You know you’re a stage mother when your idea of success is having your child grow up to be a stripper. Of course, in this case it’s not just any stripper, but the famous (or is it infamous?) Gypsy Rose Lee, known as the “Lady of Burlesque.”

“Gypsy,” directed by Karolynn Flynn and opening March 10 at The Playhouse, is the story of Rose Hovick and her two daughters, June and Louise, and Rose’s dreams of making them into stars.

The musical chronicles the long journey that the family takes on the road to stardom, a road that doesn’t lead where Rose had planned.

Set in the waning days of vaudeville, Rose pins her hopes on her younger daughter, “Baby June.” Louise, older and quieter, is relegated to roles such as the front end of a cow costume.

Rose drags the girls across the country, playing one seedy venue after another, but the dreams of hitting the big time fade as the girls age, and vaudeville dies.

It looks like the end of the road when June, now a rebellious teen, runs off with one of the performing “Farmboys,” leaving Louise to carry on the show in a burlesque house in Wichita.

Louise surprises her mother and stuns the audience with her performance as the “ladylike stripper,” and Gypsy Rose Lee is born.

The music, written by Jules Styne and Stephen Sondheim, is reason enough to see the Broadway hit, from “Let Me Entertain You,” to “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” but the story also involves an absorbing look at some characters that are deeper than they first appear.

“What drew me in is the rich, complex characters,” Flynn said. “This is a story about survival and love.”

Rose is played by Maribeth Hinderer, but June and Louise are played by two sets of actors, as children and as teens. “Baby June” is played by Kelsey Macklin, while “Dainty June” is played by Bronsyn Foster Springer. Young Louise is played by Cassidy Cannon, while older Louise is played by Taylor Hinderer.

Maribeth Hinderer and Taylor Hinderer are mother and daughter in real life, and both said performing together has been an emotional experience. The two have a close bond that is nothing like the dysfunctional relationship between Rose and Louise.

Maribeth said she is “absolutely not a stage mom.”

Taylor, 15, had performed with her mother in an Ovation! Christmas show, and Maribeth advised her about theater, “you’ll either love it or hate it.” The choice was hers.

While Taylor has been in several shows as a dancer or extra, this is her first speaking part.

“She always talked about how she could never do what I did — and now here she is, singing, acting — and stripping,” Maribeth said.

She added she’s not very concerned about that stripping act, and the show is rated PG. She described the outfit as a “bra and tap pants.”

Taylor originally tried out to be one of Gypsy Rose Lee’s backup strippers, but got the lead role. Her mother wasn’t surprised.

“I had this vision of us on stage together,” Maribeth said. “It’s exactly like I thought it would be. I knew she would get it (the role), but I thought I wouldn’t get Rose!”

Taylor, tall, slim and poised, seems mature far beyond her 15 years.

“At first it was really scary,” Taylor said of the role. “I couldn’t get into things and let go. It took a lot of getting confident with who I am to let go and be someone else.”

Unlike her character, who is like a bit-part actor in her mother’s show of life, Taylor loves working with her mother, and vice versa.

“I love it so much,” Taylor said. “It’s been an amazing bonding experience, especially playing mother and daughter.”

The hardest part, she said, has been imagining a mother like Rose, who is self-centered and neglectful, driven by her own desires regardless of what her daughters want — obviously nothing like the real life mother and daughter.

This is the first Bainbridge Performing Arts role for Foster Springer, who has performed in many shows at the Jewel Box Theatre, including “Wally’s Cafe,” “Proof” and “The Laramie Project.” She also appeared in “The Vagina Monologues” with Island Theatre in 2004 and 2005.

As “Dainty June” she plays a teenager playing a 9-year-old, complete with frilly “babydoll” dress.

For the 30-something Foster Springer, playing “young” wasn’t as much of a challenge as mastering some of the vaudevillean skills Dainty June has to perform.

“I’m still perfecting the cartwheel, splits and baton twirling,” she said. “I knew enough about the show that I started practicing the splits to prepare for the part. It’s been hard, but I like learning new skills. This is good motivation.”

It’s also the first major role for her that involves this much singing and dancing, but she’s handling it like a trooper, as they say in vaudeville.

The cast list runs to more than 40 actors, with several playing multiple roles. Mike Loudon plays Herbie, the girls’ long suffering manager. Musical director is Bonnie Murphy, and Karen Harp-Reed is the vocal director.

Shannin Strom is in charge of costumes and Jessica Low is overseeing choreography.

“Gypsy” open March 10 at The Playhouse, 200 Madison Ave. N, Bainbridge Island, and runs weekends through April 2. There is a pay-what-you-can preview, 7:30 p.m. March 9. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus a 3 p.m. matinee every Sunday.

Tickets are $18 adults, $15 seniors, $9 students, available at the box office, by phone at (206) 842-8569 or online at www.theplayhouse.org. wu