Where we continue talking about Patti being bothered that Madonna is better known for Evita than she is... as well as continued discussion on how awful Elena Roger is... how some cream at Patti's other worldy voice... and other tales of how we tried to seduce roommates and other first loves with tickets to the theatre!
| by Anonymous | reply 231 | September 27, 2018 5:06 PM |
Link to Pt. 1 for reference.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 15, 2017 3:39 PM |
Uhhh, R588 from the other thread, you WERE called out on your ignorance. Own it, bitch, and then shut the fuck up.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | May 15, 2017 3:42 PM |
To reply 560 from the last thread - Don't forget After Dark.
To reply 569 - It's "my roommate and I".
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 15, 2017 3:47 PM |
Has Madonna made a statement yet? I've been avoiding most news lately, so forgive me if she has and I just missed it.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 15, 2017 3:48 PM |
Great opening, OP. Bravo!
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | May 15, 2017 3:50 PM |
Elena Rogers had a good run in London, right? I wonder why.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 15, 2017 4:22 PM |
I love Patti. She's a tough old broad.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 15, 2017 4:32 PM |
R7 yeah, the show was largely well-received in London and got several Olivier nods, including Best Revival and one inexlicably for Roger. She lost to Jenna Russell in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, understandably. I still want to know how/why Philip Quast received a Best Actor nod? Peron is barely in it, and Bob Gunton (original Broadway Peron) was nominated for Featured Actor, along with Patinkin who won. I've also wondered why Patinkin didn't go lead. Che is in most of the show and sings as many songs as Eva, if not more. For the Broadway revival, Michael Cerveris was the only one in the cast to receive a Tony nod, and it was in Featured Actor.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 15, 2017 4:40 PM |
[quote]I've also wondered why Patinkin didn't go lead. Che is in most of the show and sings as many songs as Eva, if not more.
Forgot to add, his role is really no different from the Engineer in MISS SAIGON (he supports the main lead but has plenty of stage time), and Jonathan Pryce (who, incidentally, played film Peron) won the Tony for Best Actor.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | May 15, 2017 4:42 PM |
It was probably one of those how they're billed things.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | May 15, 2017 4:56 PM |
(Continued from the other thread about college and high school crushes)
So yeah, the guy I saw Anything Goes with (my freshman year roommate) got fat, just like his dad, and I haven't seen him in person for years.
But my Patti obsession kicked into full gear. Of course, when Anything Goes closed, she got involved with Life Goes On, and didn't do that much performing. The next opportunity I got to see her was the month after I graduated. At the Sondheim Tribute at Carnegie Hall on June 12, 1992. I made my way down to NYC on that day, without a ticket, but determined. I got the Carnegie Hall at 8am, and waited. And waited. There were a bunch of other theater kids there, and we traded stories all day. We could hear the rehearsal inside. "Glenn Close doing Send in the Clowns? Dullsville '92!" Round about 2pm, and older, kind man approached us. He said he'd bought the tickets for him and a very special person, but the very special person wasn't able to go, and he couldn't bare to go without him, and would me and the other 19 year old kid who got there at 8am who I just met that day like the tickets? Hells yes! We both hugged the kind man, who refused money for the tickets. He had tears in his eyes. I think about him and his very special person once in a while.
The show was electric. It's all on YouTube. Patti's Being Alive brought down the house, and Dorothy Loudon's Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy mashup was outstanding. Patti blew me out of my seat. But the next day, I think it was Frank Rich who said "Being Alive should've been called Being aLOUD"- what a dick. I swear, as I mentioned before, Patti never got her due in reviews in that era.
That night I was again in the Hotel Dorset. This time by myself. But I invited Mr. 8am to come up. And, what I'd hoped would've happened back in 1988 with my roommate finally happened. New York City, Sondheim, the Hotel Dorset, and losing my gay virginity. What a trip that turned out to be!!
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 12 | May 15, 2017 9:58 PM |
A bit of Evita trivia:
- Eva was the first woman in Argentina’s history to campaign with her husband. Heretofore, politicians' wives used to have a restricted public life and were basically apolitical.
- Christian Dior once said: "The only queen I ever dressed was Eva Peron."
- Peron is the only Argentine President accompanied by the First Lady in the official portrait (below).
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 13 | May 16, 2017 12:55 AM |
[quote]. I've also wondered why Patinkin didn't go lead.
lead was more competitive: Mickey Rooney was considered the sentimental favorite for Sugar Babies but lost to Jim Dale in Barnum in a bit of a surprise.
in the London cast Che (David Essex was actually billed ahead of Elaine Paige)
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | May 16, 2017 2:36 AM |
R9, Philip Quast is extremely well liked in the London theatre community-he's playing Ben in Follies at the National in London later this year.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | May 16, 2017 2:54 AM |
Those brown contact lenses don't do Madonna any favors. Does Patti have brown eyes?
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | May 16, 2017 5:52 AM |
I just watched the movie. I don't mind the occasional key lowering, change of orchestrations, and even moving lines of songs to other characters. But some of Parker's choices are laughably clichéd, like Eva falling down after she feels weak at the theatre or is it an opera?, when she tells Juan "I'm still standing" when she is in bed, and the light that goes off in her room to signal her death. I think the main problem with Madonna, apart from her thin vibrato voice, is that she is not the kind of singer that is expressive when you watch her sing. She has made a career as a dancer who sings, and you rarely see her in concert or in videos just singing. This is presumably why there are tons of cutaways, as in "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and she is actually most effective when her singing is on the soundtrack during a montage. The only time the camera stays on her is for Eva's Lament, and then, despite the fact that Eva is dying, all you can think is that Madonna can't hit the notes. Ironically Parker gives far more uninterrupted camera-coverage to Antonio Banderas. And why did they drop the info at the end about how Eva's body went missing? That gave the show a spooky ending.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | May 16, 2017 9:37 AM |
Couple of corrections and comments related to the previous thread.
Patti's run in Australia was after the end of her contract in NY. She had no other offers, filled in for the Australian star and returned to the states to sing "Buenos Aires" on the '81 Tonys. That is the Australia "BA" dress she displayed in PL on Bway. For whatever reason that costume (and wig) changed several times (always assumed they were trying to find more something flattering on her.). I think she is also a bit disingenuous regarding her run. I get the impression personal history, ego, insecurity with a little bit of a mind fuck color her experience and version. I got the impression she alienated cast members and I believe there was an incident onstage with Mark Syers which lead to charges filed with Equity and Syers sent to the LA Company.(He was later killed in a head on collision at the age of 30.).
The applause on opening night re:" so Lauren Bacall me" in "Rainbow High" was due to Lb's prescence. I think Patti tells the story of locking eyes with Bacall and directing the lyric at her much to her displeasure (I think I've heard Bacall had already seen the show so she knew she was referenced in the lyric)
Patti and Madonna shared the same vocal teacher/coach at one point.
Julie Covington was signed to finally do the role in an Australian revival but backed out at the last minute and Stephanie Lawrence came in (with her own costumes) as replacement, Julie Covington apparently is damaged goods as they say, probably a bit self destructive and I think a bit of a recluse now.
Derin Altay was a very bland replacemt in NY but ended ended up with conductor Paul Gemignani. Loni Ackerman sang and danced the hell out of the role and is the Eva documented in the LCT archives. Flo Lacey lead the Third National Tour and closed the Broadway production. She then toured the world with it (off and on) for over a decade, I believe. The very steely quality of her belt worked well for the role.
Marti Webb, who was brought in for Paige's matinees and then took over, did a UK tour circa the mid 90s was around 50 at the time. Live, the voice was not dissimilar to Eva if sung by Betty Buckley. A lot of the British ladies seem to record using a very pop,small sound but revealed bigger voices live (Stephanie Lawrence, Kathryn Evans). Siobhan McCarthy, the mistress in the original London cast later returned to the show as a replacement Eva.
Poor Elena Roger was lost in the terrible NY revival but is much more effective as an actress and singer in her native Spanish.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | May 16, 2017 11:50 AM |
R9, I saw Roger in London, twice. She was very good. A unique sound and interpretation but her strength was her acting and her dancing... she had real presence on stage despite her diminutive size. Her reviews were good to very good - she was respectably to well received and at a minimum did not reflect the revulsion in NY. (See link.)
Quast was the first Peron I've seen who stood out. He has a massive, marvellous voice and a massive, towering size. It was great to see him as he is a West End... stalwart if not legend. The entire company was really good... the re-orchestrations worked really well and gave the show a new feel, the sets were so markedly different to the Prince version... it was successfully reimagined and cohesive... all the parts worked well.
Also, I think the London revival was served by being at the Adelphi... like most London theatres it is smaller and more intimate, unlike the cavernous Mariott Marquis, which I was guess was chosen to accommodate Ricky Martin's screaming fans.
