Patti Lupone

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Biography

Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award -winning performances as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita (musical)|Evita and as Rose in the 2008 Broadway revival of Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy , and for her Olivier Award -winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables as well as her similarly nominated portrayal of Norma Desmond in the first production of Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard .

Early life and training

LuPone was born in Northport, New York , on Long Island , the daughter of Angela Louise (née Patti), a college library administrator, and Orlando Joseph LuPone, a school administrator. Her great-grand-aunt was the celebrated nineteenth-century opera singer Adelina Patti . Her brother Robert LuPone is an actor, dancer, and director who originated the role of Zach the choreographer in A Chorus Line . Her other brother William LuPone is a teacher. When they were young, they performed on Long Island as the LuPone Trio. She is of Italian people|Italian / Abruzzo|Abruzzese descent and a graduate of Northport High School , where she studied under the musical direction of voice coach Esther Scott. LuPone was part of the first graduating class of Juilliard 's Drama Division.

Theatre

In 1972, LuPone became one of the original members of The Acting Company , formed by John Houseman .Hornby, Richard. Mad About Theatre , Hal Leonard Corporation, 1996, ISBN 1-55783-260-9, p. 245 The Acting Company was a nationally touring repertory theater company. theactingcompany.org. Retrieved August 24, 2010. LuPone’s stint with the company lasted from 1972 to 1976, and she appeared in many of their productions, such as The Cradle Will Rock , The School for Scandal , Women Beware Women , The Beggar’s Opera , The Time of Your Life , The Lower Depths , The Hostage (play)|The Hostage , Next Time I’ll Sing to You , Measure for Measure , Les Fourberies de Scapin|Scapin , Edward II , The Orchestra , Love’s Labours Lost , Arms and the Man , The Way of the World . She made her Broadway theatre|Broadway debut in the play (theatre)|play Three Sisters (play)|The Three Sisters as Irina in 1973.Hischak, Thomas S. and Boardman, Gerald. American theatre . Oxford University Press US, 2001. ISBN 0-19-512347-6. p.94 For her work in The Robber Bridegroom (musical)|The Robber Bridegroom (1975) she received her first Tony Award nomination, for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. broadwayworld.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010.

In 1976, theatre producer|producer David Merrick hired LuPone as a replacement to play Genevieve, the title role of the troubled pre-Broadway production of '' The Baker's Wife ''. The production toured at length but Merrick deemed it unworthy of Broadway and it closed out of town. www.musicalschwartz.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010

Since 1977, LuPone has been a frequent collaborator with David Mamet , appearing in his plays The Woods (play)|The Woods , All Men are Whores , The Blue Hour , The Water Engine (1978), ibdb.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010. Edmond and The Old Neighborhood (1997). ibdb.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010. The New York Times reviewer wrote of LuPone in The Old Neighborhood "Those who know Ms. LuPone only as a musical comedy star will be stunned by the naturalistic fire she delivers here. As Jolly, a part inspired by Mr. Mamet's real-life sister and his realized female character, Ms. LuPone finds conflicting layers of past and present selves in practically every line. She emerges as both loving matriarch and wounded adolescent, sentimental and devastatingly clear-eyed."Brantley, Ben. The New York Times , November 20, 1997 In 1978, she appeared in the Broadway musical adaptation of Studs Terkel ’s Working (musical)|Working , which ran for only 24 performances. ibdb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.

In 1979 LuPone starred in the original Broadway production of Evita (musical)|Evita , the musical based on the life of Eva Peron , composed by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice , and directed by Harold Prince . ibdb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010. Although LuPone was hailed by critics, she has since said that her time in Evita was not an enjoyable one. In a 2007 interview, she stated " 'Evita' was the worst experience of my life," she said. "I was screaming my way through a part that could only have been written by a man who hates women. And I had no support from the producers, who wanted a star performance onstage but treated me as an unknown backstage. It was like Beirut, and I fought like a banshee."Green, Jesse. The New York Times , July 8, 2007 Despite the trouble, LuPone won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. tonyawards.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010. LuPone and her co-star, Mandy Patinkin , remained close friends both on and off the stage.

