fell short in the actual film/stage versions they starred in. Rosalind Russel's performance stands out because she went in the opposite direction. You still get the bitter, but no after taste.
And now a request: another film version of this classic, please. With Anne Hathaway as Gypsy and as Rose...........Streisand. Can you imagine her letting it rip in "Rose's Turn"?
Yes, and it makes my ears bleed >.< I pray that Streisand will not end up doing that film of GYPSY. She is far too old ... and that is apparent in both her looks and her voice. I wish they would give it to an accomplished film actress like Annette Bening or Sigourney Weaver.
@AtLastOnTheGround barbra streisand is about 67 and bernadette is about 63 so there really isnt a age point where you cant sing. just letting you know that people who are on the older side are way better then people now. my opinion but most people that i know agree with me on that.
I was fortunate to have seen Angela Lansbury perform Rose. She did a devastating exit at the end of the show. After, "....and her daughter, Gypsy" and she and Zan Charisse (who played Gypsy) start their exit and the finale "Coming Up Roses" music starts up, Charisse held the stage door open for Lansbury to exit and Angela turned around and cast a final forlorn look at the empty stage and out into the audience, as if signifying the defeat of her dream to be a star. It was heartbreaking.
@cmacaroni97 It's fine :) Patti's DEFINITELY got her beat in the every-conceivable-way department...but Bette Midler inhabit's the character very well she has the bitterness deep down in her tone but she also has Rose's pride which is why she is smiling....but the bitterness is there...like when she comes in muttering to herself...I mean practically the whole rant starts with bitterness and anger and then from that is born the pride and "I could have been better!" attitude.
This montage is wonderful. Thank you for such a wonderful study. My personal favorite is Ms. Russell, the film direction by Mervyn LeRoy gave a more subtle and understated presentation of Rose. I'll add one more name to the "what if" mix: In early pre-production, the studio briefly, BRIEFLY considered Judy Garland as Rose. This would've been Judy @ 40, circa "I Could Go On Singing" and her emerging TV series. Rose is just a spectacular role for a virtuoso actress.
Me, personally, I choose Rosalind Russell. She says it with such heartbroken bitterness that her voice breaks just the smallest bit, in such utter disbelief that Louise would say such a thing to her, after all the sacrifices Rose had made for her. Merman didn't put enough feeling into it, Bette (although I love her to death) is all flair, Daly sounded wooden, Buckley the same as Daly, Peters comes close, but not quite, and Lupone's interpretation just didn't seem to fit the character.
I;ve actually watched the 1962 Gypsy movie and Russell did an amazing acting job, but when you line her up with everyone else I dont know if she's quite as strong. Midler is a little over the top, but I actually like that about her performance. She sort of portrays the eccentric over-the-top quality that Rose should have! Midler was my second choice, first choice definitely goes to Peters. I completely agree with you! She shows all the layers of rose's emotions perfectly!
LuPone's Rose is my favorite and I'll tell you why as best I can. Patti's "Rose's Turn" REALLY needs to be taken in the context of the dressing room scene that precedes it. She and Laura REALLY acted that scene like a balls to the wall BRAWL and it it is perfectly natural that she would be absolutely FURIOUS and hurt above all else in her opening monologue. Laura's Louise had the final word in the dressing room. Patti's Rose got her last word here. The different readings are fascinating.
I was 16 when I saw Merman; even at that age I realized she never interacted with her fellow actors on stage. In 1975 I had to choose between the final performances of Lansbury vs. The Andrew Sisters in "Over Here", and I went with Maxine and Patty. Otherwise I've seen them all live except Russell, whose film I enjoyed when it opened in NYC. She was more comic than the others, and dubbed, but still I thought she was great. She was a great comic but usually overripe in drama, except for Gypsy.
I've seen all of the "Roses" except for Angela Lansbury's; I suspect that her performance was one of the best. Merman could never act, Buckley's was SLOOOOW, Midler was miscast, Lavin and Lupone chewed the sets. Daly was a nice surprise, but I loved Peters in this intro, although she was ill when I saw her. I think Russell's performance is not appreciated enough, and even though she was mostly dubbed by Lisa Kirk, she's my favorite Rose. In general I love Lavin, Peters,Buckley,Lansbury,Midler.
Rosalind's the one with the most straight acting experience, so it makes sense that she's the best. Merman, LuPone, Buckley, Peters and Midler are all musical performers. Tyne Daly's I thought was a little goofy for all the raves she gets...would have liked to have seen Linda Lavin too.
I would say my ultimate favorite Rose would be Bette Midler(acting & singing). My second choice for Rose would be Tyne Daly(acting). This is still and always will be Ethel Merman's role!
This is a tough one. Russell captures rose on film like no other. Vocally I like the feeling behind Peters. its nearly impossible to compare film to theatre, they are so different. I wrote my thesis on movie musicals and I learned the hard way that one simply cannot compare and edited piece of film to a raw performance. That being said Midler sort of wins...She captures the heart of theatre on film...something not easy to do.
I have to say that I enjoyed Patti's performance the most. I think it's because of that raw emotion coming out and it seems as if she is really having a breakdown which after the scene before i would too. I know people say that it needs to be done more subtle and realistic without the theatrics but this is musical theater in which everything is in a heightened state of reality and mama rose's character is a diva as much as you want to deny it. Overacting a little is almost natural in this role.
... The shouting of the line by most of them, diminished the intensity, the meaning to me. This should be more than an intro to a big song. Maybe it was the direction but Russell is the only one who captured any real feeling, for me.
I can't believe I'm saying this but Rosaland Russell, hands down is the only one who made me feel her pain. Granted, you can be more subtle, more "real" on film than stage but this is the most important glimpse into Mama Rose's truth of the entire movie and I
I think what it is about Midler is that there is a sense of abandon... while at times it seems a little histrionic... there is so much anger there... yes there is bitterness and resentment, which Russel conveys beatifully, but I think Midler apreciates how frustrating it was, especially if you take into account the scene directly before... as someone who has taken on the role as Rose, I have a deep apreciation for how much Midler lets fly... but Russel's control is also to be apreciated.
@sweetlittlebubbles However... as far as acting in the actual song I would have to go with Peters... because she more than anyone lets the song take her on a journey.
The first time I had heard of Gypsy, I was 7 or 8 years old, and my mom had taped it for me off the TV (Bette Midler was my idol - and now this will probably be a little biased). I still love her version, because I love the anger she puts into it. She (and Russell), however, are not just doing this live in front of a crowd. This could be the 800th go at it. The first (if it had been in front of a live audience) could have been terrible.
I think Lupone pulls me in most other than those two.
LuPone is hands down my favorite (although I thought Peters really gave it every ounce of everything she had). LuPone brought so much honesty and truth and raw emotion. One of the most thrilling performances I've ever witnessed.
I was suprised Merman did better than I thought. Still...Bette Midler was outstanding and it was HER mama that was anchored in my mind all these years until Patti LuPone. She blows it out of the park. Bette will always be a close second for me.
