Stephen Sondheim Is Not Thrilled About Barbra Streisand Directing Movie Of “Gypsy”
It was great to see her sing at the Oscars, and I have to say that she’s looking pretty youthful at the age of 70, and maybe with the aid of technology she’s youthful-looking enough to play Mama Rose in the much-discussed movie remake of the classic musical “Gypsy,” even though the character should be (more or less) in her 40s. But if I’ve finally come round to accepting the idea of Babs starring in the movie, I’m not convinced she should direct it. That hasn’t stopped her from trying. According to my spies the biggest roadblock in her way is Stephen Sondheim, the show’s lyricist, who so far has withheld his permission for her to direct. That’s a sane position, but I’m sure Mr. Sondheim knows that it doesn’t matter who’s sitting in the director’s chair: any movie of “Gypsy” with Streisand as the star will be directed by Streisand.
