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“Grease” and “Hairspray” star John Travolta tells me he would love to add “Gypsy” to movie musical resume
John Travolta came to the TV Critics Association Press Tour on Saturday to talk up the FX series American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson at the TV Critics Association Press Tour.
So of course I had to ask him about Gypsy.
Travolta has already starred in feature film versions of two of the highest-grossing musicals with his roles as Danny Zuko in Grease and Edna Turnblad in Hairpsray.
The two-time Oscar nominee told me he’d love to add the role of Herbie in an updated version of Gypsy that Barbra Streisand has been trying to get made.
‘I want to but this is up to Barbra, she’s got her own take on it. I leave it up to her,’ Travolta said.
Streisand’s dream of playing the iconic role of Mama Rose suffered a setback when in October Universal Studios, which had been developing the film for years, decided not to move forward after all.
Streisand and producer Joel Silver will have to find another studio home for the project.
‘I think it’s still possible but I don’t like to interfere when someone’s got a project and they’re on a roll with it,’ Travolta says. ‘I would just like to do it with her but I would not want to interfere with her way of getting it done.’
The character of Herbie is a former agent who is persuaded by Mama Rose to become the manager of her two daughters on the vaudeville circuit. His musical numbers include Small World, You’ll Never Get Away From Me and Together, Wherever We Go.
Much has been made of how Gypsy would be the perfect musical bookend to Streisand’s film career which was launched with the 1968 musical Funny Girl for which she won the Academy Award.
For Travolta, it would make a nice musical trilogy on his resume to add Gypsy to 1978’s Grease and 2007’s Hairspray.
‘Wouldn’t that be nice?’ he says. ‘Gypsy is arguably the maybe the best ever of all the musicals.’
Comments
(All comments are reviewed before being published, and I review submissions several times per day.)
howard says:
I’ll bet HBO would jump at the chance!
Charlie says:
I don’t really see John as Herbie…..maybe Mama Rose!
Max says:
Unfortunately …or fortunately… I have a feeling that Barbra’s vision of “Gypsy” will not be seeing the light of day. There are too many reasons why this project is not likely to happen. Mostly, too much water has passed under the bridge. This should have happened 10 years ago. As a huge Streisand fan, it deeply saddens me to think that “The Guilt Trip” might just be her very last starring role. Her talents are needed behind and in front of the camera. There are reports that she will be directing a film that she will not be starring in and I have every reason to believe that she will do an extraordinary job. “Gypsy” is just not the right project at this time.
Also. I hope that the days of live concerts are over for her, she has so many many other talents to fall back on that need to be utilized.
I am also very impressed by her son Jason’s terrific singing voice. He needs to get back into the recording studio. With or with out Barbra!
Been listening today to “The Broadway Album” of over 30 years ago….miraculous! A well deserved Grammy award!