I saw it with friends who hated it and I started to as well as the show went on. Martin was hopeless. He can sing, he can smile, but he was just singing words... it was evident he had no appreciate of the part or the story. He was just a pretty pop star, singing. Cerveris was awful.... like the ghost of Yul Brynner singing like Boris Karloff. As at R18... Roger did seem lost on stage to me... maybe cause she's as small as Elaine Paige in the middle of that football field of a theatre... maybe because for some odd reason they sped up every song - maybe they just wanted to get it over too - but all the strengths of the London revival were totally lost. Everything about NY sucked. So odd because was largely the same production team but they took a very good revival and, except for those attending a Ricky Martin concert, staged something that was crap and Roger seemed particularly so... which just doesn't square with her performance in London or her other offerings, esp as Piaf where she got raves. Something let Elena Roger down badly in the NY Evita but in my experience it wasn't Elena Roger.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 19 | May 16, 2017 12:08 PM |
I'm gonna turn into the Elena Roger troll briefly but check out these Piaf reviews compared to Evita...
"Who cares if “Piaf” is a star vehicle when it’s powered by a performance as incandescent as that of Elena Roger’s? As she showed in her U.K. debut in Michael Grandage’s 2006 “Evita” revival, Roger has theatrical power in inverse proportion to her diminutive stature."
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 20 | May 16, 2017 12:10 PM |
"Two years ago, Elena Roger wowed the West End as Eva Peron in Evita at the Adelphi. Back on the Strand, she's knocking 'em dead all over again, this time singing her heart out as another indomitable woman of courage, Edith Piaf, in Pam Gems's reliable but oddly too rough-and-ready account of the chanteuse's life.... It might sound pat to say you forget you're watching an impersonation, but the sheer force of personality bursting from Roger's diminutive frame garners ecstatic applause for the actress as though she and "the Little Sparrow" were one and the same diva."
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 21 | May 16, 2017 12:12 PM |
I saw Loni Ackerman as Evita in Los Angeles and she was outstanding. Unfortunately, I never got to see Patti Lupone so I can't compare the two, but there was this moment in "Waltz for Che and Eva" when Eva sings "Oh what a give for a hundred years..." and Ackerman's voice slowly emerged from the fading violins. It was as if the violins had evolved into her voice, and it was sublime. After all these years I still remember that moment. (I know, Mary!)
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | May 16, 2017 12:12 PM |
"The main thing that sets this apart is Elena Roger as Piaf. She looks like Piaf, she sounds like Piaf, but she is never impersonating, always performing. She is like a gaudy moth: too bright, too intense, too impossibly fragile. By the end, Roger's Piaf is no plucky little survivor: she is a tottering wreck, her mouth (destroyed in a car crash) a clownish gash out of which emerges a sound of pure pain. It is a mercurial performance, but one that slots unshowily into Lloyd's intriguing, fluid production"
I just feel a little sorry for Elena Roger... I really liked her Eva in London and know she's a much better performer than that failed revival in NY.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 23 | May 16, 2017 12:14 PM |
I never get enough of Patti.
Like Merman, it's the diction and unfailing humanity.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 24 | May 16, 2017 1:16 PM |
I disagree about Elena Roger not being at fault.
Granted, the whole production was crap. Everything about it was so uninspired -- from the staging to the choreography to the costumes to the minor (needless) revisions. They tried to be too literal (like the movie) and it just doesn't work. "Evita" works better as Brechtian, IMO. (Unless a unique production somewhere convinces me otherwise).
Elena may be a good dancer and actress (in her native Spanish, not unlike one Penelope Cruz), but her singing was terrible! I hate to use this cliche, but it was like nails on a chalkboard. At intermission, I conversed with a few people around me, and they too were turned off by her screeching. It was not enjoyable to hear her singing. She butchered almost every song. Couldn't hit the high notes. Very grating. It reminded me of when I went to see the "Les Miz" revival (2006? 2007?) and at intermission people complained about Daphne Rubin-Vega's miscasting/voice. There's a reason why they used songs like "And the Money Kept Rolling In" and "High Flying, Adored" (Che's two verses) to advertise the show on Good Morning America and the like. They don't featured Elena singing at all. The producers obviously wanted to downplay her involvement as much as possible.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | May 16, 2017 1:17 PM |
Patti was a cunt to the kid who played Corky on Life Goes On. I've never forgiven her for that.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | May 16, 2017 1:22 PM |
[quote]I got the impression she alienated cast members and I believe there was an incident onstage with Mark Syers which lead to charges filed with Equity and Syers sent to the LA Company.(He was later killed in a head on collision at the age of 30.).
How did she alienate cast members? I wouldn't be surprised if it was all her doing. Usually, when many people don't get along with someone, the one person is the common denominator.
What happened with Syers and Patti? I thought he was pretty cute/sexy as Magaldi. What was his heritage, anyway?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 27 | May 16, 2017 1:23 PM |
R26 don't feel so bad for him. I hate Patti, but Chris is a monster.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | May 16, 2017 1:24 PM |
Even then she had an awkwardly forced smile.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | May 16, 2017 1:34 PM |
Jane Ohringer and (surprisingly!) Mandy Patinkin are the only ones who look genuinely happy; Patti and Bob Gunton's smiles look very forced; and Syers isn't even trying. He's like "Take the damn picture!"
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | May 16, 2017 1:37 PM |
Do the Mistress and Magaldi play other parts on the show? I know Eva is among the cinema audience/funeral mourners in the prolog.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | May 16, 2017 1:39 PM |
I also noticed they changed Juan's line about Paraguay in "A New Argentina" in the movie.
Original lyrics: "There again we could be foolish not to quit while we're ahead For distance lends enchantment, and that is why All exiles are distinguished, more important, they're not dead I could find job satisfaction in Paraguay."
New lyrics: "There again we could be foolish not to quit while we're ahead I can see us many miles away, inactive Sipping cocktails on a terrace, taking breakfast in bed Sleeping easy, doing nothing, it's attractive."
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | May 16, 2017 1:44 PM |
I just listened to Roger sing Rainbow High. Sorry to the Elena Troll.... but damn, I thought it was horrendous. Especially the first, "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh."
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 34 | May 16, 2017 1:45 PM |
R33, I do not know the film, but both lyrics you list are in the libretto of the stage show.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | May 16, 2017 1:57 PM |
R33 you almost got it right. Both those verses are in the stage show/film. The first one Peron sings just before the first chorus of "A New Argentina," which causes Eva to shout back "This is crazy, defeatist talk!" Then, at the very end of the number, Peron sings the second verse, which prompts Eva to sing "Don't think I don't think like you..."
Anyway, for the latter verse, the film uses "doing nothing" in place of "doing crosswords." That's the only change there. It's another revision I don't understand, much like "I've been called names but they're the strangest" and "That's good to hear but unimportant" from the previous thread. It doesn't really change the meaning.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | May 16, 2017 2:17 PM |
The best film of 1996, or of any time, musical or otherwise, was the restored version of [italic]Bedknobs and Broomsticks[/italic].
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | May 16, 2017 2:57 PM |
R18 How fun about Lauren Bacall. I so wish there were film of that. She for sure stresses that line in a way I hadn't heard her do before.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | May 16, 2017 3:05 PM |
Another thing in the film that stuck out for me was the character of Magaldi. The Broadway cast had him played by Mark Syers and on the cast recording he sounds like a cheesy small-time singer. But Jimmy Nail in the film sounds much better so it's harder to believe that he is meant to be second-rate.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | May 16, 2017 3:14 PM |
That's the opposite of Hollywood does: usually they're afraid of making them sound too good because then you'll question why they're where they are instead of somewhere more famous than that.
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | May 16, 2017 3:22 PM |
On the wiki page there is a link to an article that claims that Patti refused to be screen-tested when casting was being done by Ken Russell. It says he wanted to test everyone who had done the part to date on stage, before it was decided that they needed a star like Barbra or Liza. Why would Patti refuse? Was it because she wouldn't go to London as she was tied to the Broadway show? They could have filmed it in New York. Or did she think she had already proven herself and that asking her to audition again was insulting?!
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | May 16, 2017 3:32 PM |
Miss Ackerman seemed to acquit herself quite nicely in the role.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 42 | May 16, 2017 3:55 PM |
R40 that didn't stop them from casting me in CABARET.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 16, 2017 3:57 PM |
Liza visiting Eva's tomb in 1993. Was she still vying for the part then? She would've been 47, 14 years older than was Evita when she died.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 16, 2017 3:58 PM |
R39 the real Magaldi wasn't mediocre. He wan't big time, but he was known as "the sentimental voice" and "the Carlos Gardel of the pampas." He had a pretty successful career. His records were still selling in stores in the '90s.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 16, 2017 4:27 PM |
R42 Loni is intelligible.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | May 16, 2017 4:33 PM |
When I saw Patti had returned as an psychotherapist in Penny Dreadful Season 3 I let out a little Princess Di Death scream. She is simply the tops, in my book.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | May 16, 2017 4:46 PM |
Why didn't Pia Zadora audition for Evita?
