Let’s face it. Gypsy is one of those warhorses of the Broadway canon.

The story creaks with age, the plot is as predictable as your aunt bringing an inedible jello salad to every family gathering and we all know exactly when “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” is going to, well… come up.

And yet, somehow, it works.

The magic ingredient is Audra McDonald. She could sing the phone book and have us weeping by the B’s.

Yes, Gypsy is back on Broadway and it has had a Botox-level refresh thanks to McDonald’s powerhouse presence. She’s not just a singer. She is a storm system. Her Rose is equal parts stage mother, steamroller and tragic figure.

It is a master class in controlled chaos and you believe every high note and low blow.

Audra McDonald has been nominated for her role in Gypsy this year, making it her 11th Tony nomination. She is the most-nominated performer in Tony Awards history. McDonald has also won six Tony Awards which is more than any other performer,

Danny Burstein brings his usual nuanced brilliance to Herbie, managing to be both tender and exasperated, like a man who’s agreed to adopt a ferret and is now living with the consequences. His chemistry with McDonald is real and quietly heartbreaking.

Joy Wood, who is nominated for a Tony for her role as Louise, gives a slow-burn performance that turns from wallflower to whip-smart starlet in Act II. Her transformation is believable and even thrilling. No easy feat in a show everyone thinks they’ve seen a hundred times.

Of note, this marks the first time in Broadway history that the Gypsy central characters of Rose, Louise and June are all played by black performers,

The sets are serviceable. Maybe that’s okay. In a world obsessed with reboots and reinvention, this Gypsy delivers the goods the old-fashioned way, highlighting big voices, strong performances and the kind of musical theater moments that make you sit up and think, “Damn. This is why I love Broadway.”

Just don’t go expecting subtlety. Or modernity. Or subtle modernity.

Go for Audra.

I debated whether to see Gypsy, yet again. I am so glad I did.

Make sure to stay for the goosebumps.

Gypsy Majestic Theatre 245 West 44th Street New York City. The running time for Gypsy is 2 hours 45 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Gypsy is scheduled to run through October 2025.