The full cast has been announced for the 2008 revival of the Broadway musical Gypsy which will be directed by Tony Award winner and author of the musical Arthur Laurents. The production is schedule to open for previews on March 3^rd with an official opening on March 27^th at the St. James Theatre.

The show stars Patti LuPone as Mama Rose, Laura Benanti as Louise, and Boyd Gaines as Herbie. The rest of the cast includes Bill Bateman, Jim Bracchitta, Marilyn Caskey, Alison Fraser, Sami Gayle, Leigh Ann Larkin, Lenora Nemetz, Bill Raymond, Brian Reddy, Tony Yazbeck and Emma Rowley.

On January 31^st there will be a show at Carnegie Hall to benefit the Writers Guild East Strike Fund. The benefit will begin at 8pm and Tony Award winner Patti LuPone will guest star at the event, An Evening of Music and Comedy with Family Guy’s Alex Borstein and Seth McFarlane. There will also be a guest appearance by Janeane Garafolo and the show has been said to be intended for mature audiences.

Tickets are available through www.carnegiehall.org

Gypsy will be back on the Broadway stage in 2008 staring Tony Award Winner Pattie LuPone.

According to a casting notice, the revival of the musical will open at a theatre TBA on March 27, 2008 with rehearsals beginning at the end of January.

Gypsy ran a limited engagement this past summer at City Center in the Encores! Summer Stars series that also started Pattie LuPone and has now found its way back to the Broadway stage.

Arthur Laurents, Gypsy co-creator, will direct the Broadway production. It has been noted that the entire cast of the Encores! Production has been offered the chance to repeat their roles on Broadway, but only LuPone has currently been cast.

Gypsy features a score by Jule Styne (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrpics) and a book by Arthur Laurents. Ethel Merman created the role of Rose in the original production of Gypsy which closed on Broadway in May 1959 after 702 performances.