She'd have been perfect!!!
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 16, 2017 4:47 PM |
I remember reading that Faye Dunaway was one of the names mentioned for the Broadway debut. At the time, they wanted a big name, before they settled on Patti. Raquel Welch was another name thrown around. Incidentally, Faye ended up presenting Patti with her Tony, and a year later Faye starred in her own "Evita Peron" miniseries. And over a decade later, she would also have her own mess with ALW involving "Sunset Boulevard."
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 16, 2017 4:55 PM |
Evita Peron was like Evita without the music. It's strange watching it, because, you want to hear the music.
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 16, 2017 5:14 PM |
That's really interesting, R49. I didn't even know that Dunaway could sing.
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | May 16, 2017 5:18 PM |
Here's a 1979 People article after Patti got the part. Faye, Streep, and Raquel are mentioned as possible Evas.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 52 | May 16, 2017 5:32 PM |
R52 It says they put feelers out. I don't imagine a Welch was ever seriously considered.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 16, 2017 5:37 PM |
That is to say, the actresses expressed interest.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | May 16, 2017 5:44 PM |
I think the article is stating that Meryl, Faye, and Raquel approached Prince, but in the end he chose to go with an unknown, like in London.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 16, 2017 5:51 PM |
R34 Tempo is too low and so is her voice. R49 The problem with big names was their singing voice. They couldn't sing it. Patti auditioned and cast director (if I am correct) told her to keep the calendar free, because she was one of the few who could actually sing it.
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 16, 2017 6:16 PM |
R52 Acting Nobody, Patti must have loved it after Juilliard and touring with Acting Company for four years. But she worked on stage and wasn't known outside small circle.
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | May 16, 2017 6:22 PM |
R57 she's also received a Tony nod for THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM three years earlier (lost to Kelly Bishop in ACL).
| by Anonymous | reply 58 | May 16, 2017 6:46 PM |
[quote]That is to say, the actresses expressed interest.
"Evita" was such a smash, sold-out show in London, that when it was time to mount a Broadway production, the show had become a phenomenon. I think that's why big names wanted to be in it. It was the "Hamilton" of its day. During the 1980 election, the Reagans were often compared to the Perons, particularly 'Nancita.' Ronald even said something stupid like, "I don't have to learn about South American politics anymore. I've just seen 'Evita.""
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 16, 2017 6:55 PM |
I also saw Loni Ackerman in LA, and agree that she was outstanding. She also resembled the real Evita more than LuPone.
Florence Lacey was actually my favorite - just brilliant in the role, though she had the least resemblance of anyone.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | May 16, 2017 7:57 PM |
Lacey's Buenos Aires is pretty darn good.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 62 | May 16, 2017 8:23 PM |
Patti is a nasty old witch.
| by Anonymous | reply 63 | May 16, 2017 8:36 PM |
[Quote] "I'm an Italian who doesn't drink. But i do sniff," she explains.
Oh, Patti!?
| by Anonymous | reply 64 | May 16, 2017 9:28 PM |
R64 where is that quote from? haha
| by Anonymous | reply 65 | May 16, 2017 10:29 PM |
"Buenos Aires" almost defeated Patti when the show was trying out in LA. She's just not a dancer, and having to sing at that level and do a complicated dance routine almost did her in. She just couldn't master it, and on opening night fell flat on her ass in the middle of it (during the dance section where she kicks between the two guys). Rumors were rampant that Hal Prince was begging AEA to let him bring in Elaine Paige because LuPone couldn't hack it. Of course, it didn't help that her alternate, Terri Klausner, was a dancer and had no problems at all with the number (she was good, but didn't quite have Patti's fire). A few months later, when Loni Ackerman (another dancer) triumphed in the role in the LA company, Patti was out for blood. Eventually, she got Klauser's.
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | May 16, 2017 10:55 PM |
Feud:Evita (Patti vs. Evas).
| by Anonymous | reply 67 | May 16, 2017 10:58 PM |
[quote]Feud:Patti vs. Everyone She's Ever Met
Fixed that for you
| by Anonymous | reply 68 | May 16, 2017 11:18 PM |
[quote]Feud: (Patti vs. Everyone She's Ever Met) vs. (Madonna vs. Everyone She's Ever Met)
Fixed your fix.
| by Anonymous | reply 69 | May 16, 2017 11:19 PM |
Steady on. We couldn't possibly cover all the BETRAYALS Patti's endured.
I would like Feud:Sunset Boulevard, though. The scene where Patti hears Streisand's SB recordings playing in the theatre foyer before the show, and no doubt pitches a fit, would be a highlight.
| by Anonymous | reply 70 | May 16, 2017 11:28 PM |
Stretch Armstrong couldn't stretch an off-hand comment into a 13-episode season. Ryan Murphy certainly can't.
| by Anonymous | reply 71 | May 16, 2017 11:30 PM |
R71 FEUD: BETTE & JOAN only got 8.
| by Anonymous | reply 72 | May 17, 2017 12:00 AM |
[quote]"Buenos Aires" almost defeated Patti when the show was trying out in LA. She's just not a dancer, and having to sing at that level and do a complicated dance routine almost did her in.
I understand the stage was raked, as well?
| by Anonymous | reply 73 | May 17, 2017 12:01 AM |
[quote]Feud:Patti vs. Everyone She's Ever Met
That should've been the title of her autobio. I never understood why she held a nationwide contest to name her book when in the end she was going to title it PATTI LUPONE: A MEMOIR?
| by Anonymous | reply 74 | May 17, 2017 12:03 AM |
R74 that's what's wrong with her... she thinks she's bigger than she is. I hadn't heard about the nationwide contest but that screams of someone with delusions of being more well known than they are.
How many submissions did she actually get? 3?
| by Anonymous | reply 75 | May 17, 2017 12:09 AM |
Am I REALLY the ONLY person to bring up the Patti Lupone eBay Yard Sale period?
| by Anonymous | reply 76 | May 17, 2017 12:20 AM |
[quote][R71] FEUD: BETTE & JOAN only got 8.
My point exactly.
| by Anonymous | reply 77 | May 17, 2017 12:25 AM |
I just listened to Madonna's version of Don't Cry for Me Argentina. I haven't heard it in years and I was surprised that I didn't actually hate it.
| by Anonymous | reply 78 | May 17, 2017 12:36 AM |
Love her or hate her Lupome can sing he hell out of the role. Saw it with her and Terri Klausner (Sat. Matinee) and Rogers. The role is hers. Madonna wasn't bad but she wasn't good
| by Anonymous | reply 79 | May 17, 2017 1:17 AM |
[quote]The role is hers.
Not according to the rest of the world.
| by Anonymous | reply 80 | May 17, 2017 1:19 AM |
She's just like Daffy Duck when he found that gold in a cave and said "It's mine, you understand, mine mine mine, down down down!" and stomped on the genie in the lamp who granted him that wish.
| by Anonymous | reply 81 | May 17, 2017 1:28 AM |
FYI Jane Ohringer, who played Peron's Mistress, had been best friends with Daisy Prince (Hal's daughter) so she had an unfair advantage when it came time to audition. Her voice was OK for the song, though. She seemed to disappear after that. I'm assuming she lives very comfortably on West End Avenue with hubby, several kids and a terrier of some kind.
| by Anonymous | reply 82 | May 17, 2017 1:46 AM |
Barbara Dickson had probably the most beautiful voice associated with Evita.
| by Anonymous | reply 83 | May 17, 2017 4:41 AM |
In one of the articles about the film (linked somewhere in thread one) it says that they tested all the stage Evitas and Derin Altay was considered the best. Strange since everyone says how bland she was. I'm guessing she was favored because she was the prettiest of the stage Evitas. The NY Times rereview of the show makes a point to say how beautiful Altay is. (which I would bet also angered Patti.)
