Director George C. Wolfe on How He Knew Audra McDonald Would be Perfect for 'Gypsy' | Tony Awards 2025 - video Dailymotion

The Hollywood Reporter

Director George C. Wolfe talks about the excitement he feels for the success of 'Gypsy' while chatting with THR at the 2025 Tony Awards. Plus, he discusses how he knew Audra McDonald would be the perfect fit for the character Rose.

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00:00Congratulations on all the success of Gypsy.

00:03How special is it going into tonight with that in hand?

00:07I'm full of incredible joy and pride because, you know, I adore Audra.

00:12I adore Joy. I adore Danny. I adore Camille.

00:15I adore the entire cast, and I'm very proud of them.

00:17And so it's been just a – it was – Audra asked me about three or four years ago to direct it,

00:24and finally our schedules aligned, and so it happened.

00:28Talk to me about bringing this iteration to life

00:30and how this revival sort of sets itself apart from previous productions.

00:34Well, you don't think about what's come before.

00:35You just go digging into the material, and it's so brilliantly crafted.

00:40And I – it was so interesting to me.

00:41The most interesting thing to me is when this show first appeared in 1959,

00:46they called Rose a monster. A lot of the critics did.

00:50And I wonder if they called her a monster because she said,

00:53done with marriage, done with that, I'm going out on my own.

00:56And I'm going to make sure my daughters are having a better life.

00:59And you know what I mean?

01:00So that term monster is so relative to 1959 versus now where women do that all the time.

01:07And I grew up around women who win.

01:09No.

01:10I'm not playing by your rules because if I play by your rules, I'll lose.

01:13So let me make my own.

01:15And so it was a chance to celebrate that and do it with a brilliant artist like Audra.

01:19And what makes Audra the perfect rose for you?

01:22Well, she's just a – she's just this interesting, complicated combination,

01:27but not really complicated, of ferocity and heart.

01:31Ferocity and heart.

01:33And her heart is as large as her drive as an artist

01:38and her determination to bring truth for everything she does.

01:41This has also been such a thrilling season for Broadway.

01:44A lot of people have commented on that.

01:46What makes that, for both of you, such a thrilling season for Broadway?

01:49What – say that again, I'm sorry?

01:51It's been such a thrilling season.

01:53Why do you think that is?

01:54Well, because it's – anytime there's a collision of different styles,

01:58if it's all one tone, who cares?

02:00If it's all silly or if it's all serious,

02:02it's when it's this next to that next to that and they don't match at all.

02:06And that's what makes it – because it feels like New York City

02:08and it feels like America and it feels like the world.

02:11And when we talk about, you know, getting rid of things,

02:13you don't get rid of everything.

02:14You put them next to each other and they make everything else shine even more.

02:18I just think that what's going on in the country,

02:21it's a chance for people all around the world to come together

02:25and sit in a theater and have an experience together

02:27and just be a part of each other.

02:29And I think that's a beautiful thing

02:31and I think that's why people are gravitating to the theater

02:33outside of the amazing talent that's on the boards.

02:36Absolutely.

02:42Okay.

Director George C. Wolfe on How He Knew Audra McDonald Would be Perfect for 'Gypsy' | Tony Awards 2025

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