Barbra Streisand returning to musicals with big-screen Gypsy written by Downton Abbey creator

Never one to sit around and putter, Barbra Streisand is taking a turn away from recent roles in the Fockers franchise to make a (hopefully) glorious return to musicals. Streisand is set to produce and sing in a new silver-screen adaptation of everyone’s favorite stripper-based musical, Gypsy, for Universal. The role marks the first time that Streisand—who will play that pinnacle of stage parenting, “Mama Rose”—will be in a musical movie since 1983’s Yentl. To adapt Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’ musical to film, Streisand and co-producer Joel Silver have tapped the current king of costume drama, Downton Abbey creator and writer Julian Fellowes, also known for 2001’s Oscar-winning Gosford Park. Barbra Streisand plus Downton Abbey plus Gypsy Rose Lee? Pretty sure that’s someone’s definition of bingo.