2010 Gypsy of the Year Competition. Photo by Tomas Vrzala.
Adrienne Barbeau. Say it out loud. Adrienne Barbeau. Has there ever been a better name in show business? I think not.
And then there's Maude...and Adrienne Barbeau. Image via abarbeau.com.
And now the divine Ms. Barbeau (Escape from New York, Maude, for goodness sake!) and much of the rest of the original cast of Broadway’s Grease will be reunited for the annual Gypsy of the Year competition. Dedicated to celebrating the hard working ensemble members and dancers who are the backbone of Broadway, Gypsy is one of the signature fundraising events for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, featuring wildly original musical performances from the casts of your favorite Broadway and Off-Broadway shows.
For this, the 23rd annual edition, they’re pulling out all the stops with an opening number featuring a once-in-a-lifetime 40th anniversary reunion of the Rydell High gang including the aforementioned Ms. Barbeau (“Rizzo”), Barry Bostwick (“Danny”…and our dance belt hall of fame) and Walter Bobbie (“Roger” and Tony winning director, including the current smash Venus in Fur). Hosted by Seth Rudetsky, the show has two performances only: 4:30 PM on Monday, December 5 and at 2 PM on Tuesday, December 6. Tickets are available now.
Hungry for a little taste of what the party might look like? Here are two clips from last year’s edition, which raised $3,776,720 for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. First up, watch the opening number featuring a tear-elliciting performance from the legendary actress (and Broadway Blog prophetess) Carol Channing, then catch an intricate dance featuring the famous Gypsy Robe, a technicolor dreamcoat passed from show to show…
