Gypsy has been referred to as "the greatest American musical" by numerous critics and writers, among them Ben Brantley and Frank Rich.  Rich even goes so far as to call it the American musical theatre’s answer to King Lear.  Gypsy is based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist.  The story focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with “the ultimate show business mother.”  Mama Rose is a wildly determined stage mother trying to make her two young daughters into famous vaudeville performers.  At first, she focuses on the younger, cuter June.  But when June runs off to marry her beau, Tulsa, Rose concentrates on her other daughter, Louise. Louise, filled with hidden talent, becomes a star.  The character of Louise is based on Gypsy Rose Lee and the character of June is based on the actress June Havoc.

The musical contains many songs that became popular standards, including Small World, Everything’s Coming Up Roses, You’ll Never Get Away from Me, and Let Me Entertain You.  The musical has been one of the crowning achievements of the conventional musical theatre arts form since 1959 and is often referred to as the “book musical.”   The original Broadway production starred Ethel Merman as Rose.  Other notable Broadway revivals have starred Angela Lansbury, Tyne Daly, Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone.  

Productions of Gypsy have been awarded multiple Tony and Drama Desk Awards. 

The Charleston Light Opera Guild last produced the classic in 1997.

Sandy Sowell will star as Rose, along with Anne Marie Snyder as Louise, Rick Fleenor as Herbie, Micah Atkinson as Dainty June. Supporting roles include Julia Battle as Baby June, Haley Lambert as Baby Louise, Jared Brown as Tulsa. The Strippers will be performed by Laurie Pennington as Tessie Tura, Sallie Daugherty as Mazeppa and Sarah Harless as Electra. The many great character parts will be played by Jim Damron as Uncle Jocko and Mr. Goldstone, Kennie Bass as Mr. Kringelein, Bill Rainey as Pop, Caroline Chamness Rainey as Miss Cratchitt and Renee, Greg Garner as Weber and Cigar, Bob McCarty as Yonkers and Georgie, Liz Falstreau as Agnes, Jessica Cooper as Marjorie May, Heather Warren as Delores. The Hollywood Blondes are Beth Bowden, Cary Brown and Courtney Fint. Newsboys are Izabel Dorst, Max Ross, Caroline Shumate and Erin Duffy.  Uncle Jocko’s Kids are Bethany Falstreau, Gretchen Halloran, Mariah Plante, Mary Catherine Platz, Melissa Smith and Olivia Strother.

Original Broadway Production: Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Book by Arthur Laurents.

For the Guild: Direction by Nina Pasinetti; Technical Direction by Tom Pasinetti; Musical Direction by John Marshall; Piano Accompaniment by Branita Holbrook-Bratka.