I spent three years researching American Rose, research that included connecting with Gypsy's sister, the late actress June Havoc (I was the… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
The real Rose Hovick was seriously mentally disturbed; June Havoc called her a beautiful little ornament that was damaged. — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
Her sister [June Havoc] said the musical portrayed who Gypsy [Rose Lee] wanted to be before the burlesque thing happened she wanted… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
It was a great challenge to reconstruct Gypsy Rose Lee life, and my interviews with her sister [June Havoc] proved invaluable. It's… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
“A Republican is a man who wants you to go t'church every Sunday. A Democrat says if a man wants to have a glass… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
I think Gypsy [Rose Lee] would be appalled at today's rawer, more blatant displays of the female form. She was, in her own way,… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
I spent three years researching American Rose, research that included connecting with Gypsy's sister, the late actress June Havoc (I was the last person… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
Gypsy [Rose Lee ] was a masterful storyteller, and her memoir and by extension, the musical weren't only Gypsy's monument; they were also her… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
Vaudeville was characterized by sunny optimism, acts that were uplifting, cheerful, and clean. It provided a fanciful, magical escape, but after Black Friday, the… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
An amusing city, Chicago, any way you look at it. I'm afraid we are in for the time of our lives. — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
The cousin said that Gypsy [Rose Lee] took a full fifteen minutes to peel off a single glove, and that she was so damn… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
“He was just a taker. She was a taker in her way too. They were taking each other, and they loved each other for… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
In the beginning of the war, Southern women wanted their men to leave - in droves, and as quickly as possible. They were the… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
I thought both she [Gypsy Rose Lee] and her story would be ill-served by a conventional, birth-to-death narrative, and so I structured the book… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
“And truth is malleable, something to be bent or stretched or made to disappear, but direct lies always find the path back to the… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image
“Mother was,' June thought, 'a beautiful little ornament that was damaged.' Her broken edges cut her daughters in ways both emotional and physical, and… — Karen Abbott Copy Share Image