I love them all in their own ways. I saw B. Peters a few years back and her total performance was nothing short of brilliant. I just saw Pat. LPon. and it was not great. It was like she and the director chose to play the opposite of what you would expect the entire show. It just didn't work. Bette did a good job. It suffered on TV with the breaks for commercials making the show feel like it was dragging. Would love to have seen Angela L cover this role. One hears it was amazing.
Bette Midler. Overwhelmingly. Though a case can be made for Ethal and Rosalind Russell, I am convinced that Bette Midler's interpertation is by far best delivery of the emotion intended in the written lines. Her cadence, her punctuation at key moments, phrasing, volume and timing make this one my favorite. My close second was Peters. Thanks for this post. This was my first time viewing some of these clips.
Bette Midler. Overwhelmingly. Though a case can be made for Ethal and Rosalind Russell, I am convinced that Bette Midler's interpertation is by far best delivery of the emotion intended in the written lines. Her cadence, her punctuation at key moments, phrasing, volume and timing make this one my favorite. My close second was Peters. Thanks for this post. This was my first time viewing some of these clips.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Russell. She sounds tired and defeated ("born too soon...") and then shows that all her energy is hidden, waiting, ready to burst out in performance.
Buckley was interesting, very different. I feel she and Russell gave the most human interpretations.
Peters - oh the hurt she manages to convey. How people can say she was miscast is a mystery to me.
I'm gonna have to say on the acting portion, Rosalind Russell definitely OWNED it. She was realistic and caught the likeness and the emotions of Rose.
Best for me is Rosalind Russel's because it's highly textured and angry but still with a tinge of sophistication and strong femininity. Her acting too is the best followed by Patti. Regrettably, the worst of all is Bernadette's because of the natural quality and texture of her voice that only shows how the crown was unfit or too big for her head (that's a metaphor).
First, thank you SO much for posting this. What a treat to see all of these interpretations side by side. (Oh! to have had video of Merman!!) Each of these ladies have their strengths. I will say first I do NOT like Ros in this role. Great actress completely miscast, IMHO. Basing is SOLELY on these monologue clips: 1: Merman 2: LuPone with Midler a VERY Close 3rd. Peters is a runner up. (I love Buckley, but not this clip. Don't like Daly in musicals.)
Bette's is the best so far... IMO. So much repressed anger and bitterness in her "I MADE YOU!" Bernadette's is great, too. I have the sense of her frustrated motherhood... she's a real person.
As far as acting I think Roz Russell brings far more emotion to the roll than any of them. In this scene I would put Patti Lupone 2nd which is odd since I usually am not a fan of Patti.
Absolutely Ethel Merman is the best Rose. Except for Bette Midler, none of the others even come close to the original. Admittedly, Rosalind Russell is the best actress of the bunch, but she attempts a "sympathetic" Rose, which takes the necessary edge off the character. Rose is not a sympathetic character. She's a mentally ill woman obssessed with vicarious stardom through her children. She's over the top and prone to histrionics. Playing her any other way is completely missing the point.
Excellent survey of this monologue - thanks for posting! Okay... IMHO: The best job of ACTING is by Rosalind Russell. Thanks to her intelligence, this excerpt comes off as utterly bitter but she doesn't resort to histrionics. That said, I give the prize for the best MUSICIANSHIP to Bette Midler, whose knowledge of 1930s culture theater and music makes her interpretation persuasive. Ms. Peters is a VERY close 2nd, for the same reasons, but her lower vocal range is weaker.
Thank you for the smart comment! Great to hear from someone who actually sounds like he knows what he's talking about. You're right, Russell's is intelligent and bitter without the false theatrics. I love her, she really was a special woman.
@Mezzotenor My votes also go to Russell and Midler. Russell really seems to capture the emotions, without going overboard. Peters, in my opinion goes WAY overboard - and seems like a child interpreting the anger in a school play. Midler captures a real sense of emotions as well. I always liked Merman on the recordings, but listening here for comparison, she surprised me by coming in after both Russell and Midler on my scorecard.
Daly and Lupone strike me as television-quality performances.
There's no internet footage (that I, or anyone else could find) of Angela doing this monologue, unfortunately. And I don't know why Bette's winning -- it's all yelling and hamming, but no reality.
Linda was pretty interesting. I have a clip of her singing Some People somewhere on a 1990 Jule Styne special in character and on the Gypsy set. The character voice was a little unnecessary, but I guess it was different. She's gotten a lot of unneeded hate, just like Betty Buckley, who I thought was one of the best.
Bette Midlerrrrrrr!!! LOVE her! Love Bernadete too but i think she did better on the song than the monologue part. I had never seen Lupone's before but I had heard great things. Totally met my expectations! She was excellent! Her and Bette were best
Am I the only one who enjoyed all these versions? I know that sounds like a cop-out, but there's such a glut of talent here. The great thing about all the Broadway Roses and movie and tv versions is that they add something distinctive and new to the role. There are plenty of good Roses out there -- even great ones -- but the ones you've included in this post are iconic.
gotta say Midler. Russell and Peters are awesome. It's gotta be one of the best monologues and they do such a fantastic job of capturing the anger, the hurt, the wretched disappointment of being right there on the edge.
You know, I think Daly, Peters, Russell, and LuPone all bring excellent things to it, but while there are many great Roses... there's only one Merman. We can't see her, but I think she's fantastic in this speech, and the role is hers. Of course the one Rose not here is Lansbury and from the limited evidence of her performance left behind today, she was a stunning Rose.
i like tyne daly's version of the song (not the best, but i like it) - but i'm surprised about the acting - maybe she was having an off night, i dunno
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win. I have no idea how Lupone has made it as big as she has - she just screams - I think she's an absolute atrocity.
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win. I have no idea how Lupone has made it as big as she has - she just screams - I think she's an absolute atrocity.
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win.
I absolutely love Patti LuPone's. It's as if it were a conversation she has had with herself frequently throughout her life, and she's thought about the exact way she wants to express it. I also love Rosalind Russel's version. Something about Russel's voice itself really fit the mood.
Bernadette Peters by a mile! Definitely the most sincere and believable interpretation of Rose! She's perfection in the role! Her performance at the Tonys just proves it!
Daly, Russel, Lupone, Lansbury, , Peters on stage
I paid for my tickets and I am entitled to my opinion.
I watched Russel and Midler in their movie versions.
I saw the Bette Buckley clip
and
I stand by my original picks.
Peters miscast and abysmal.
When Gypsy, the musical is a bore.. there is something very wrong..
Midler started as a formidalbe actress.Aaround 1990 she forgot how to act and just played Bette Midler. It wan't mama Rose .. it was Bette Midler. Ugh.
