Gypsy—which tells the story of real-life burlesque performer Rose Louise Hovick—better known as Gypsy Rose Lee—and her mother Rose Thompson Hovick, is the story of a mother who refused to accept "no" for an answer… Audra McDonald and Joy Woods are the first African American actresses to bring these leading roles to life on the Broadway stage, and the theme surrounding the unyielding spirit of Black mothers who will do whatever it takes to protect and uplift their children isn’t lost on either of them.