Camille A. Brown brings new choreography to 'Gypsy' revival on Broadway
MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) -- With her work on the Broadway revival of "Gypsy," Tony-nominated choreographer and director Camille A. Brown continues to trailblaze and present a wide range of groundbreaking work.
Having opened in December at the Majestic Theatre, the newest revival of "Gypsy" stars Audra McDonald in one of musical theater's most iconic roles.
This marks the first time a Black actress has played Mama Rose on Broadway - and the same goes for her two daughters, Louise and June, played by Joy Woods and Jordan Tyson, respectively.
The show did not change a single line or lyric from the show, but presents the story through a new angle with this groundbreaking casting.
Unlike previous iterations of the show, though, this revival is the first to feature brand new choreography, which is where Brown comes in.
"The challenge is," Brown said, "how do you serve the story and give people all those feels that they grew up knowing, but at the same time introduce something new?"
Brown being the first person to introduce new choreography to "Gypsy" is not her only first.
The trailblazer was the first Black woman in 67 years, at the time, to both direct and choreograph a show on Broadway. She was also the first Black director for a show at the Metropolitan Opera.
"We talk about the glass shattering and pushing through glass," Brown said. "But we don't talk about the person who is pushing through that glass. They get bruises. They look up, and this is a new space that you've just pushed through."
Brown's personal goal with her choreography in "Gypsy" was to highlight her "versatility." Having choreographed the more modern "Hell's Kitchen," Brown said that many people were surprised to see her take on a classic, saying it "seems like a stretch for" her.
"This was an opportunity for me to show that, yes, I can do something like Hell's Kitchen and it be rooted in hip-hop and take place in the '90s, but I can also do something that is rooted in the Golden Age," Brown said. "And guess what? It happens to be on the same block."
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