I'm saddened because I'm usually a huge Midler fan. I've only recently become interested in this story so I'm trying to absorb as much as I can...and I can really see her over-the-topness in this clip. I have to say I have a tie between Daly and Lupone for best Rose. The usually incomparable Bette just falls very short in this. :(
I'd had to say, originally Bette was my favourite. She went nuts. And that's why i actually liked her performace. But after watching this i would deffinately vote for Tyne. She just brings out her emotions much clearer than the others did. Great performance by both!
Tyne Daly, hands down. So raw it was almost frightening. Bette's a close second. But I remain utterly in love with Rosalind's superbly graceful performance of "Rose's Turn".
dgoldyn. What the hell are you talking about. You obviously lack any taste in theatre. First, to put Patti Lupone infront of Bernadette Peters and then say that she is by far the most mist cast of them all??? Tyne Daly lacked frustration and urgency in her performance. Lansbury topped them all. She was truely the only ACTOR who did this role correctly. Yes, she wasn't the best singer but she acted the hell out of this role. And Patti is a screamer and a bitch.
I have to say it's a tie for me between Tyne Daly and Betty Buckley. I love Daly's delviery of the line 'you wanna know why?' It's so intersting. And Betty's transition from the monologue into the song is the BEST. I love how she almost gives up at the end of the speech, and then she turns around and busts it up!!!!
Patti LuPone, hands down. I mean... I was a big fan of Bette Midler's. I thought she did a very good job. And Tyne Daly did as well. But.. There's still no contest.
Patti LuPone was just... magnetic and awe-inspiring and frightening and terrible all at once; everything the real Rose Thompson Hovick was.
Merman is in her own category. Peters can blame her shortcoming on her director who has her come out center stage and just stand there. What the scene needs is the pacing, walking off the pent up anger and frustration launching her into the song. Lupone and Daly were allowed to do that. I like Buckley too. She & Daly both take a moment right before the song, showing us Rose's determination to make the most of her last time onstage. The frightening anger Lupone delivers slighly edges out Daly
I've seen them all performed live, except Merman's, and I saw the two movie versions. I must say though, the best one, is the one that you left out. ANGELA LANSBURY. Her Rose was a volcano that built up pressure for two hours and then erupted at once with that last scene. She was amazing.
Interesting theory regarding Judy. I agree she had a lot of personal experience to draw on to portray this part. However, knowing what we know about Judy's problem with addiction no director in their right mind would have taken a chance on her at that time. Plus, Judy wasn't used to doing an extended 8 show a week run. Sure-she did her shows and tours, but they could not compare to the schedule Ethel kept on b'way. Maybe Judy for a movie version would have been good.
I second that. Movie version. It is so sad that her problems interfered with her great talent. Judy was amazing actor. I think she would have been perfect as Martha in the movie version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Her co-star from A Star is Born, James Mason, could have played George! They'd have been perfect. But again, Judy's addiction would have interfered.
I like Judy ... but Judy Garland as Martha in "Virginia Woolf"? Not a chance in the world she could have beat Liz, who (along with Burton and Dennis) put on the best performance of her entire career.
I actually think that Judy Garland was a much more talented actor than Elizabeth Taylor, but that's just my opinion. She had a grit and pathos that Luz lacked. I do think that Burton and Taylor were great, though, considering that they were both totally miscast in the roles, Burton being a brawny, brooding he-man playing an old wimp, and Taylor being beautiful and 32 years-old playing a woman in her 50s.
I do understand your points, and I agree it makes sense that they wouldn't have hired her. By 1959 I don't think she could project very far in a theatre either, without a microphone - and they didn't have personal microphones for cast members on Broadway until the sixties, with Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl.
That being said, her and Mickey Rooney did work seventy-two hour shifts at one point, so I think she could've handled it. Just nobody believed she could. So yeah, you're right...
For my money, Bernadette, Rosalind, Tyne, and Betty all the way. They feel the most real. Ethel is o.k., Bette is a true ham, and Patti is just Patti. Angela Lansbury rocks the score and from what I've seen she rocked the acting too. Her Rose's Turn actually looks like a terrifying breakdown.
Not that I don't like Merman in this role, I do, I love her, but does anybody else think that Judy Garland would have been far more suited to this role? She had two daughters, and she even confessed slight jealousy of Liza when the two of them performed at the London Palladium. AND she had an aggressive stage mother who was just as ruthless if not more so than Rose - she just has the experiences to draw from that nobody else who played this role had...though Bernadette comes pretty close.
@yougottagetagimmick Absolutely agree! I often wonder how Judy would've played this role. Like you say, she seemed to have been personally suited to playing Mama Rose.
4:00 - 5:09 is the best, Bette gets the right emotion, rage that her daughter has just rejected her, and her daughter was her whole world. Bette has the most convincing performance of all of the others put together!! they weren't even going to make Gypsy into a tv movie unless they could get Bette Midler to do it! don't believe me, go get the dvd and listen to producer's commentary, they will tell you why Bette is the best Mamma Rose ever!
Definately Bernadette, but Rosalind's a close second. I just love how human Bernadette's Rose is...her's is the most believable performance. Most of the others portray Rose as this awful, angry monster instead of a real human being with feelings. There's just more depth to Bernadette's Rose...and that wins me over.
WickedWitchElphaba 6 days ago
peters and lupone all the way!
katiejonas26 4 weeks ago
Does anyone have the full version of Bette Midlers Gypsy mine is on VHS sadly and we all know what happend to those. I would love to see the whole movie online. Thanks
pepamint83 1 month ago
BERNADETTE all the fucking way! Midler and LuPone were way too hammy throughout their entire performances. I like Buckley too but Bernadette gets my vote :)
TheTombRaider94 2 months ago
Ethel Merman IS Mama Rose!
CapricornDavo 4 months ago
Patti LuPone is the best in my opinion, I think she's perfect in that role (and well, she's something like my idol xD) but I have to say that I LOVED Bette Midler.
However, my opinion is that they were all wonderful.
CaliCaliente00 5 months ago
<3 Bernadette in this role she is so real but on film Russell is the best!
Patti overacts but i like the inflections she puts into her voice
3CheesyTacos 5 months ago
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3CheesyTacos 5 months ago
So who would you LOVE to see as Rose, who hasn't played it yet? Personally, I would love to see Allison Janney's take on the character. She certainly has the acting chops, but I am not sure if she has the singing chops.
TheMightyJeffers 5 months ago
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stridar2010 6 months ago
Peters- I have a soft spot for this one because I actually saw this revival on Broadway. Although I hate the frumpy costumes designed by Anthony Ward. She looks like Helen Mirren in 'The Queen' with that horrible pill-box hat.
LuPone-Saw this revival as well. Transcendent. She steam-rolls through the monologue because she's building up the energy to start into the song, but I agree, at this performance she could have taken it a tad slower. Overall my favorite though. Patti was amazing.
stridar2010 6 months ago
Daly- I like it, but I think she could have gone a little further.
Midler- Epic, Epic FAIL. Poor Bette could have done justice to the part but got zero direction. So she played the result. Also whats with all the CRAP in the background? Totally over-worked.