In May 1983, founding alumni of The Acting Company reunited for an off-Broadway revival of Marc Blitzstein ’s landmark labor musical The Cradle Will Rock at the American Place Theatre. It was narrated by John Houseman , with LuPone in the roles of Moll and Sister Mister.Rich, Frank. "Theater: 'Labor Opera' By Blitzstein Is Revived", The New York Times" , May 10, 1983. p. C11 The production premiered at The Acting Company'''s summer residence at Chautauqua Institution, toured the United States, including an engagement at the Highland Park, Illinois' Ravinia Festival in 1984, and played London's West End theatre|West End .

When the run ended, LuPone remained in London to create the role of Fantine in Cameron Mackintosh ’s original London production of Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables , in 1985, which premiered at the Barbican Theatre , home of the Royal Shakespeare Company . johncaird.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010. LuPone had previously worked for Mackintosh in a short-lived Broadway revival of Oliver! in 1984, playing Nancy opposite Ron Moody as Fagin.Rich, Frank. "Theater: Moody in 'Oliver!'", The New York Times , April 30, 1984, p. C11 For her work in both The Cradle Will Rock and Les Misérables , LuPone received the 1985 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. pbs.org. Retrieved August 24, 2010. officiallondontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved August 24, 2010.

She returned to Broadway in 1987 to star as nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in the Lincoln Center Theater revival of Cole Porter ’s Anything Goes . She starred opposite Howard McGillin , and they both received Tony Award nominations for their performances.Bennetts, Leslie. The New York Times , October 22, 1987 ibdb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010. The Lincoln Center cast reassembled for a one-night-only concert performance of Anything Goes in New York in 2002.
ibdb.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.

In 1993, LuPone returned to London to create the role of Norma Desmond in the original production of Andrew Lloyd Webber ’s Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard at the Adelphi Theatre . There was much anticipation of LuPone appearing in another Lloyd Webber musical, the first since her performance in Evita . Her time in the show was difficult and she was abruptly fired by Lloyd Webber and replaced by Glenn Close who opened the show in Los Angeles and eventually on Broadway theatre|Broadway .Marks, Peter. The New York Times , June 30, 1996 The New York Times , March 1997

In November 1995 LuPone starred in her one-woman show, Patti LuPone on Broadway , at the Walter Kerr Theatre .Willis, John. Theatre World 1995–1996 Season . Hal Leonard Corporation, 2000. ISBN 1-55783-323-0. p. 15 For her work, she received an Outer Critics Circle Award . The following year, she was selected by producer Robert Whitehead to succeed his wife, Zoe Caldwell in the Broadway production of Terrence McNally ’s play Master Class , based on the master classes given by operatic diva Maria Callas at Juilliard . LuPone received positive reviews, with Vincent Canby writing "Ms. LuPone really is vulnerable here in a way that wasn't anticipated: she's in the process of creating a role for which she isn't ideally suited, but she's working like a trouper to get it right."Canby, Vincent. The New York Times , July 26, 1996 She appeared in the play in the West End of London|West End . In November 2001, she starred in a Broadway revival of Noises Off , with Peter Gallagher and Faith Prince .Jones, Kenneth. playbill.com, November 1, 2001

LuPone has performed in numerous New York concert productions of musicals including Pal Joey with Peter Gallagher and Bebe Neuwirth , Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun with Peter Gallagher, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical)|Sweeney Todd with George Hearn in both New York and San Francisco , Anything Goes with Howard McGillin , Can-Can with Michael Nouri for City Center Encores! , Candide with Kristin Chenoweth , Passion (musical)|Passion with Michael Cerveris and Audra McDonald and Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy with Boyd Gaines and Laura Benanti for City Center Encores!. Her performances in Sweeney Todd , and Candide were recorded and broadcast for Public Broadcasting Service|PBS s Great Performances and were released on DVD. The concert staging of Passion was televised as part of Live from Lincoln Center .