For some reason I think I heard that Jane Ohringer became a lawyer. This may be her at link.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 84 | May 17, 2017 4:53 AM |
The People magazine above is weirdly worded:
When Raquel Welch, Meryl Streep and Faye Dunaway put out feelers for a plum stage role, what’s a director to do? Well, Harold Prince bypassed all of them in casting the U.S. version of the London smash Evita
The way it is written I'm not sure it means they were looking for the stage role of Evita or just a good stage role in general. (Streep was pregnant in 1979 anyway)
| by Anonymous | reply 85 | May 17, 2017 4:57 AM |
How camp would it be if Madonna joined forces with Corky to battle Patti?
| by Anonymous | reply 86 | May 17, 2017 8:49 AM |
I don't like the London/Elaine Paige recording. It is like all the songs are just a tad slower and not as effective.
| by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 17, 2017 9:18 AM |
Talent aside, is there anything nice to say about Patti LuPone? Because reading this thread I gather she's a real asshole.
| by Anonymous | reply 88 | May 17, 2017 11:20 AM |
What did Lupone do to Klauser, R66?
| by Anonymous | reply 89 | May 17, 2017 11:27 AM |
R75 here's the article that discusses that contest. I submitted "Patti with an I" for shits and giggles,, but it didn't even get an honorable mention haha
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 17, 2017 2:41 PM |
I guess she didn't think mine was funny. "Just a Little Bit of Star Quality."
| by Anonymous | reply 91 | May 17, 2017 2:47 PM |
She really should have called it Mein Kampf. Though I do love "Patti: In the Original Key"
| by Anonymous | reply 92 | May 17, 2017 3:53 PM |
I'll never forget, I saw her in Orange County in 1996. Just before they played "As if We Never Said Goodbye" Patti said to the orchestra "Please play this song in the key in which it was written"
| by Anonymous | reply 93 | May 17, 2017 4:31 PM |
Saw her in Sweeney Todd in NYC, 2005. Loved her! She was sexy too. Wasn't expecting that!
| by Anonymous | reply 94 | May 17, 2017 4:33 PM |
R83 She has wonderful voice.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 95 | May 17, 2017 4:34 PM |
R93 She is bitchy but brilliant.
| by Anonymous | reply 96 | May 17, 2017 4:35 PM |
r83 - Dickson had a rather folky sound.....
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 97 | May 17, 2017 4:51 PM |
Patti is lying about having only met Madonna once circa 1988, when she was in ANYTHING GOES and Madonna in SPEED-THE-PLOW. I distinctly remember that Madonna and Patti shared the same voice teacher (who also was Roberta Flack's teacher), so they met again, as Madonna was getting ready for the film. There was even an article about their meeting, Patti giving Madonna her blessings, and Madonna saying "We Italian chicks stick together." (I'll see if I can find the article or something.) But on Andy Cohen's show, Patti said the ONLY thing Madonna has ever said to her was "I'm taller than you." While she may have said that in the late '80s, like I said, they met again in the mid-'90s, so they most likely had a few more exchange of words. But it appears Patti wanted to be bitchy that night. It was all a performance for her stans, who love that shit. They applaud her when she's a cunt. However, Patti has been asked the question about "Evita" film and Madonna, and she's answered diplomatically in the past.
| by Anonymous | reply 99 | May 17, 2017 5:39 PM |
I don't even think that was rude. "Wow, you are shorter than me." Madonna is known for being tiny in person so I'm assuming she was genuinely shocked to come across someone smaller thasn her and with such a powerful voice.
Though let it be known, both these women are A-class cunts extraordinaire.
| by Anonymous | reply 100 | May 17, 2017 6:23 PM |
Patti LuPone: Face Made Only For the Rafters
| by Anonymous | reply 101 | May 17, 2017 6:34 PM |
Another minor change from stage to screen re movie:
STAGE: "Now, Eva Peron had every disadvantage you need if you're going to succeed -- no money, no class, no father, no bright lights."
MOVIE: "Now, Eva Peron had every disadvantage you need if you're going to succeed -- no money, no cash, no father, no bright lights."
For some reason, they switched 'class' to c'ash' which makes no sense. Isn't saying "no money, no cash" in succession a bit redundant? Also, the 'class' was important because Eva didn't have any. She was never able to completely shake off her hick dialect/mannerisms, and the Aristocracy made fun of her for this.
| by Anonymous | reply 102 | May 17, 2017 7:30 PM |
That is a peculiar change, R102, because Eva was illegitimate so I would think the movie would want to keep the "no class" description.
| by Anonymous | reply 103 | May 17, 2017 8:02 PM |
R103 and they beat you over the head with it in the beginning, when Eva's family attempts to attend her father's funeral, but his legal wife calls them 'bastards.'
| by Anonymous | reply 104 | May 17, 2017 8:13 PM |
I'll add my $0.02 to this topic. I saw "Evita" on Broadway 4x with LuPone, Klausner, Altay & Ackerman. Patti was the only one who found the humor and pathos in the role. She was raw and sexy. Klausner was technically fine but no fire and she looked like Lucille Ball at moments. Altay was pretty and wore the costumes well. Loni sang and danced the hell out of the role but seemed to be commenting on the part rather than playing it for real - no depth and talk about "dead" eyes. Patti for the win.
| by Anonymous | reply 105 | May 17, 2017 10:04 PM |
[quote]Loni sang and danced the hell out of the role but seemed to be commenting on the part rather than playing it for real
Isn't that how you do Brecht? The actors (and audience) are not supposed to be engaged emotionally and physically to the action?
| by Anonymous | reply 106 | May 18, 2017 1:09 AM |
Madonna: Voice made only for auto-tune
| by Anonymous | reply 107 | May 18, 2017 1:11 AM |
R106, no. That is how "doing" Brecht is explained in bad undergraduate survey courses.
But no. That is not it.
| by Anonymous | reply 108 | May 18, 2017 1:15 AM |
Great. Thanks for nothing r105 - Now I can't get the production of Lucita out of my head. Ricky as Che, Fred as Juan, ...
| by Anonymous | reply 109 | May 18, 2017 1:21 AM |
One thing I remember re: alienation of cast... There was an "no one be in Patti's way" edict. I think the reason was due to quick costume changes, the interpretation was diva behavior. I believe, even according to Patti, there were definite Patti vs. Terri factions. I thought Syers may have actually slapped Patti onstage..and was brought up on charges before Equity. Then shipped off to LA. Even thought there was a period of a falling out with Mandy but they eventually reconciled. There is a Jane Pauley interview with them in Patti's dressing room. Mandy comments on how much weight he loses every night and Patti retorts she works hard too. Comes off as rather insecure and bitchy. She refused to dress like a "star" exiting the theatre, which riled the producers. She did not feel like she received a lot of support. I think she nearly wrecked her voice singing it until a gay chorus member took her underwing and worked with her.
Even then Patti seemed to be a mix of ego and insecurity.
It's been a long time, maybe someone else can fill in the blanks or clarify.
| by Anonymous | reply 110 | May 18, 2017 2:14 AM |
"A League of Their Own" and "Evita" both are period films that feature a dance hall scene in which several men fight over who gets to dance with Madonna.
| by Anonymous | reply 111 | May 18, 2017 2:29 AM |
I swear I read that Klausner got fired because she got in Patti's way during a costume change and Patti accused her of doing it on purpose.
In her Tony for Gypsy speech or some other award she thanked David Vosburgh who was a chorus member of Evita and helped her train her voice.
| by Anonymous | reply 112 | May 18, 2017 2:31 AM |
Patti dismisses the mother of Eva role in the film that she was supposedly offered, as her only singing in the "Eva and Magaldi/Eva Beware of the City" number the line "She really brightened up your out-of-town engagement". From my memory, the mother doesn't sing that line. She sings the next one "She gave you all she had, she wasn't in your contract." While the role is pretty thankless, she does appear a few other times in the film. And to my eye, Parker cast a woman who looks like LuPone facially.
| by Anonymous | reply 113 | May 18, 2017 3:06 AM |
Parker gave a lot of camera time to Olga Merediz, who played one of Eva's sisters. She's from NY, the other sisters and brother were British. I think the mother was Spanish.
| by Anonymous | reply 114 | May 18, 2017 4:07 AM |
People are posting interesting lyric changes. Here's one I remember from, I believe, the Julie Covington soundtrack version that was changed for the Broadway version:
"If these are the people of Buenos Aires, I welcome the chance to shine in their city
"And to trample their rotten values into the ground!"
The LuPone version doesn't use the second line.
| by Anonymous | reply 115 | May 18, 2017 4:09 AM |
If I had done the film I would have been nominated probably.
| by Anonymous | reply 116 | May 18, 2017 4:10 AM |
[quote]She did not feel like she received a lot of support
Patti NEVER feels like she receives a lot of support. That was the big take-home from her book - every job, she has to have people who become her enemies, and the powers that be never support her. It looked for a bit like Anything Goes was going to be a good experience for her, but no, eventually "unprofessional chorus members" in the ensemble ruined it for her. I don't know what she'd do without someone or something to complain about.
| by Anonymous | reply 117 | May 18, 2017 10:34 AM |
R117 it seems Patti is the common denominator in those instances, so all arrows point to her being the cause of the conflict(s).
| by Anonymous | reply 118 | May 18, 2017 11:55 AM |
Another revision from stage to screen that actually makes sense:.