Buckley-You could drive a train through all those self-indulgent dramatic pauses. LAND THE PLANE BETTY I'VE GOT KIDS AT HOME!
stridar2010 6 months ago
Thanks for posting! What an interesting topic and I loved reading everyone's thoughts. Here are mine:
Merman- Meh.
Russell- Loved it when I first saw the film initially. But I hate how she says "If I ever let it GO" and not "If I ever let it out." Which is the correct line as Laurents wrote it. I know its a knit-picky thing. But it is his words and I think if you're doing ROSE in GYPSY you better get the words right. Lets face it, the role is King Lear of the musical theatre.
stridar2010 6 months ago
Rosalind Russell, hands down.
vwc841 6 months ago
In most productions of Gypsy, after the number "Rose's Turn", there is actually reconciliation between Rose and her daughter Louise. Except for the 1974 Broadways revival starring Angela Lansbury and the 2008 Broadway revival starring Patti LuPone. Because in these versions there is no hope of reconciliation between the two but rather Louise gives somewhat of a sarcastic laugh, and Rose's insanity sets in.
JoeOnBroadway 7 months ago
I would have to say, my favorite is Buckley. She didn't try to hard, but tried just enough, and i pictured this scene as bleak, when I read the script (before I saw it.)
Espeonpwnsuall 7 months ago
Acting: Rosalind Russell she plays all the nuance as tho she was talking to herself, not to the audience. Singing: no contest, Merman! She's the only one who truly 'supports' those belting notes. It would be very interesting to see Glenn Close play Mama Rose, when I saw her in Sunset Blvd. I kept thinking hmmmm maybe. My guess for the next broadway revival in about 10 years or so will be SUTTON FOSTER!
brdwyguy 7 months ago
I LOVED the Rosalind Russell/Natalie Wood movie, and they are two of my all-time favorites. None of these other women come close to Rosalind Russell in the acting department... but Bette Midler has a lot of heart... and gives it all she's got. Also, she is in the top 5 of my favorite female vocalists. Overall, I'd say
#1 Rosalind and #2 Bette.
rfm2ckt 8 months ago
Russel was best acting, no one will ever beat her in that aspect, but i think bernadette had the best singing. There has been talk in hollywood recently of making a new movie. They offered it to barbra streisand but she turned it down, and thank god she is way too old. Bet you anything they will try to use Meryl Streep. Personally I think they should use Catherin O'hara... and I dont know if she can sing, but joan cuzak would be great too.
sweeney60 8 months ago 3
@sweeney60
Catherine O'Hara as Rose? I would LOVE that!
AtLastOnTheGround 8 months ago
@AtLastOnTheGround wouldn't she be perfect? Shes the ultimate overbearing mother and she has a beautiful voice.
sweeney60 8 months ago
@AtLastOnTheGround G.A.R.B.A.G.E
beloit22 3 weeks ago in playlist Mama Rose
@sweeney60
Wow! Catherine O'Hara is a pretty amazing choice! She's a phenomenal actress! Of course, knowing the idiots in Hollywood, she's probably not "mainstream" enough! It's hard to sell a musical these days and they probably think only a big wig like Streisand will bring in viewers, which is a damn shame! This is why I wish Gypsy would just keep running on Broadway like Chicago, so all kinds of wonderful actors could fill in every few months!
ChrisRandomSinger 8 months ago
@ChrisRandomSinger i wish that too, that way we wouldn;t have to wait every few years to see yet another revival and decide who wins or not at playing the same roles, we could just appreciate each actor individually and see a great many of them.
sweeney60 8 months ago
@sweeney60
Completely agreed! There's so many fine actresses I'd love to see play Rose. I think I've enjoyed bits and pieces of everyone's performance, some more than others. Most of Bette's performance is unredeemable, but she has maybe one or two moments I like.
ChrisRandomSinger 7 months ago
@sweeney60 Catherine O'Hara kinda sings she was Sally in Nightmare Before Christmas but if Meryl Streep was Mamma Rose idk how THAT wud turn out
galinda5678 4 months ago
i liked Bette Midler and Patti Lapone though they seemed like they had the tone of the moment down Mama Rose is going crazy at this point cause she lost June then Herby walks out on her Louise has been the only one who has put up with her and who Rose thought wud always be on her side the scene before Louise finally stood up to her so she feels like shes lost everything
galinda5678 4 months ago
My votes also go to Russell and Midler. Russell really seems to capture the emotions, without going overboard. Peters, in my opinion goes WAY overboard - and seems like a child interpreting the anger in a school play. Midler captures a real sense of emotions as well. I always liked Merman on the recordings, but listening here for comparison, she surprised me by coming in after both Russell and Midler on my scorecard.
Daly and Lupone strike me as television-quality performances.
norbeckroad 8 months ago
patti lupone! as always she's amazing!
heyhit 8 months ago
Rosalind Russel was the best and Bette Midler next.
marespooscats 8 months ago
Bette NAILED it.
NathanJesseMcCarthy 8 months ago
This is tough. Every one of these talented ladies' performance has great merit. I think it boils down to personal preference. I have always held the opinion that Rosalind Russell's COMPLETE performance (yes, including the musical numbers) was so beautifully realized, that all others fall in line behind it. But in what order? I am constantly rearranging that list as I discover something new in every one of them that I hadn't noticed before.
barochial 8 months ago
def bette midler
tricie09 8 months ago
bettebettebette♥
JosieLawrenceFan 9 months ago
Bernadette Peters/Bette Midler
hma02339 9 months ago
Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters
hma02339 9 months ago
Roz Russell hands down
bosfly 11 months ago
BERNADETTE!!!!!!!!
thegingerbreadgirl16 11 months ago
BETTE! BETTE! BETTE!
oscarboy94 11 months ago
I'm partial to Patti Lupone, but I'm horribly biased because I LOVE Patti Lupone to the point of finding it difficult to see flaws in any performance she gives. I have a much more realistic adoration for Bette and Bernadette - both of whom I've seen given amazing concert performances of the piece, but who fell short in the actual film/stage versions they starred in. Rosalind Russel's performance stands out because she went in the opposite direction. You still get the bitter, but no after taste.
Lirit331 1 year ago
And now a request: another film version of this classic, please. With Anne Hathaway as Gypsy and as Rose...........Streisand. Can you imagine her letting it rip in "Rose's Turn"?
sporran564 1 year ago 6
@sporran564
Yes, and it makes my ears bleed >.< I pray that Streisand will not end up doing that film of GYPSY. She is far too old ... and that is apparent in both her looks and her voice. I wish they would give it to an accomplished film actress like Annette Bening or Sigourney Weaver.
