Patti LuPone on Ethel Merman

[zamedy]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 9:28pm

I was just watching a clip from the '87 Tony Awards of Patti singing her pants off in "Anthing Goes" (what a score!) performing another role that the Merm made famous. I'm not an expert on this subject, but I know Patti has followed in her footsteps and played a number of iconic roles originated by Merm (Annie Oakley, Mamma Rose). And, inevitably, she is constantly compared to the 'original Queen of Broadway.' I'm just wondering... does anyone know if the two ever met or crossed paths before Merman's death in 1984? Has LuPone ever mentioned in interviews if she admired/looked up to her? I'm always interested in what two legends of the same genre think of one another.

[aasjb4ever]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 9:29pm

Yes. Read/ Listen to her book.

And the thread title sounds extremely hawt.

[Musicaldudepeter]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 6:37am

The nearest LuPone ever got to Merman was when a famous old wardrobe assistant gave her Merman's jewellery from "Call Me Madam", which LuPone has kept to this day. She constantly refers to Merman in interviews, explaining that she had a great life and that although she has revived a lot of Merman's roles (Annie Oakley, Madame Rose, Reno Sweeney), she is "only responsible for the text" and what's written down for her to perform her own way. She also empathises with Merman because it is obviously painful for any Broadway actor in the original production of any show not to get to play their role in the movie version of the show - LuPone with "Evita" (even though she was too old to play the part by the time the movie finally came round in 1996) and Merman will all of her parts, but especially, according to LuPone, Madame Rose which was given to Rosalind Russell. So LuPone really admires Merman as she admires Angela Lansbury as well. All 3, interestingly, are past Roses.

[buddy 11432]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 9:11am

If Patti LuPone ever met Merman she would have written about in her book. It seems unlikely, because Merman refused to see "Sweeney Tood" because of the subject matter. Evita would likely have been just as offensive to her.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 11:03am

Merman was widely quoted about SWEENEY TODD saying "Who wants to see a show about a guy who kills people and cuts them up for pies?"

BUT...

Ethel loved going to operas at the Met and NYCO and consider how gruesome some of those stories are. It makes me wonder if she would have gone to SWEENEY if one of her friends convinced her it was an opera.

Although not on stage, Patti also recorded songs from CALL ME MADAM on her Irving Berlin collection.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 12:08pm

Actually, the Merm did film one of her iconic stage roles...Sally Adams in "Call Me Madam", for which she won her Tony Award for the stage version and a Golden Globe for the film.

[D2]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 12:15pm

She also recreated Reno Sweeney in the 1936 film version of ANYTHING GOES (aka "Tops is the Limit.")

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 1:18pm

You didn't hear it from me, but it seems that Patti has a video copy of "Mary Martin & Ethel Merman on Broadway." She has to get rights to one more song, and then she's going to rent Radio City Music Hall and the show will be rebroadcast as "Mary Martin & Patti LuPone on Broadway" with Patti doing all of Merman's material.

[buddy 11432]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 4:00pm

Is Patti playing Mary Martin as well as Ethel Merman?

She really doesn't need a bootleg video, the one-time-only concert was released as a limited edition 2-LP record.

If I have a copy of the LPs, surely Patti can easily find it too.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 4:07pm

She needs the video because she's going to insert herself live into the show. Mary Martin will be digital in 3-D. So it will be Patti performing with a 3-D digital Mary Martin.

[buddy 11432]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 7:43pm

Yeah, right. The sound quality on the records is not great, especially in the opening number "Send in The Clowns." It would be extraordinary if a bootleg video was better.

What's the reaction of Martin's and Merman's children, beyond falling down in laughter?

[alterego]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 9:36pm

LuPone is no Merman.

[zamedy]

Posted: 2/1/11 at 10:43pm

Amen. I've never seen either of them live. But from what I've gathered LuPone is a better, more dimensional actress and a better trained singer.. while Merm could belt the hell out of absolutely everything, commanded the stage like no other and had a larger-than-life presence that was unmatchable.

I also admire the fact that both women gave/give 100 percent every time they took/take the stage and demand the same from their fellow cast members (why do so many people think that automatically makes them a b****)?

[ndrwmls10]

Posted: 2/2/11 at 2:38am

Our society doesn't except strong women. Which is quite unfortunate.

[buddy 11432]

Posted: 2/2/11 at 8:49pm

Ethel Merman lived in a time when Broadway stars were known to the average person, unlike today. Merman was far from universally loved; many thought she was too loud and brassy.

In truth she often came off that way on TV, but not in person on Broadway. Guess LuPone has the advantage of going about her daily business virtually unrecognized by the public, something Merman did not have ever in her life after 1930.

[tommyboy]

Posted: 2/3/11 at 7:02pm

Well-spoken Buddy. Merman was the ultimate pro. Just ask Elaine who tells candidly that the Merm did all 8 every week all the time.

Today's actors are like junior high schoolers who leave their weekend homework till 8pm Sunday night.

Last season I played Sheridan Whiteside in the Kaufman and Hart classic, "The Man Who Came to Dinner". The first rehearsal was the day after Labor Day. The entire cast was announced in June but I walked in with all 600+ speeches, the wheelchair and the penguins and NO BOOK. The rest of the cast was totally pissed. The director was delighted. The rest of the cast quickly caught up and the rehearsal schedule was an easy downhill ride.

Yeah, I, like Ms. Merman was unliked at first, and I, too, was loud and brassy. But I am not giving any excuses to anybody.

BTW the production run sold out and even extended.