Audra McDonald has spoken out about rumors she's returning to Broadway in a revival of Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Jule Styne's Gypsy, while talking to Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet of February 24's Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Buzz for an impending production has been swirling thanks to a report in the New York Post, which much of the internet took to be all but confirmed. McDonald told ET that these reports are "a rumor" for now, explaining, "You know, people talk, people talk."
Meanwhile, McDonald was on the SAG Awards red carpet to support the films Rustin and Origin, both of which she appeared in. And she also teased that season three of The Gilded Age will start filming "in a couple of months."
The cast hasn't received the scripts yet but McDonald said she hopes that "we delve into more of what happens with the Black community in New York City and beyond during that time, so I would love to see some more Black historical characters from that time."
It's perhaps not surprising that this particular rumor about Gypsy caught such traction. Domineering stage mother Rose is considered by many to be among the greatest roles in all musical theatre, and with six Tony Awards to her name, McDonald is certainly among the highest echelon of Broadway talent. But such casting would still be quite a departure. The role was originally written for Ethel Merman, with its songs tailored to her brassy belt. McDonald, on the other hand, sings almost exclusively in soprano head voice.
The musical, based on the mostly fictional memoir of famed burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee, is one of Broadway's favorites to revive. Since premiering in 1959, the show has returned to Broadway in 1974, starring Angela Lansbury; 1989, starring Tyne Daly; 2003, starring Bernadette Peters; and 2008, starring Patti LuPone. 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.