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago
@AtLastOnTheGround barbra streisand is about 67 and bernadette is about 63 so there really isnt a age point where you cant sing. just letting you know that people who are on the older side are way better then people now. my opinion but most people that i know agree with me on that.
hma02339 9 months ago
I would say best acting is Bette Midler who uses such dramatic force in Gypsy that i just love how dramatic and beautiful she made this part.
i would say best singingnis Bernadette Peters just the tone of her voice is so beautiful and how dramatic she makes her voice in this.
Everyone is great in the musical gypsy but these are my favs
hma02339 9 months ago
I was fortunate to have seen Angela Lansbury perform Rose. She did a devastating exit at the end of the show. After, "....and her daughter, Gypsy" and she and Zan Charisse (who played Gypsy) start their exit and the finale "Coming Up Roses" music starts up, Charisse held the stage door open for Lansbury to exit and Angela turned around and cast a final forlorn look at the empty stage and out into the audience, as if signifying the defeat of her dream to be a star. It was heartbreaking.
sporran564 1 year ago
@cmacaroni97 It's fine :) Patti's DEFINITELY got her beat in the every-conceivable-way department...but Bette Midler inhabit's the character very well she has the bitterness deep down in her tone but she also has Rose's pride which is why she is smiling....but the bitterness is there...like when she comes in muttering to herself...I mean practically the whole rant starts with bitterness and anger and then from that is born the pride and "I could have been better!" attitude.
If that made sense..
xXLove2ReadXx 1 year ago
This montage is wonderful. Thank you for such a wonderful study. My personal favorite is Ms. Russell, the film direction by Mervyn LeRoy gave a more subtle and understated presentation of Rose. I'll add one more name to the "what if" mix: In early pre-production, the studio briefly, BRIEFLY considered Judy Garland as Rose. This would've been Judy @ 40, circa "I Could Go On Singing" and her emerging TV series. Rose is just a spectacular role for a virtuoso actress.
mca1218 1 year ago
Lupone's performance is so full of emotion it just blows the others out of the water, I can really feel her pain.
lissalizzard 1 year ago
ummm yeah...no compatition here. Miss Lupone blows them all out the water! :)
xxxJOAR09xxx 1 year ago
Me, personally, I choose Rosalind Russell. She says it with such heartbroken bitterness that her voice breaks just the smallest bit, in such utter disbelief that Louise would say such a thing to her, after all the sacrifices Rose had made for her. Merman didn't put enough feeling into it, Bette (although I love her to death) is all flair, Daly sounded wooden, Buckley the same as Daly, Peters comes close, but not quite, and Lupone's interpretation just didn't seem to fit the character.
MusicOTNight2096 1 year ago
It's definitely either Patti LuPone or Bette Midler....they both had the bitterness and anger down.
xXLove2ReadXx 1 year ago
wow i love this!
I;ve actually watched the 1962 Gypsy movie and Russell did an amazing acting job, but when you line her up with everyone else I dont know if she's quite as strong. Midler is a little over the top, but I actually like that about her performance. She sort of portrays the eccentric over-the-top quality that Rose should have! Midler was my second choice, first choice definitely goes to Peters. I completely agree with you! She shows all the layers of rose's emotions perfectly!
echo171 1 year ago
The Devine Miss M <3
NathanJesseMcCarthy 1 year ago
LuPone's Rose is my favorite and I'll tell you why as best I can. Patti's "Rose's Turn" REALLY needs to be taken in the context of the dressing room scene that precedes it. She and Laura REALLY acted that scene like a balls to the wall BRAWL and it it is perfectly natural that she would be absolutely FURIOUS and hurt above all else in her opening monologue. Laura's Louise had the final word in the dressing room. Patti's Rose got her last word here. The different readings are fascinating.
Joseebus 1 year ago
I was 16 when I saw Merman; even at that age I realized she never interacted with her fellow actors on stage. In 1975 I had to choose between the final performances of Lansbury vs. The Andrew Sisters in "Over Here", and I went with Maxine and Patty. Otherwise I've seen them all live except Russell, whose film I enjoyed when it opened in NYC. She was more comic than the others, and dubbed, but still I thought she was great. She was a great comic but usually overripe in drama, except for Gypsy.
gotham4444 1 year ago
I've seen all of the "Roses" except for Angela Lansbury's; I suspect that her performance was one of the best. Merman could never act, Buckley's was SLOOOOW, Midler was miscast, Lavin and Lupone chewed the sets. Daly was a nice surprise, but I loved Peters in this intro, although she was ill when I saw her. I think Russell's performance is not appreciated enough, and even though she was mostly dubbed by Lisa Kirk, she's my favorite Rose. In general I love Lavin, Peters,Buckley,Lansbury,Midler.
gotham4444 1 year ago
Rosalind's the one with the most straight acting experience, so it makes sense that she's the best. Merman, LuPone, Buckley, Peters and Midler are all musical performers. Tyne Daly's I thought was a little goofy for all the raves she gets...would have liked to have seen Linda Lavin too.
ajt141 1 year ago
These songs will always belong to Ethel Merman no matter who plays the part in the future, however Patti Lupone is definitely my favorite. ^^
Dalthis555 1 year ago
I would say my ultimate favorite Rose would be Bette Midler(acting & singing). My second choice for Rose would be Tyne Daly(acting). This is still and always will be Ethel Merman's role!
kenitobaby75 1 year ago
Lupone...hands...freaking...down.
BroadwayBaby08 1 year ago
Roz Russell is my favorite as Mama. My second choice would be Bette M.
Who is winning?
Jennie7019 1 year ago
The Devine Miss M, Fr'sure!
NathanJesseMcCarthy 1 year ago
wow i didnt even know there was a contest, Its OBVIOUSLY LUPONE lmao
MrMusicstone 1 year ago
Rosalind is by far my fave...
Rugger0430 1 year ago
This is a tough one. Russell captures rose on film like no other. Vocally I like the feeling behind Peters. its nearly impossible to compare film to theatre, they are so different. I wrote my thesis on movie musicals and I learned the hard way that one simply cannot compare and edited piece of film to a raw performance. That being said Midler sort of wins...She captures the heart of theatre on film...something not easy to do.
obiwanvixen82 1 year ago
I have to say that I enjoyed Patti's performance the most. I think it's because of that raw emotion coming out and it seems as if she is really having a breakdown which after the scene before i would too. I know people say that it needs to be done more subtle and realistic without the theatrics but this is musical theater in which everything is in a heightened state of reality and mama rose's character is a diva as much as you want to deny it. Overacting a little is almost natural in this role.
