Let This Entertain You: 'Gypsy,' 50 Years Later

Fresh Air | By Lloyd Schwartz

Published June 10, 2009 at 10:53 AM EDT

One of the classics of American musical theater, Gypsy premiered in 1959 with a cast headlined by Ethel Merman.

Though that production failed to win any of the eight Tony Awards for which it was nominated, its original cast album picked up a Grammy, and Gypsy went on to have a long life as one of Broadway's most-revived musicals.

Now, timed to coincide with the show's 50th anniversary, Sony has reissued the original cast recording. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz had a listen, and he's ready to say how well the album has held up.

Lloyd Schwartz

Lloyd Schwartz is the classical music critic for NPR's Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

See stories by Lloyd Schwartz

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