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How do you go from a boyish tomboy to a sexy, sultry burlesque star? Well, it helps if you have a domineering, fame-crazed mother. Gypsy has that. The true (well, kinda) story of Gypsy Rose Lee, Masquerade Theatre’s production stars Rebekah Dahl as Mama Rose and Laura Gray as Gypsy. The musical shows Lee’s beginnings as the child star of her mother’s vaudeville act, Madame Rose’s Dancing Daughters, and how she “accidentally” becomes a stripper – hey, it’s possible. (Here’s a little Gypsy trivia for you: Word is Sigourney Weaver is slated to play Gypsy in an upcoming HBO bio-pic based on My G-String Mother, a memoir written by Lee’s son, Erik Lee Preminger.)
Masquerade Theatre’s Gypsy runs at 8 p.m. November 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24, and 2 p.m. November 18, 24 and 25. Zilkha Hall, Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street. For tickets and information, call 713-315-2525 or visit www.masqueradetheatre.com. $15 to $45. — Olivia Flores Alvarez
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2007.