ALM965 1 year ago
... The shouting of the line by most of them, diminished the intensity, the meaning to me. This should be more than an intro to a big song. Maybe it was the direction but Russell is the only one who captured any real feeling, for me.
shutyourpiehole 1 year ago
I can't believe I'm saying this but Rosaland Russell, hands down is the only one who made me feel her pain. Granted, you can be more subtle, more "real" on film than stage but this is the most important glimpse into Mama Rose's truth of the entire movie and I
shutyourpiehole 1 year ago
I think what it is about Midler is that there is a sense of abandon... while at times it seems a little histrionic... there is so much anger there... yes there is bitterness and resentment, which Russel conveys beatifully, but I think Midler apreciates how frustrating it was, especially if you take into account the scene directly before... as someone who has taken on the role as Rose, I have a deep apreciation for how much Midler lets fly... but Russel's control is also to be apreciated.
sweetlittlebubbles 1 year ago
@sweetlittlebubbles However... as far as acting in the actual song I would have to go with Peters... because she more than anyone lets the song take her on a journey.
sweetlittlebubbles 1 year ago
The first time I had heard of Gypsy, I was 7 or 8 years old, and my mom had taped it for me off the TV (Bette Midler was my idol - and now this will probably be a little biased). I still love her version, because I love the anger she puts into it. She (and Russell), however, are not just doing this live in front of a crowd. This could be the 800th go at it. The first (if it had been in front of a live audience) could have been terrible.
I think Lupone pulls me in most other than those two.
sno85 1 year ago
Rosalind Russell.
mosaicked 1 year ago
LuPone is hands down my favorite (although I thought Peters really gave it every ounce of everything she had). LuPone brought so much honesty and truth and raw emotion. One of the most thrilling performances I've ever witnessed.
encorebc 1 year ago
For me it would be Midler.... I love everything she does....
xenafan33 1 year ago
I was suprised Merman did better than I thought. Still...Bette Midler was outstanding and it was HER mama that was anchored in my mind all these years until Patti LuPone. She blows it out of the park. Bette will always be a close second for me.
lcowles 1 year ago
Patti all the way. Bernadette next.
dannyboythegreat 1 year ago
1.Patti, sounds insane and angry the best and my favorite
2.Bette was letting the steam that sounds like an upset clingy stage mother would do, I could do without the screams
3.Ethel sounds mono toned but good
4.Bernadette sounds wrong for the role but I love her much and she showed the anger I think Rose would have
5.Rosalind captured it but not as good as the others
6.Tyne kinda rushes through it and put emphasis on the wrong words
7.Betty doesn't sound mad, but depressed and it drags on
broadwayloverny10 1 year ago
Patti Lupone and Bernadette Peters are my favorite :D
Jigglesw 1 year ago 5
I love them all in their own ways. I saw B. Peters a few years back and her total performance was nothing short of brilliant. I just saw Pat. LPon. and it was not great. It was like she and the director chose to play the opposite of what you would expect the entire show. It just didn't work. Bette did a good job. It suffered on TV with the breaks for commercials making the show feel like it was dragging. Would love to have seen Angela L cover this role. One hears it was amazing.
Stevebaby123 1 year ago
where in earth did you get that clip of ethel merman from?
saint973 1 year ago
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Bette Midler. Overwhelmingly. Though a case can be made for Ethal and Rosalind Russell, I am convinced that Bette Midler's interpertation is by far best delivery of the emotion intended in the written lines. Her cadence, her punctuation at key moments, phrasing, volume and timing make this one my favorite. My close second was Peters. Thanks for this post. This was my first time viewing some of these clips.
504Diva 1 year ago
Bette Midler. Overwhelmingly. Though a case can be made for Ethal and Rosalind Russell, I am convinced that Bette Midler's interpertation is by far best delivery of the emotion intended in the written lines. Her cadence, her punctuation at key moments, phrasing, volume and timing make this one my favorite. My close second was Peters. Thanks for this post. This was my first time viewing some of these clips.
504Diva 1 year ago
This is a fantastic video, thanks for posting!
My thoughts:
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Russell. She sounds tired and defeated ("born too soon...") and then shows that all her energy is hidden, waiting, ready to burst out in performance.
Buckley was interesting, very different. I feel she and Russell gave the most human interpretations.
Peters - oh the hurt she manages to convey. How people can say she was miscast is a mystery to me.
LuPone - a touch too angry, but believable to me.
uptherailingstep 1 year ago 3
I'm gonna have to say on the acting portion, Rosalind Russell definitely OWNED it. She was realistic and caught the likeness and the emotions of Rose.
chattymagpie1210 1 year ago
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Thanks for this clip of prevailing Rose's. I love them all, but I HAVE to say that Patti LuPone's 'Mama Rose' is a little too much "Mommie Dearest"!
badnomad 1 year ago
Thanks for this clip of prevailing Rose's. I love them all, but I HAVE to say that Patti LuPone's 'Mama Rose' is a little too much "Mommie Dearest"!
badnomad 1 year ago
I really think LuPone is the one that gets it the most that the song is a MENTAL BREAKDOWN with Daly coming in second on that criterion.
TheMightyJeffers 1 year ago
Comment removed
globetrotterking 1 year ago
Best for me is Rosalind Russel's because it's highly textured and angry but still with a tinge of sophistication and strong femininity. Her acting too is the best followed by Patti. Regrettably, the worst of all is Bernadette's because of the natural quality and texture of her voice that only shows how the crown was unfit or too big for her head (that's a metaphor).
globetrotterking 1 year ago
lupone
LaughLoveMusiK 1 year ago
First, thank you SO much for posting this. What a treat to see all of these interpretations side by side. (Oh! to have had video of Merman!!) Each of these ladies have their strengths. I will say first I do NOT like Ros in this role. Great actress completely miscast, IMHO. Basing is SOLELY on these monologue clips: 1: Merman 2: LuPone with Midler a VERY Close 3rd. Peters is a runner up. (I love Buckley, but not this clip. Don't like Daly in musicals.)
dec3700 1 year ago
Bette's is the best so far... IMO. So much repressed anger and bitterness in her "I MADE YOU!" Bernadette's is great, too. I have the sense of her frustrated motherhood... she's a real person.
brozzerb 1 year ago
I'm actually gonna say Lupone, but they're all fantastic.
ieatglue44 1 year ago
I have to say, much to my surprise, I like Bette.
WRuthWs 1 year ago
Some people have too much time on their hands.....
luckystars32 1 year ago
EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP. BETTE MIDLER OWNS.
StoneyEnd444 1 year ago
Lansbury
bjh2114 1 year ago
As far as acting I think Roz Russell brings far more emotion to the roll than any of them. In this scene I would put Patti Lupone 2nd which is odd since I usually am not a fan of Patti.
neonmoon82 1 year ago
Absolutely Ethel Merman is the best Rose. Except for Bette Midler, none of the others even come close to the original. Admittedly, Rosalind Russell is the best actress of the bunch, but she attempts a "sympathetic" Rose, which takes the necessary edge off the character. Rose is not a sympathetic character. She's a mentally ill woman obssessed with vicarious stardom through her children. She's over the top and prone to histrionics. Playing her any other way is completely missing the point.
dmnemaine 1 year ago
I love Bernadette. So much.
Thewaiter525600 1 year ago
Patti all the way.
onilink39466 1 year ago
Bette Midler! That's all!!!! She's the best!
