‘Gypsy’ performer no stranger to stage

Kyrene Corridor resident John Chamberlain is among area students have gone back to school after the holidays and back to work as the talented young performers hitting the boards every night at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in the current production of Gypsy, playing through Feb. 12.

Young Chamberlain, who plays the role of the show’s newsboy, is a Mesa native, born there in 1994. The family currently lives in Chandler.

He started studying dance when he was seven. This year he was one of the party boys in Ballet Arizona’s production of The Nutcracker. When he isn’t dancing, John enjoys skateboarding, swimming and playing video games.

Gypsy, a musical masterpiece by Arthur Laurents, is the story of the ultimate stage mother, Mama Rose, and her daughter Louise who becomes Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous burlesque stripper.

Lee was known as a ladylike stripper who spoke with witty banter. She sings and dances but never really shows the audience what they think they will see.

It’s a story about lost dreams and hopes of stardom that never came true.

From humble beginnings in vaudeville to stardom in burlesque, Louise would do anything to gain her mother’s approval.

The show tells the tale of Rose, June and Louise on a trip across the United States during the 1920s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born.

Music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are featured in such recognizable Broadway hits as Let Me Entertain You, Some People, If Momma Was Married, “Together, Wherever We Go, and Everything’s Coming Up Roses.

 Ten students perform in the current production, and there are eight onstage at any given time. Area children involved in this production of Gypsy, in addition to Chamberlin, include Lindsay Bulloch and Paige Carter of Mesa, Austin Vachon of Chandler, Gina Galbo of Gilbert, Sydney Hawes and Jakob Woodward of Tempe, Diana Woodruff of Apache Junction and Ben Leppert and Shayna Moellenberg of Ahwatukee Foothills.

(back)