Since 2001, LuPone has been a regular performer at the Chicago Ravinia Festival . She starred in a six-year-long series of concert presentations of Stephen Sondheim musicals, which began in honor of his seventieth birthday. Her roles here have included Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical)|Sweeney Todd , Fosca in Passion (musical)|Passion , Cora Hoover Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle , Rose in Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy and two different roles in Sunday in the Park with George .Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, November 10, 2005

She returned to Broadway in October 2005, to star as Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle (director)|John Doyle ’s new Broadway production of Sweeney Todd . In this radically different interpretation of the musical, the ten actors on stage also served as the show’s orchestra, and LuPone played the tuba and the orchestra bells as well as vocally performing the score.Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, April 25, 2006 For her performance, she received a Tony Award nomination as well as a Golden Icon Award for Best Female Musical Theater Performance.Hernandez, Ernio. playbill.com, June 26, 2006
In August 2006, LuPone took a three week leave from Sweeney in order to play Rose in Lonny Price 's production of Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy at Ravinia. Sweeney Todd closed in September 2006.

Following the Ravinia Festival production of Gypsy , LuPone and author Arthur Laurents mended a decade-long rift and she was cast in the City Center Encores& #33; Summer Stars production of the show. Laurents directed LuPone in Gypsy for a 22 performance run (July 9, 2007& nbsp;– July 29, 2007) at City Center.Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, July 9, 2007 This production of Gypsy then transferred to Broadway theatre|Broadway , opening March 27, 2008 at the St. James Theatre .Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, March 27, 2008 LuPone won the Outer Critics Circle Award , Drama League Award, Drama Desk Award , and Tony Award for her performance in Gypsy .Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, May 18, 2008Jones, Kenneth. playbill.com, June 15, 2008 It closed on January 11, 2009.

In August 2010, LuPone appeared in a three-day run of Irving Berlin ’s Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun , in which she played the title role opposite Patrick Cassidy (actor)|Patrick Cassidy , at the Ravinia Festival, directed by Lonny Price.Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, August 13, 2010

In 2010, LuPone created the role of Lucia in the original Broadway production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown , which opened at the Belasco Theatre on November 4, 2010, and closed on January 2, 2011, after 23 previews and 69 regular performances. LuPone was nominated for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance (but did not win).

In 2011, LuPone played the role of Joanne in a four-night limited engagement concert production of Stephen Sondheim 's 1970 musical Company (musical)|Company at the New York Philharmonic , conducted by Sondheim expert Paul Gemignani . The production starred Neil Patrick Harris as Bobby. Harris had previously worked with LuPone in the 2000 and 2001 concert productions of Sweeney Todd . The cast of Company performed the song "Side by Side by Side" at the 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011.

LuPone made her New York City Ballet debut in May 2011 in a production of The Seven Deadly Sins (ballet chanté)|The Seven Deadly Sins , directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett . A piece she had previously performed, LuPone sang the role of Anna in the Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht score.Jones, Kenneth. playbill.com, December 27, 2010

LuPone recently concluded a 63-performance Broadway engagement of her concert with former Evita co-star Mandy Patinkin , entitled An Evening with Patti Lupone and Mandy Patinkin . The run started on November 21, 2011 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre . http://www.pattiandmandyonbroadway.com/

Solo concerts and tours

LuPone performs regularly across the country in her solo shows Matters of the Heart ; Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda ; and The Lady With the Torch Buehler, Pati. broadwayworld.com, June 29, 2005 which sold out at Carnegie Hall . For example, she performs her one-woman show The Gypsy In My Soul at the Caramoor Fall Festival, New York, in September 2010.Hetrick, Adam. 13 Aug 2010

She also appears at venues across North America in concerts with Mandy Patinkin, at such venues as the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in September 2010.Bacalzo, Dan. theatermania.com, August 12, 2010