CharlieWhite20 1 year ago
Lupone, hand's down, the sheer emotion of her delivery captures you far more than any of the others
kissaled 1 year ago
Excellent survey of this monologue - thanks for posting! Okay... IMHO: The best job of ACTING is by Rosalind Russell. Thanks to her intelligence, this excerpt comes off as utterly bitter but she doesn't resort to histrionics. That said, I give the prize for the best MUSICIANSHIP to Bette Midler, whose knowledge of 1930s culture theater and music makes her interpretation persuasive. Ms. Peters is a VERY close 2nd, for the same reasons, but her lower vocal range is weaker.
Mezzotenor 1 year ago 5
@Mezzotenor
Thank you for the smart comment! Great to hear from someone who actually sounds like he knows what he's talking about. You're right, Russell's is intelligent and bitter without the false theatrics. I love her, she really was a special woman.
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago
@Mezzotenor My votes also go to Russell and Midler. Russell really seems to capture the emotions, without going overboard. Peters, in my opinion goes WAY overboard - and seems like a child interpreting the anger in a school play. Midler captures a real sense of emotions as well. I always liked Merman on the recordings, but listening here for comparison, she surprised me by coming in after both Russell and Midler on my scorecard.
Daly and Lupone strike me as television-quality performances.
norbeckroad 8 months ago
think lupone's version is more realistic and true.
zephyrnmadge 1 year ago
Patti Lupone all the way. I saw her live in Gypsy and she was fantastic!!
Ferris1397 1 year ago
INCREDIBLE CLIPS!!!!!!! how do i choose?!?!?! id say either bernie or patti...
greysonsbitch 1 year ago
a mix of bernadette &patti would be perfection! ILOVETHEMSOMUCH.
helizabethbrake 1 year ago
How is midler winning?
Where is Lansbury?!?
And I think the winner is between peters and lupone
1037pm 1 year ago
@1037pm
There's no internet footage (that I, or anyone else could find) of Angela doing this monologue, unfortunately. And I don't know why Bette's winning -- it's all yelling and hamming, but no reality.
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago 4
Bernadette Peters, without a doubt, was the best.
dustbunee2007 1 year ago 2
Bette, Bernadette and Lupone. I can't decide between them...
I'd say Lupone.
illusions142 1 year ago
Tyne Daly, Bette Midler, or Bernadette Peters
djsrob 1 year ago
bette
lchanceiv 1 year ago
Russell. There is no contest, though Peters was good too.
TalkinXbox 1 year ago
lupone!
cmp2cpp 1 year ago
angela lansbury was the best rose.. check out her roses turn on youtube
EdithEvansHandbag 1 year ago
Betty & Patti
wiz337 1 year ago
BETTE MIDLEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!!!!
silvercopo 1 year ago
patti !!
lotusblossomfan 1 year ago
Bette Midler. I like her singing, I like her acting, and she LOOKS like my idea of Madame Rose.
jmuslvr 1 year ago
Linda was pretty interesting. I have a clip of her singing Some People somewhere on a 1990 Jule Styne special in character and on the Gypsy set. The character voice was a little unnecessary, but I guess it was different. She's gotten a lot of unneeded hate, just like Betty Buckley, who I thought was one of the best.
ChrisRandomSinger 1 year ago
midler, for sure.
heyyoubitme 1 year ago
Bernadette!!!!
AaronZHollo123 1 year ago
If you want to add one more into the mix, I just posted Linda Lavin's rendition!
gordyCA 1 year ago
@gordyCA
Linda's pretty good! Not my favorite -- the character voice she adds is unneeded and a bit annoying, in my opinion -- but very good.
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago
Maureen Moore
JaredBway 1 year ago
Bernadette. period.
MzCharmedFan0214 1 year ago
Roz, Bernadette. Then Bette and Patti.
KingSpeedForever 1 year ago
Bette Midlerrrrrrr!!! LOVE her! Love Bernadete too but i think she did better on the song than the monologue part. I had never seen Lupone's before but I had heard great things. Totally met my expectations! She was excellent! Her and Bette were best
TheSophiee17 1 year ago
bette midler all the way!
emmettlover11 1 year ago
LuPone - hands down!
Sheridan61 1 year ago
Am I the only one who enjoyed all these versions? I know that sounds like a cop-out, but there's such a glut of talent here. The great thing about all the Broadway Roses and movie and tv versions is that they add something distinctive and new to the role. There are plenty of good Roses out there -- even great ones -- but the ones you've included in this post are iconic.
artofpoetry 1 year ago
gotta say Midler. Russell and Peters are awesome. It's gotta be one of the best monologues and they do such a fantastic job of capturing the anger, the hurt, the wretched disappointment of being right there on the edge.
russandscott 1 year ago
LuPone
chino17 1 year ago
You know, I think Daly, Peters, Russell, and LuPone all bring excellent things to it, but while there are many great Roses... there's only one Merman. We can't see her, but I think she's fantastic in this speech, and the role is hers. Of course the one Rose not here is Lansbury and from the limited evidence of her performance left behind today, she was a stunning Rose.
broadwayderrick 1 year ago
As much as I love Bernadette Peters...Patti LuPone wins.
80zLover1985 1 year ago
i gotta say roz,bette,patti
bbennett04 1 year ago
@playgirlc
What don't you like about them?
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago
i like tyne daly's version of the song (not the best, but i like it) - but i'm surprised about the acting - maybe she was having an off night, i dunno
playgirlc 1 year ago
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win. I have no idea how Lupone has made it as big as she has - she just screams - I think she's an absolute atrocity.
Chutson353 1 year ago
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win. I have no idea how Lupone has made it as big as she has - she just screams - I think she's an absolute atrocity.
Chutson353 1 year ago
In my opinion Roz Russell is far and away the best actress among the bunch so you can't even compare her to the others - Taking her out of the equation I'd say Midler is the next best actress of the bunch - I don't like any of the others very much - Of course Merman's vocal interpretation was the best - if you averaged vocal and acting ability I think Midler would win.
Chutson353 1 year ago
LUPONE!
darrenkoe2007 1 year ago
Middler & Lupone def. the best.
cranberryboi 1 year ago
I absolutely love Patti LuPone's. It's as if it were a conversation she has had with herself frequently throughout her life, and she's thought about the exact way she wants to express it. I also love Rosalind Russel's version. Something about Russel's voice itself really fit the mood.
amassey4 1 year ago
Tyne Daly is the best!!
Have the album with Tyne Daly she is stunning!!
mark1970mcs 1 year ago
Bernadette Peters by a mile! Definitely the most sincere and believable interpretation of Rose! She's perfection in the role! Her performance at the Tonys just proves it!
Rosalind Russell is very good too!
John4June 1 year ago
I witnessed first hand
Daly, Russel, Lupone, Lansbury, , Peters on stage
I paid for my tickets and I am entitled to my opinion.
I watched Russel and Midler in their movie versions.
I saw the Bette Buckley clip
and
I stand by my original picks.
Peters miscast and abysmal.