BROADWAY: "I'm amazed for I'm only an actress. Nothing to shout about. Only a girl on the boards."
FILM: "I'm amazed for I'm only an actress. Nothing to shout about. Only a girl on the air."
The latter works much better, because prior to meeting Peron. Eva was primarily known as a radio personality. She did some theater when she first started out, but it was mainly radio work (e.g. soaps). After Peron, she started dabbling in films, including getting the lead role in LA PRODIGA, which ended up being a little prescient. In that film, Eva plays a wealthy widow who ends up devoting her life to the poor and humble. If you think Streisand was too young to play Dolly Levi, In LA PRODIGA, fresh-faced 25-year-old Eva plays middle-aged (below):
BTW: LA PRODIGA finished post-production in October 1945, coincidentally the same month that Peron was jailed and eventually delivered by the descamisados. Peron announced his candidacy not long after. Of course, Eva's whole world changed and she quit acting. LA PRODIGA was never released, because it was considered demeaning for a candidate's wife to hold such a lowly profession. All the negatives were destroyed, save one, which was kept hidden in a vault in Uruguay for nearly 40 years, until it was rediscovered in the mid 1980s.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 119 | May 18, 2017 2:55 PM |
I worked as crew on Law & Order. Patti was doing a guest star bit as an attorney. One day when we were shooting in the court rotunda I saw Patti whine to the prop lady "Do I have to carry this briefcase?" And the prop lady, never one to suffer fools or whiners gladly, said "You're playing an attorney. You'll carry a briefcase." I later heard LuPone was under consideration to play the new DA but she was deemed too big a pain in the ass. The role was offered to Glenn Close but she turned it down. Dianne Wiest ended up playing the role and was absolutely miserable.
| by Anonymous | reply 120 | May 18, 2017 3:04 PM |
R117 Maybe she doesn't. She is difficult and demanding.
| by Anonymous | reply 121 | May 18, 2017 3:04 PM |
The original London/Broadway productions used a clip of Eva's film LA CABALGATA DEL CIRCO at the beginning of the show. She only had a supporting role but played the rival of the film's big star, Libertad Lamarque., who was over a decade older and already an established star. The two women did not get along at all. After Peron was elected president, Lamarque had to flee Argentina, because Evita was a very resentful woman. However, Lamarque re-established herself in Mexico and became a beloved soap star there. She lived a long life, too, dying in 2000 at the age of 92.
Eva's smirk here seems to say, "Just wait a year or two, when I'm First Lady..."
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 122 | May 18, 2017 3:10 PM |
I really liked Lupone on her guest appearances on Law & Order. I think she could have played an excellent DA. She certainly would have been better than Diane Wiest, who seemed so miscast in the role.
| by Anonymous | reply 123 | May 18, 2017 3:11 PM |
R120 wasn't the briefcase empty? They usually are. Thus, not heavy.
| by Anonymous | reply 124 | May 18, 2017 3:13 PM |
R117 Do you think Patti self-sabotages? She seems to thrive off drama, and this way she can forever play the victim. How many roles has she lost out on film/TV because of her demanding/off-putting behavior?
| by Anonymous | reply 125 | May 18, 2017 3:15 PM |
119 - For that very reason I felt that all of the negatives and prints of Nancy Davis' films should have been destroyed. Whuddevuh. Anyhoo, here's another still from La Prodiga.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 126 | May 18, 2017 3:30 PM |
R125 , she sounds awful. Some people, I tell ya.
| by Anonymous | reply 128 | May 18, 2017 3:57 PM |
R125, she was a great Ladybird Johnson but is fundamentally unphotogenic. Which is why she was so miscast in Sunset Blvd as a movie star. Not with that honker she was.
| by Anonymous | reply 129 | May 18, 2017 4:35 PM |
I otherwise like Mandy in the OBCR, but one thing (besides Gunton's grating faux Spanish accent) that really annoys me is when he sings "A shame you did it all at twenty-sixsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss. It sounds like he's hissing. I was taught in choir in school to avoid splashy, sibilant 'S' sounds while singing.
| by Anonymous | reply 130 | May 18, 2017 5:56 PM |
"I thought Andrew Lloyd Weber hated women"
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 131 | May 18, 2017 11:04 PM |
Common sense tells you when someone constantly talks about problems they've had with just about everyone... well, the problem is most likely not everyone.
| by Anonymous | reply 132 | May 18, 2017 11:41 PM |
I saw Pia doing "Funny Girl " in Long Beach. It wasn't even fun in a camp way except maybe the opening when this midget walks across stage with a feather boa trailing her and says, "Hello, Gorgeous" into the mirror. After that, it was just painful.
| by Anonymous | reply 133 | May 18, 2017 11:46 PM |
What possessed you to even go, R133?
| by Anonymous | reply 134 | May 18, 2017 11:47 PM |
Also, this is a great place to ask: in the film version, there is a singer on "Rainbow Tour" (is that right?), one of the men watching the film strip of Evita overseas. And for whatever reason I looooove this man's voice. I know it's him on "It wasn't on the schedule anyhow". Any idea who this is? A Broadway vet? I just love the ease of his voice for some reason.
| by Anonymous | reply 135 | May 18, 2017 11:48 PM |
Friends, R134, and we were young and went to everything back then.
There was one I hated even more, as I wrote about elsewhere. Believe it or not... "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" with Glenda Jackson, John Lithgow, Cynthia Nixon and Brian Kerwin. Sounds like it should be great. It wasn't. I left at intermission and drove around Hollywood, then came back and picked up my friends later. Felt like a bad sitcom instead of a classic play.
| by Anonymous | reply 136 | May 18, 2017 11:50 PM |
R130, Patinkin made so many bad choices. How about, "She's the New World Mee-donna with thee golden touch?" No native Spanish speaker would pronounce it that way.
| by Anonymous | reply 137 | May 18, 2017 11:54 PM |
I think it's odd that LuPone goes on and on about opposition to putting a Nazi sympathizer on stage in New York. The concept album was released the same year the military overthrew Isabel Peon. During the show's run, tens of thousands of people were "disappeared" by the military government. Britain and Argentina FOUGHT A WAR during the show's London run. Meanwhile Kissinger and Co. were supporting the junta. Whatever political issues arose in the US, they were as nothing compared to the UK at the time.
| by Anonymous | reply 138 | May 19, 2017 12:01 AM |
Have we talked about this? I know we mentioned that she'd done it but did we dissect and tear it apart?"
I can't stand her, but she seems fine for the most part... except about half way through where she starts adding the weird accent.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 139 | May 19, 2017 12:09 AM |
The original was Julie Covington
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 140 | May 19, 2017 12:17 AM |
Forbidden Broadway's take on Elena Roger is brutal (but of course spot-on).
~And.... if I need to catch my breath, I pretend that I'm close to death, And quiet down to silence.~
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 141 | May 19, 2017 3:28 AM |
R135 that's British actor Peter Polycarpou, He played Domingo Mercante. He, Eva, and Cipriano Reyes planned the October 17 demonstration that freed Peron. Reyes would later fall out of favor with Juan and Eva and was imprisoned on trumped up charges. He spent 7 years in prison where he was tortured, until Peron was overthrown in 1955.
| by Anonymous | reply 142 | May 19, 2017 3:53 AM |
You know what's curious? In 1996, Argentina released their own version of Evita titled '"Eva Peron: The True Story," which was to counter the Madonna movie. Funny thing is, their version of Eva was no different from the stage musical's (i.e. loud, ruthless, promiscuous bitchy, conniving), and, in fact, Madonna's portrayal was more sympathetic. The difference between the two is that the musical condemns Eva's actions; the Argentine movie didn't. Furthermore, a few years ago, Argentina released another version of the Evita story, simply titled "Juan y Eva." Only this time they totally defanged her. The movie focuses mainly on their first meeting up to the October 17 rally, which this Evita takes no part in. Even when she kicks out the mistress, she shares with her some chocolate before she kisses her off. Seriously! All this Evita did was cry and wait around. LIke WTF?