Film and television work

Among LuPone’s film credits are Fighting Back, Witness (1985 film)|Witness , Just Looking , The Victim (2001 film)|The Victim , Summer of Sam , Driving Miss Daisy , King of the Gypsies (film)|King of the Gypsies , 1941 (film)|1941 , Wise Guys (film)|Wise Guys , Nancy Savoca 's The 24 Hour Woman and Nancy Savoca|Savoca 's Union Square (in post-production, late 2010), Family Prayers , Bad Faith , and City by the Sea . She has also worked with playwright David Mamet on The Water Engine , the critically acclaimed State and Main , and Heist (film)|Heist . imdb.com. Retrieved August 25, 2010.

In 2011, the feature film Union Square , co-written and directed by the Sundance Film Festival 's Grand Jury Award Winner, Nancy Savoca , is being premiered at the Toronto Film Festival . In it, Patti co-stars with Mira Sorvino , Tammy Blanchard , Mike Doyle (actor)|Mike Doyle , Michael Rispoli and Daphne Rubin-Vega .

She played Lady Bird Johnson in the TV movie, LBJ: The Early Years (1987). allmovie.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010.Corry, Johm. The New York Times , February 1, 1987

LuPone played Libby Thatcher on the television drama Life Goes On (TV series)|Life Goes On , which ran on American Broadcasting Company|ABC from 1989 to 1993.Harris, Mark. Entertainment Weekly , Issue 55, March 1, 1991Anderson, Susan Heler. The New York Times , November 23, 1990Buck, Jerry. Kentucky New Era , (news.google.com), September 21, 1989

In the 1990s she had a recurring role as defense attorney Ruth Miller on Law & Order . imdb.com. Retrieved August 27, 2010. She has twice been nominated for an Emmy Award : for the TV movie The Song Spinner (1995, Daytime Emmy Award nominee), The Hollywood Reporter . "Daytime Emmys List", Performer in a Children's Special, BPI Entertainment News Wire , April 4, 1996 (no page number) and for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series on Frasier in 1998. imdb.com. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
She had a cameo as herself on a 1998 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Kelsey Grammer .

LuPone’s TV work also includes a recurring role on the last season of HBO’s series Oz (TV series)|Oz (2003).Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, January 5, 2003 She appeared as herself on a February 2005 episode of Will & Grace .Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, February 3, 2005 She also appeared on the series Ugly Betty in March 2007 as the mother of Marc St. James (played by Michael Urie ).Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, March 7, 2007 Lupone guest-starred as Frank Rossitano 's mother on Goodbye, My Friend|an episode of 30 Rock which aired on March 6, 2009, and The Moms|again on May 6, 2010. LuPone appeared as herself in the New York (Glee)|season two finale of the television series Glee (TV Series)|Glee .

It was recently announced that LuPone would be joining the cast of the upcoming 2012 film Parker , an action-thriller.

Stance on distractions from audience members

LuPone opposes recording, photographs, and other electronic distractions in live theatre. "Where's the elegance? ", she asked in a blog post on her official site. "I mean, I'm glad they show up because God knows it's a dying art form and I guess I'm glad they're all comfortable, sleeping, eating and drinking, things they should be doing at home and in a restaurant. But it's just not done in the theatre or shouldn't be." LuPone has been the subject of some controversy due to the bluntness of her statements regarding this matter.

A related incident occurred at the second to last performance of Gypsy on January 10, 2009. Agitated at a man taking pictures with the use of flash, she stopped in the middle of "Rose's Turn" and loudly demanded that he be removed from the theatre. "You heard the announcement in the beginning, you heard the announcement at intermission& #33; Who do you think you are? " she yelled at him. After he was removed, LuPone restarted her number. The audience applauded her stance. The event was recorded by another audience member, who released it on YouTube . She later claimed that such distractions drive "people in the audience nuts. They can't concentrate on the stage if, in their peripheral vision, they're seeing texting, they're seeing cameras, they're listening to phone calls. How can we do our job if the audience is distracted? ", and also mentioned that "the interesting thing is I'm not the first one that's done it".

