She's the mother of all stage mothers: Rose, a single mom hellbent on turning her two young daughters into stars during the waning days of vaudeville. But in the musical "Gypsy," she gets top billing.

There aren’t enough dressing rooms on Broadway to contain all the expectations for the new Gypsy, George C. Wolfe’s revival starring the great Audra McDonald. Considered by theater buffs to be among ...