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The Force That Is Patti LuPone

For Patti LuPone, the standing ovations began almost 30 years ago and have not stopped. The excitement of seeing Patti LuPone live has been thrillingly captured in Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, the never-before-released recordings from her legendary 1980 nightclub act.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted October 3, 2008
The Force That Is Patti LuPone
Patti LuPone in Gypsy

This summer Patti LuPone won her second Best Actress Tony Award for her work as Rose, the ultimate stage mother, in the latest revival of Gypsy. That evening she brought the audience to its feet with her electrifying performance of "Everything’s Coming Up Roses."

Gypsy is often described as the greatest musical of all time -- the perfect marriage of book and score. Revived on Broadway in 2003, critics agreed Bernadette Peters was an odd choice for the role, and most went out of their way to dismiss her and the show itself. But Peters’s superior acting made the performance a thrill a minute, and the actress scored a Tony nomination.

But Patti LuPone's stepped it up a notch. Vocally she is perfect for the role. Where Peters struggled with the Styne-Sondheim score, LuPone plants her feet a little wider and steamrolls through each song with a brassy belt you just don't hear on Broadway these days -- and the standing ovations from audiences and critics were among the loudest they've ever been on the Great White Way.

For Patti LuPone, the standing ovations began almost 30 years ago and have not stopped. The excitement of seeing Patti LuPone live has been thrillingly captured in Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, the never-before-released recordings from her legendary 1980 nightclub act.

The album is an eclectic, often inspired combination of songs recorded throughout her 27-week run at Les Mouches. The music ranges from ’30s standards to iconic moments from her own musical theater triumphs in Evita and the lesser-known work The Baker's Wife. For extra measure she throws in some pop, disco, and even a little punk -- a reach the show's musical director, David Lewis, wasn't originally certain LuPone could handle.

Lewis had already created nightclub acts for actresses including Butterfly McQueen and Diane Keaton when he began working with LuPone. He had met the Broadway star playing for her at auditions and decided to fashion a show after her Eva Perón persona, a portrayal he describes as "fierce." He refers to her as a diva of the people, and the album proves if you can sing…you can sing.

And Patti LuPone can indeed sing it all.

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Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Roman Castillo Jr.
    Date posted: 2008-10-05 9:40 PM
    Hometown: Austin, Texas

    Comment:

    I have had the supreme pleasure of seeing Patti LuPone on several occasions: music concerts in Houston, Dallas and my hometown of Austin, Texas; "Sweeney" in SF and NYC and "Regina" in D.C. Most recently, I saw her in "Gypsy" this past June 2008. She gives her fans her all, every single time. Also, she makes time to appreciate her fans or "Dolls", as she calls them. If you have the chance to see her perform in "Gypsy", DO IT! Also, she's doing concerts all over the country, including many with Mandy Patinkin. Patti LuPone is a national treasure!!


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