Memoir

Ms. LuPone wrote a memoir , recounting her life and career from childhood to the present, which was released in September 2010. It was simply titled Patti LuPone: A Memoir , which was, according to LuPone, the winner of the competition she held to name the book.Hetrick, Adam. playbill.com, April 1, 2010Hetrick, Adam. playbill.com, August 3, 2010

Personal life

LuPone is married to Matthew Johnston, whom she married on December 12, 1988. The couple were wed on the stage of the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center after filming the TV movie LBJ ; Johnston was a cameraman.(no author AP). Gettysburg Times , (news.google.com) December 15, 1988 They have one child, Joshua Luke Johnston (b. November 21, 1990). The family resides in Connecticut and South Carolina.Rapkin, Mickey. Out Magazine . Retrieved August 17, 2010.

Awards and nominations

; The Robber Bridegroom (musical)|The Robber Bridegroom , 1976:

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

; Evita (musical)|Evita , 1980

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

; Les Misérables (musical)|Les Misérables & The Cradle Will Rock , 1985

Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

; Anything Goes , 1988

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

; Sunset Boulevard (musical)|Sunset Boulevard , 1993

Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

; Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (musical)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street , 2006

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

; Gypsy: A Musical Fable|Gypsy , 2008

Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical (WINNER)

; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (musical)|Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown , 2011

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical (Nomination)

; The Gypsy In My Soul , 2011

United Solo Theatre Festival - uAward (WINNER)

Recordings

LuPone recorded a duet with Seth MacFarlane (who was in character as Glenn Quagmire ) on the 2005 album Family Guy: Live in Vegas|Family Guy: Live In Vegas . A new CD of one of her shows, The Lady with the Torch , was released in 2006 on Sh-K-Boom Records . In December she released bonus tracks for that CD only available on iTunes and the Sh-K-Boom website. www.sh-k-boom.com

Selected recordings include:

The Baker’s Wife (Original cast recording)

Evita (Original Broadway cast recording)

The Cradle Will Rock (The Acting Company recording)

Les Misérables (Original London Cast recording)

Anything Goes (New Broadway Cast Recording)

Heat Wave (John Mauceri conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra)

Patti LuPone Live (Solo Album)

Sunset Boulevard (World Premiere/Original London Cast Recording)

Matters of the Heart (Solo Album)

Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic recording)

Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Cast recording)

The Lady with the Torch (Solo Album)

The Lady With the Torch...Still Burning (Solo Album)

To Hell and Back (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra World Premier recording)

Gypsy (2008 Broadway Revival Cast Recording)

Patti LuPone At Les Mouches (Live Solo Recording of 1980 club act)Gans, Andrew. playbill.com, November 11, 2008

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

Her live performance of " Don't Cry for Me Argentina " at the Grammy Awards was released on the 1994 album ''Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume IV''.

In 2009 LuPone's 1985 recording of " I Dreamed a Dream " reached the UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com. Retrieved 26 April 2009. as well as the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard magazine Hot Digital Songs and Hot Singles Recurrents charts in the US.

Copyright Citations

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1. Sweeney Todd 2. Andrew Lloyd Webber 3. Lloyd Webber Andrew 4. Sandra Boynton 5. Stephen Sondheim 6. Barbara Cook 7. Marc Shaiman 8. Andrew_Lloyd_Webber 9. Daphne Rubin-Vega 10. Elaine Paige 11. Hollywood Bowl Orchestra 12. Julie Gold 13. Kristin Chenoweth 14. Mandy Patinkin 15. Sutton Foster 16. Laura Benanti

Undetermined Music Artists

Patti Lupone

Biography

Early life and training

Theatre

Solo concerts and tours

Film and television work

Stance on distractions from audience members

Memoir

Personal life

Awards and nominations

Recordings

References

External links

Copyright Citations