I've noticed this new trend of sentimentalizing the crap out of strong women. WTF is going on?
| by Anonymous | reply 143 | May 19, 2017 4:00 AM |
What did ALW think of Madonna's being cast in the film? Did he ever comment on it?
| by Anonymous | reply 144 | May 19, 2017 4:24 AM |
wow, the first thread was full of thoughtful comment and appreciation for Evita and what a fantastic and difficult score it is to sing....lots of people knowledgeable about singing and broadway contributed. yet there are so many who hate lupone on DL - when they woke up from their hangovers they have gone crazy bitching and mostly talking nonsense. madonna is largely without blame, we know she did a good job - for her, and she looked good and it took forever to make and who else was gonna play eva better on film anyway?
patti is not always magic, but her voice often is. when the role is right she blows the roof off the dump, makes you weep and is just as pretty, crass, funny or sad as she needs to be. how fucking strange to attack her for her looks or her prowess. she is a fucking vocal superstar the likes that don't come round too often. and she knows it. guess what? Streisand and Aretha and Whitney knew just how good they were. Patti has not been afraid to talk about what she did or didn't enjoy about her successes and failures. the interview at R131 is tops.
Lupone was the original Norma Desmond, the freak voice who made a success out of Evita when the NYC critics said no, the most delicious Mrs. Lovett for Sondheim and oh, yeah the first Fantine for those other guys. She stepped into Cole Porter and Irving Berlin revivals and made a smash. Her Rose in Gypsy blew your hair back. She was unbelievable in personal and vocal power. But yeah, she can't sing or perform. She's not a first class Broadway star of the highest credential and caliber? Delusions run deep here. She's outspoken and confident brash and a bit rude. But she is not an unhappy woman, unprofessional performer or a personal mess. Her continued success is testament to her great talent. She's not a pretty package like Bernadette or even Betty Buckley (vocally) but she has a fucking voice that doesn't arrive every day or decade.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 145 | May 19, 2017 4:37 AM |
[quote]lots of people knowledgeable about singing and broadway contributed. yet there are so many who hate lupone on DL
What does one have to do with the other?
| by Anonymous | reply 146 | May 19, 2017 4:42 AM |
Yeah, but what did he have to say about it?
| by Anonymous | reply 148 | May 19, 2017 4:59 AM |
R146. Read the rest of my post old man. If you dislike LuPone fine, but don't discredit those of us who know so much more about singing and performance. Vocal production at this level is not a fluke of personality. You can't begin to discuss what is superlative about Lupone's voice or why she is good or bad for one role or another. There was a lot of informed talk about that on the first thread. You knew exactly what I meant. Why not watch some of the clips posted over these two threads. Lupone is not your favorite, I am half her age and she is not MY favorite. But I am not dumb or ignorant of her enormous talent and greater ability. She works at it, her voice is not beautiful.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 149 | May 19, 2017 5:00 AM |
R149 when did anyone discredit anyone?
| by Anonymous | reply 150 | May 19, 2017 5:02 AM |
ALW was always complimentary about her and spoke of how hard she worked to improve her voice. He was finally getting his baby to the big screen. He wouldn't have criticized it. I think he was happy with the results overall. He seemed to have a good relationship with her and they did lots of press together to promote the film.
| by Anonymous | reply 151 | May 19, 2017 5:21 AM |
Here is Webber accepting the Oscar for Best Song. He says she did it beautifully.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 152 | May 19, 2017 5:28 AM |
I think that's the wrong clip, R152!
| by Anonymous | reply 153 | May 19, 2017 5:30 AM |
It sort of makes me laugh that I'd bet that LuPone Googles herself and she'll end up finding this thread... and it'll just make her even more bitter.
Patti vs. The People of Datalounge
| by Anonymous | reply 154 | May 19, 2017 5:35 AM |
Patti said that she was offered a small role in the film. I wonder if Elaine Paige was also offered one.
| by Anonymous | reply 155 | May 19, 2017 5:43 AM |
oops
here is ALW winning the Oscar
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 156 | May 19, 2017 5:45 AM |
Thank you, R142. Now I have a name. Had no idea where to even start since I wasn't sure his character's name was mentioned in the actual film. I appreciate the info.
| by Anonymous | reply 157 | May 19, 2017 6:52 AM |
That scene was another ham-fisted one by Parker since the two men either side of Juan sang with rock voices which didn't match their suited characters. I think the stage show made it more obvious when the real Eva was seen in the film footage.
| by Anonymous | reply 158 | May 19, 2017 7:27 AM |
R158 what do you mean by 'ham-fisted'?
| by Anonymous | reply 159 | May 19, 2017 9:18 AM |
R99 wrong. The story was that Patti was there when Madonna arrived, but they didn't see each other.
Madonna simply told Kurt Loder that Patti was supportive though the teacher. And then she said "Italian chick sticking together"
They did not encounter each other then and Patti is NOT lying. Come on.
| by Anonymous | reply 160 | May 19, 2017 5:19 PM |
For someone who's lived a fair amount in the UK doing Les Mis and Sunset Blvd Patti's English accents are awful. Terrible in both Noises Off and Sweeney Todd.
| by Anonymous | reply 161 | May 19, 2017 6:07 PM |
R161 For Les Mis she had six months visa and she did Sunset for nine months. Not very long time.
| by Anonymous | reply 162 | May 19, 2017 8:36 PM |
Do you think Patti has this immense resentment for the movie EVITA (and Madonna) because the film went into production a scant year after her SUNSET BOULEVARD fiasco with ALW and released within the year? The woman carries lifetime grudges, can you imagine what she was like when the wounds were still fresh?
The EVITA movie was touted as "the year's most talk about movie," and Madonna's pregnancy also kept the film in the headlines. This too was huge news at the time. Madonna was still seen as sexually amoral, and the thought of her pregnant or with an infant was the stuff of late night jokes.
Anyway, the movie was inescapable that year, so I can imagine that it was not a good time for Patti.
| by Anonymous | reply 163 | May 19, 2017 9:34 PM |
[quote]For Les Mis she had six months visa and she did Sunset for nine months.
Right before Les Mis, she did "The Cradle Will Rock" in London.
| by Anonymous | reply 164 | May 19, 2017 9:50 PM |
What other real life figure(s) has Patti played on stage in a (non-musical) play?
| by Anonymous | reply 165 | May 19, 2017 9:53 PM |
R165 Maria Callas in "Master Class."
| by Anonymous | reply 166 | May 19, 2017 11:13 PM |
R164 Patti won the Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical for both LES MIZ and CRADLE WILL ROCK. I didn't know till recently that they did that. Kind of cheapens it, huh?
| by Anonymous | reply 167 | May 19, 2017 11:16 PM |
Uhhh, R162, between The Cradle Will Rock, Les Miserables and Sunset Blvd she's spent a lot of time in London. So for her accent to be so poor is just baffling. Bitch just can't do the accent.
| by Anonymous | reply 168 | May 20, 2017 2:58 AM |
[quote]Do you think Patti has this immense resentment for the movie EVITA (and Madonna) because the film went into production a scant year after her SUNSET BOULEVARD fiasco with ALW and released within the year?
Yes. Definitely. She was never as negative about Evita until after the Sunset Boulevard fiasco.
[quote]The woman carries lifetime grudges, can you imagine what she was like when the wounds were still fresh?
I remember her doing a Charlie Rose interview a few years after the Sunset stuff. She was quite dramatic. She said she literally had to be pulled off the ledge (meaning she was suicidal) and that for a while she doubted if she would ever be able to perform again.
| by Anonymous | reply 170 | May 20, 2017 3:18 AM |
Forgot she did Master Class in London, too. So she spent, altogether, about 18 months in London. And still a shitty accent.
| by Anonymous | reply 171 | May 20, 2017 4:35 AM |
Did Patti actually watch the movie or just the MTV video she mentioned in the video of the OP of the first thread?
| by Anonymous | reply 172 | May 20, 2017 4:42 AM |
Did Patti actually watch the movie or just the MTV video she mentioned in the video of the OP of the first thread?
| by Anonymous | reply 173 | May 20, 2017 4:42 AM |
Treat yourself and go to the 23 minute mark of this new video. Patti is all over twitter with her comments on Trump. The whole interview is the BOMB. Patti is brilliant, incisive, hilarious, honest, so very knowledgeable and supernaturally talented. She's a fucking legend. Why SHOULD she regret telling the truth?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 174 | May 20, 2017 4:50 AM |
I loved her comments about Trump. Oh, and if you go to 20:50 in that same interview, you can see that while she's not a fan of Madge's on screen performances, she's a BIG fan of another pop singer's performances...
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 175 | May 20, 2017 5:04 AM |
Patti's Trump comments isolated
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 176 | May 20, 2017 5:13 AM |
I believe Patti has stated she has never seen the movie and her comments about Madonna were based on a clip. That's fine and all but as an Actress who values the craft she should know better than to criticize something she's only watched 30 seconds of.
| by Anonymous | reply 177 | May 20, 2017 5:18 AM |
She has said she never saw Evita or Les Miz. (but she has opinions on them which are pretty specific. I picture her at home running them over and over and screaming about how much better she would have been in them
| by Anonymous | reply 178 | May 20, 2017 5:22 AM |
Patti is up for her seventh Tony Award. She's not some bitter old queen living in the past. THAT bitter old queen has posted a lot of negativity on this thread though. Patti has spoken very insightfully about modern movie musicals and is never less than honest about her own hurts, disappointments and bad behavior. She does however have standards.