When Gypsy, the musical is a bore.. there is something very wrong..
Midler started as a formidalbe actress.Aaround 1990 she forgot how to act and just played Bette Midler. It wan't mama Rose .. it was Bette Midler. Ugh.
dgoldyn 1 year ago
I'm saddened because I'm usually a huge Midler fan. I've only recently become interested in this story so I'm trying to absorb as much as I can...and I can really see her over-the-topness in this clip. I have to say I have a tie between Daly and Lupone for best Rose. The usually incomparable Bette just falls very short in this. :(
Faythstar 1 year ago
I'd had to say, originally Bette was my favourite. She went nuts. And that's why i actually liked her performace. But after watching this i would deffinately vote for Tyne. She just brings out her emotions much clearer than the others did. Great performance by both!
wackojacko13 1 year ago
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tylerandkatie365 1 year ago
Tyne Daly, hands down. So raw it was almost frightening. Bette's a close second. But I remain utterly in love with Rosalind's superbly graceful performance of "Rose's Turn".
bronxboy47 1 year ago
In order of preference.
Tyne Daly - no one has the rawness and bitterness like Daly.
an amazing performance. witnessed it first hand.Cuts through you like a knife
Betty Buckly - for honesty and the most variety in her performance,
Roz Russell - underated
Patti Lupone - good raw honesty
Angela Lansbury- the classiest Rose to date.
And the abysmal Midler who played Bette Midler and nothing more
and Bernadette Peters- the most
miscast Rose to date. I saw her version and it was boring.
dgoldyn 1 year ago
dgoldyn. What the hell are you talking about. You obviously lack any taste in theatre. First, to put Patti Lupone infront of Bernadette Peters and then say that she is by far the most mist cast of them all??? Tyne Daly lacked frustration and urgency in her performance. Lansbury topped them all. She was truely the only ACTOR who did this role correctly. Yes, she wasn't the best singer but she acted the hell out of this role. And Patti is a screamer and a bitch.
tylerandkatie365 1 year ago
hands down my favourite is Bette Midler, but I love Bernadette Peters as well.
rainbowangel58 1 year ago
I have to say it's a tie for me between Tyne Daly and Betty Buckley. I love Daly's delviery of the line 'you wanna know why?' It's so intersting. And Betty's transition from the monologue into the song is the BEST. I love how she almost gives up at the end of the speech, and then she turns around and busts it up!!!!
timmielala 1 year ago
Patti LuPone, hands down. I mean... I was a big fan of Bette Midler's. I thought she did a very good job. And Tyne Daly did as well. But.. There's still no contest.
Patti LuPone was just... magnetic and awe-inspiring and frightening and terrible all at once; everything the real Rose Thompson Hovick was.
xoxlyss 1 year ago
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xoxlyss 1 year ago
Merman is in her own category. Peters can blame her shortcoming on her director who has her come out center stage and just stand there. What the scene needs is the pacing, walking off the pent up anger and frustration launching her into the song. Lupone and Daly were allowed to do that. I like Buckley too. She & Daly both take a moment right before the song, showing us Rose's determination to make the most of her last time onstage. The frightening anger Lupone delivers slighly edges out Daly
BrooklynBoy639 1 year ago
OMG!!! Bette Midler, worked that scene!! FIERCE!
jdthemindfreak 1 year ago 2
my favorite rose's are bette Bernadette and patti i just don't like ethel i'm sorry
operastar1994 1 year ago
Thanks for compiling these!
I've seen them all performed live, except Merman's, and I saw the two movie versions. I must say though, the best one, is the one that you left out. ANGELA LANSBURY. Her Rose was a volcano that built up pressure for two hours and then erupted at once with that last scene. She was amazing.
larrynod 1 year ago 2
@Yougottagetagimmick
Interesting theory regarding Judy. I agree she had a lot of personal experience to draw on to portray this part. However, knowing what we know about Judy's problem with addiction no director in their right mind would have taken a chance on her at that time. Plus, Judy wasn't used to doing an extended 8 show a week run. Sure-she did her shows and tours, but they could not compare to the schedule Ethel kept on b'way. Maybe Judy for a movie version would have been good.
lcyfn69 1 year ago
I second that. Movie version. It is so sad that her problems interfered with her great talent. Judy was amazing actor. I think she would have been perfect as Martha in the movie version of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Her co-star from A Star is Born, James Mason, could have played George! They'd have been perfect. But again, Judy's addiction would have interfered.
larrynod 1 year ago
I like Judy ... but Judy Garland as Martha in "Virginia Woolf"? Not a chance in the world she could have beat Liz, who (along with Burton and Dennis) put on the best performance of her entire career.
AtLastOnTheGround 1 year ago
I actually think that Judy Garland was a much more talented actor than Elizabeth Taylor, but that's just my opinion. She had a grit and pathos that Luz lacked. I do think that Burton and Taylor were great, though, considering that they were both totally miscast in the roles, Burton being a brawny, brooding he-man playing an old wimp, and Taylor being beautiful and 32 years-old playing a woman in her 50s.
larrynod 1 year ago
I do understand your points, and I agree it makes sense that they wouldn't have hired her. By 1959 I don't think she could project very far in a theatre either, without a microphone - and they didn't have personal microphones for cast members on Broadway until the sixties, with Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl.
That being said, her and Mickey Rooney did work seventy-two hour shifts at one point, so I think she could've handled it. Just nobody believed she could. So yeah, you're right...
yougottagetagimmick 1 year ago
For my money, Bernadette, Rosalind, Tyne, and Betty all the way. They feel the most real. Ethel is o.k., Bette is a true ham, and Patti is just Patti. Angela Lansbury rocks the score and from what I've seen she rocked the acting too. Her Rose's Turn actually looks like a terrifying breakdown.
ChrisRandomSinger 1 year ago
Not that I don't like Merman in this role, I do, I love her, but does anybody else think that Judy Garland would have been far more suited to this role? She had two daughters, and she even confessed slight jealousy of Liza when the two of them performed at the London Palladium. AND she had an aggressive stage mother who was just as ruthless if not more so than Rose - she just has the experiences to draw from that nobody else who played this role had...though Bernadette comes pretty close.
yougottagetagimmick 1 year ago 2
@yougottagetagimmick Absolutely agree! I often wonder how Judy would've played this role. Like you say, she seemed to have been personally suited to playing Mama Rose.
artofpoetry 1 year ago
Thanks for leaving this! All these great actresses bring something unique and special to the part.
mireille876 1 year ago
Midler. Clearly.
goldbergje 2 years ago
4:00 - 5:09 is the best, Bette gets the right emotion, rage that her daughter has just rejected her, and her daughter was her whole world. Bette has the most convincing performance of all of the others put together!! they weren't even going to make Gypsy into a tv movie unless they could get Bette Midler to do it! don't believe me, go get the dvd and listen to producer's commentary, they will tell you why Bette is the best Mamma Rose ever!