Rowntree Musical Theatre's first production of 2002 is the Sondheim and Styne musical Gypsy, at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, in York, next week.

This 1959 stage musical, which opened at New York's Broadway Theatre in May that year with Ethel Merman in the title role, is based loosely on the autobiography of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee.

The story, as told by Arthur Laurents, tells of Gypsy's mother, Rose, and her ruthless ambition to turn her Baby June into a star. The talented Baby June defects as they grow up, escaping her mother's clutches in favour of marriage.

So Rose turns her obsessive attention to her older, less talented, daughter, Louise (Gypsy), gradually transforming her from shyness into the hottest stripper in town.

For the original production, Ethel Merman had rejected Laurents's suggestion that Stephen Sondheim should compose the score in the wake of his success with West Side Story. Jule Styne was picked instead but Laurents still brought Sondheim on board as the lyricist.

What ensued was an enduring Broadway smash, a warm, funny and poignant account of Rose's attempts to find fame through her daughters, built around such numbers as Everything's Coming Up Roses, Rose's Turn, and Let Me Entertain You.

Rowntree Musical Theatre, formerly Rowntree Youth Theatre, relies on the familiar production team of director Clive Hailstone and musical director Mike Thompson to bring Gypsy to the York stage.

The cast is led by Sarah Barker as Rose; Dougie Weake, from BBC Radio York, as Herbie; Abbi Wright as Louise; and Verity Carr as June. Louise and June as children are played by Emily Senior and Lauren Hood respectively.

Gypsy runs from January 29 until February 2 at 7.30pm nightly. Tickets are available from York Theatre Royal box office, tel 01904 623568, priced at £7.50, with concessions for Tuesday to Thursday at £6.

Updated: 09:50 Friday, January 25, 2002