So when asked again about Madonna, she said she didn't regret her comments. LuPone then stated it more simply, "Either you can or you can't. (ACT) Madonna can't." This is not news. LuPone shows great restraint to not discuss her singing...Madonna has shit on every other female performer she's ever been asked about. From Whitney to Celine, Streisand to Gaga, Cher, Lauper and Janet Jackson. Madonna trashed them all. We all know why.
| by Anonymous | reply 179 | May 20, 2017 5:41 AM |
r179 needs to get a collective MARY!
| by Anonymous | reply 180 | May 20, 2017 5:51 AM |
Did patti digitally penetrate Chris Burke behind a dumpster at 7-11? Or was that Bonnie mace
| by Anonymous | reply 181 | May 20, 2017 5:52 AM |
[quote]She's not some bitter old queen living in the past.
You lost all credibility with that one, ha!
And I'll stand by the comment that Patti shouldn't be talking about anyone's acting ability. She's one note and there's a reason she couldn't break out in film.
| by Anonymous | reply 182 | May 20, 2017 6:09 AM |
That is probably the best Madonna has ever sounded. Too bad she followed it up with rapping about a soy latte with a double shot(tay) of espresso.
| by Anonymous | reply 184 | May 20, 2017 7:15 AM |
R179 OK, I remember Madonna saying something like Whitney and Mariah not having a fucking point of view, or something like that. Which was incorrect, at least for Whitney. But I don't recall her ever saying anything about the rest. She has always PRAISED Gaga, except when she called her reductive for stealing her song.
| by Anonymous | reply 185 | May 20, 2017 7:24 AM |
R182 if Madonna has just stuck with Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, A League of Their Own, and Evita, she might have been moderately respected. Trying to carry a film is where she fails.
| by Anonymous | reply 186 | May 20, 2017 7:27 AM |
Those were all roles she was cast in r186 and they had strong directors. As you said when she tried to create starring vehicles is when she failed.
| by Anonymous | reply 187 | May 20, 2017 7:34 AM |
R186 has nothing to do with R182.
| by Anonymous | reply 188 | May 20, 2017 7:45 AM |
R175 - What is going on with her hair fringe in that interview?
| by Anonymous | reply 189 | May 20, 2017 12:32 PM |
After decades of practice and making a career of it, I can't believe that the clip at R183 is the best she can do. I mean, I do believe it; she just can't sing and never could. I cannot stand to listen to her off-key sliding around, constantly trying to find the notes. She does it almost instantaneously and maybe it slips by people who aren't listening closely, but it's like nails on a chalkboard to me.
| by Anonymous | reply 190 | May 20, 2017 2:38 PM |
(that is, after *her* decades of practice--I left a dangling modifier there)
| by Anonymous | reply 191 | May 20, 2017 2:39 PM |
She seems nervous in that clip which is understandable. There's a difference between playing to a stadium of fans and playing to an audience of industry professionals. Also singing without movement is not her strength which explains some of her awkward hand gestures.
| by Anonymous | reply 192 | May 20, 2017 2:43 PM |
She sounds like that on record, too. Believe me, I have to listen to her constantly courtesy of my neighbor.
| by Anonymous | reply 193 | May 20, 2017 2:46 PM |
R176 I like her even more now!!
| by Anonymous | reply 194 | May 20, 2017 3:49 PM |
OT, why Randy Graff never had bigger career?
| by Anonymous | reply 195 | May 20, 2017 3:51 PM |
R178 haha, like a Helen Sharp scenario?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 196 | May 20, 2017 4:07 PM |
R179 you don't seem to get it. What Patti said about Madonna's acting and the movie EVITA are not untrue, but there are more tactful ways of saying those things, especially if you're a professional. Patti has shown that she can be tactful. She's answered the same question more diplomatically before. For some reason, she flew off the handle on Andy Cohen. My personal opinion is she was just throwing her stans a bone. They LOVE it when she acts like a cunt. I used to attend theater with a bunch of theater people and met their theater friends, which consisted of some Patti stans, and they would cream their pants like when she went off on that cell phone guy in the theater. Granted, the man was in the wrong, but Patti shouldn't have gotten involved. As a professional, she should've ignored and gone on with the show. But, again she had to "please" her fans.
| by Anonymous | reply 197 | May 20, 2017 4:12 PM |
[quote]This is not news. LuPone shows great restraint to not discuss her singing...Madonna has shit on every other female performer she's ever been asked about. From Whitney to Celine, Streisand to Gaga, Cher, Lauper and Janet Jackson. Madonna trashed them all. We all know why.
You're obviously a Patti stan. You're not holding her accountable for her unwarranted attacks on Madonna/EVITA,. Instead you justify it by countering that Madonna has been a bitch to others in the past. So what? What does that have to do with Patti and Madonna -- or EVITA, for that matter?
| by Anonymous | reply 198 | May 20, 2017 4:15 PM |
R195 Sadly, Randy Graff stole Patti's performance as Fantine in Les Miz. Actors should bring their own interpretation to a role, not imitate the person who created it.
| by Anonymous | reply 199 | May 20, 2017 5:21 PM |
You freakin fuck moron ancient theatre queen R190. You have posted over 40 times on this thread alone. I am a singer and a fan of talent. I don't call people cunts and I don't mistake informed opinion for insults. LuPone simply said that Madonna can neither sing or act and the movie was a piece of shit. When asked. That is not an unwarranted attack. You are a LuPone hater as witnessed by your many tedious posts attacking her singing, performance and personality. You are certainly very old given your pedantic knowledge of all things Evita. Were you there at her birth?
I liked Madonna in the film, for the minor accomplishment achieved. She improved her singing but is not a singer. Her voice is always wobbling around even a single note but she did add some fullness to her sound and better overall phrasing while wobbling on every single note. She has no acting ability and is incapable of delivering a plausible line reading. As Cher said about Madonna...."she's very creative but not very talented or beautiful. I enjoy what she does - it's too bad she is so rude."
As I stated before, Patti could have said so much more. Time grows short as you well know R198. Are you unfamiliar with Andy Cohen's show? Much more tactless things have been said about people far more talented than Madonna. Now Shoo.
| by Anonymous | reply 200 | May 20, 2017 6:44 PM |
Apologies to R190. My post was in response to R198. HE knows all about holding on to bitterness....so many many posts. Why?
| by Anonymous | reply 201 | May 20, 2017 6:49 PM |
It's a pity Madonna is so rude? You included that part of a quote while defending Patti LuPone...
| by Anonymous | reply 202 | May 20, 2017 6:56 PM |
R200 frankly, you sound like a deranged Patti stan. I may have posted several times here (and the previous thread) because I am very knowledgeable about the history of Eva Peron (wrote a thesis on her) and the musical EVITA, as a result of my interest in the woman. Is it a crime to post in regards to questions people have or to simply correct misinformation?
Yes, Patti's was an unwarranted attack. It's one thing to say "The movie was a piece of shit!", which is still unprofessional, but she went personally after Madonna -- "Madonna is a movie killer,” “She’s dead behind the eyes," "She couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag," "She should not be on film or on stage," "She’s a wonderful performer FOR WHAT SHE DOES, but she is not an actress."
There was no reason to say all of that. A more, professional, tactful way would be, "I didn't care for the film, and I thought Madonna wasn't very good in it." That's what she was asked. But then she proceeded to attack her -- unwarranted, because Madonna didn't do shit, except to star in the role Patti created on Broadway. Patti herself alluded to Madonna not having done anything nasty to her, except saying they only had one encounter and all Madonna allegedly said to her was "I'm shorter than you!"
Usually, people go after others like that if they feel slighted by them somehow. I can see why you worship this woman. You're both alike, in that you attacked me personally, just for simply saying that Patti's attacks were unwarranted, while I did not such thing to you. In fact, I've been quite respectable. Can't people make their point anymore without resorting to insults?
BTW: I just turned 37, That may make me an eldergay on DL, I guess, but most others would still consider me young.
| by Anonymous | reply 203 | May 20, 2017 8:56 PM |
[quote]In fact, I've been quite respectable.
Meant to say 'respectful,' of course.
| by Anonymous | reply 204 | May 20, 2017 9:14 PM |
You are never gonna be respectable R203
| by Anonymous | reply 205 | May 20, 2017 9:23 PM |
[quote]because Madonna didn't do shit,
Actually, Madonna did do shit. Her entire performance in Evita was a huge dump right on the nation's movie screens, and it will live forever. If people want to call her out for her lack of talent, more power to them. Patti said she's a wonderful performer for what she does, which is the kindest thing that could be said about Madonna.
Ms. Ciccone is a hack who has made a career out of being outrageous. Patti is a bitch who has made a career out of great singing and acting performances.
| by Anonymous | reply 206 | May 21, 2017 3:26 AM |
We know, Jabba, we know. You've told us countless times.
| by Anonymous | reply 207 | May 21, 2017 3:28 AM |
Sorry, sweetheart, r207 was my first post. I guess more people dislike Madonna than you would care to admit.
| by Anonymous | reply 208 | May 21, 2017 3:34 AM |
You mean first post from this browser.
And when did I ever say I liked Madonna?
| by Anonymous | reply 209 | May 21, 2017 3:42 AM |
The problem with Patti is that she always comes across as so damned bitter. It's fine if you dislike someone but to constantly be bad mouthing, criticizing, or having feuds with people makes you look desperate, especially if none of those people are thinking about or checking for you. There's always a tinge of insecurity in Patti that she can't get rid of.
| by Anonymous | reply 210 | May 21, 2017 3:53 AM |
Patti had embarrassing jacked teeth in her original Evita role.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 211 | May 21, 2017 5:35 AM |
R211 Has an embarrassing, jacked life,
Go pull a Chris Cornell, loser.
| by Anonymous | reply 212 | May 21, 2017 12:21 PM |
Who knew there was also a Patti loon among us? Between it and the Lange troll and Janbot, DL has become unbearable.
| by Anonymous | reply 213 | May 21, 2017 2:42 PM |
R213 you say that as if they are not all the same troll.
| by Anonymous | reply 214 | May 21, 2017 3:05 PM |
It's clear just exactly who the "Patti's awful, I know because I know everything about Evita!" troll is. The same lunatic who hates Mary Poppins and loves that piece of slop, Bedknobs and Broomsticks - as well as hating Jessica Lange.
| by Anonymous | reply 215 | May 21, 2017 6:30 PM |
[quote]BTW: I just turned 37, That may make me an eldergay on DL, I guess, but most others would still consider me young.
Of your thousands of words in over 50 posts on this thread - those gave me the most pleasure. Tell us more about that rude big bad Patti and Roberta Flack's vocal coach? I had to google Roberta Flack. She's before my parents time.
You last saw 37 on the front of a bus and the numbers looked familiar. You're 73 pops.
| by Anonymous | reply 216 | May 21, 2017 7:47 PM |
Roberta Flack's vocal coach was raped by Patti LuPone who was doing a Julie Andrews impression at the time! Trauma!
| by Anonymous | reply 217 | May 21, 2017 10:06 PM |
While I agree that the Poppins Loon is a serial liar, I at age 43 know who Roberta Flack is and have even seen her in concert. She had a mini-resurgence around the time Lauryn Hill covered "Killing Me Softly" and she also has toured constantly throughout her career. Not a stretch to know who she is.
| by Anonymous | reply 218 | May 22, 2017 3:00 AM |
Wasn't Roberta Flack even in the Fugees music video?
| by Anonymous | reply 219 | May 22, 2017 3:32 AM |
Laurie Beechman had the most musical and nuanced and shimmering voice of them all - back when it took that and much more to make a Broadway star. Her voice was not always reliable. Ask that 37 year old about Laurie in Cats and Joseph on Broadway and later in Les Mis and Evita and in her own cabaret shows. Something special.
Patti holds the sound of trumpets and saxophones and reeds, with low downtown notes and extended full belts in her voice. All with resonance and a controlled vibrato. Nothing more important to a great Broadway voice than individual sound and consistency. Anyone who calls Merman a superior vocalist should substitute power, showmanship and consistency.
Betty Buckley hits the Eb5 in a way that made people fall out of their seats and Elaine Paige was kind of perfect in a thin nasal way, every day. Chess. I guess we all like different vocal qualities and interpreters of Evita. There is a physical consideration to the part for some. Madonna looked fantastic in her l o n g Evita movie video. (We talked all the way through it while we watched it on the couch) I was 21.
But why shouldn't M be an insult to everyone who sang the role on stage? It's a freaking hard part to sing for the best qualified and most highly trained. The Evitas are compared and contrasted and criticized to this day. Madonna shouldn't be part of that discussion.
She had the best costumes. She was far better suited for the Mamma Mia movie. She couldn't fucking sing the puccini flavored, bolero tinged rock opera ALW Evita aria. Hell No.
Patti just pointed all that out. Again. Harshly. Because it needs to be said or not only will trained singers not get the work they deserve, but the public will continue to be dumbed down and accepting of good music by bad performers. Give Patti a damn medal. Not for the first time. How polite does she have to be for that lying ancient loon? Lots of us like Madonna and even enjoyed the lovely orchestration of the film Evita. The singing, a bit. Isolated notes and phrases. It can be fine to not have too grand a voice on screen. Madonna tried hard is what I would say if I was asked. The "young" ancient loon finds all that distasteful, uncivilized and not diplomatic? He calls Patti LuPone a cunt about 8 times in his posts tho....
Enjoy Laurie. She was something. Rushing and punkish, she sang Grizabella for 4 fucking years. On Broadway Nana. Some excellent singers still have to pay the bills.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 220 | May 24, 2017 5:09 AM |
So we've already established that Evita as a show is terrible, right? I already know to dismiss every other opinion of anyone who claims it as their favorite musical.
| by Anonymous | reply 221 | May 24, 2017 1:11 PM |
Patti is just desperately trying to make her name relevant. Patti speaking on behalf of all other singers? Please. Barely anyone knows who she is any more and that is what bugs the hell out of her. Outside of hardcore theater fans, the majority of people would ask, "Patti, who?"
| by Anonymous | reply 222 | May 24, 2017 1:13 PM |
I wouldn't call myself a hardcore theatre fan. More softcore and I know who Patti is and I know she is up for a Tony this year for War Paint.
| by Anonymous | reply 223 | May 24, 2017 1:23 PM |
R223 you offered suggestions on a title for Patti's book.... I'm going to venture to guess that you're a much bigger theatre fan than the average person.
| by Anonymous | reply 224 | May 24, 2017 1:32 PM |
That suggestion was me trying to be funny but I screwed it up by misquoting the lyric from "Buenos Aires". I can imagine that Patti really wouldn't title her book "Just a little touch of star quality". I don't live in New York but I have worked in the theatre industry in the past so that is why I say I am softcore and not hardcore. I saw Patti in Evita so from then on knew who she was and remain interested in what she does. I am soon to see War Paint so she is still relevant to me.
| by Anonymous | reply 225 | May 24, 2017 1:45 PM |
R222 She is relevant, she debuted on Broadway in 1976 and now has seven Tony nominations. According to her interviews War Paint will be her final leading role musicals. How much relevance does she need?
| by Anonymous | reply 226 | May 24, 2017 2:48 PM |
R225 you worked in Theatre so again, you have a much wider exposure to her than the average person does.
And R226, again, she's relevant in Theatre.. and only Theatre circles. THAT'S what bothers hers. You ask how much relevance does she need... that's the exact root of her problem. She doesn't have the mainstream relevance she craves and feels she deserves.
| by Anonymous | reply 227 | May 24, 2017 3:10 PM |
R220 It's so funny, the gays being unable to contain themselves after the "Touch me, it's so easy to leave me..." part. They can't help but clap long before the end of the song.
The sad thing is, I totally relate!
| by Anonymous | reply 228 | May 31, 2017 8:35 PM |
I interviewed Mandy Patinkin after the release of his first solo album in 1989, and he told me that he was in negotiations to play Che in the movie opposite Meryl Streep.
| by Anonymous | reply 229 | September 25, 2018 8:14 PM |
Just to clarify, Patti says she "thinks" War Paint will be her last musical only because she believes that she may not be asked to play a leading lady again (most likely because of her age and not talent) and she sort of refuses to be in the featured actress role. Patti is an artist and says things off the cuff all the time. I mean she's "featured" in Londons west end right now in Company. Patti will be back on Broadway in a musical ....she's a gypsy, it's in her blood
| by Anonymous | reply 230 | September 25, 2018 8:30 PM |
R229 that's funny. I interviewed him around that same time. I was hosting a show tunes show on my college station in Boston, and interning at WRKO. Mandy came in to do an interview with Gene Burns, and afterwards I trapped him into talking with me in another studio. It was a 10 minute interview, and I've sadly lost the tape. But it was cool!
| by Anonymous | reply 231 | September 27, 2018 5:06 PM |
