Buried in this article about her upcoming appearance in Ghosts of Versailles at the LA Opera is the announcement that she's starting rehearsals for the show next month, and news that she is still workshopping War Paint.
"When Ghosts closes a month from now don’t expect LuPone to suddenly make a late career swing into opera. She’s currently workshopping the new musical, War Paint, by composer Scott Frankel, lyricist Michael Korie and book by Doug Wright, based on the rivalry between Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, (no word on whether Donna Murphy is still set to co-star), and next month she goes into rehearsals for a new autobiographical play by Douglas Carter Beane, Shows for Days. And while she’s happy to be returning to Broadway, she’s hardly sanguine about its future."
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
What awesome timing! I'll be in NYC from June 6-9. Yay....
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)
They should replace Donna Murphy with Bernadette Peters. The novelty of a show about a rivalry starring Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters is too good to pass up.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
War Paint---YES a play please but NOT a musical--don't need Helena Rubinstein screaming an 11 o'clock number about how her lipsticks are better than Ardens'.
Thoughts on GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES? Assume Patti's role is fairly small? I love Corigliano's score for THE RED VIOLIN, but I tend to get a bit bored with too much recitative. Prefer operas with several full out songs/arias. What do you think? Worth checking out?
It's a fun mess of an opera with some ravishing music and a few static patches. The premiere production at the Met was something of an event, though it's never proven popular enough to enter the repertoire in any major way. Patti's role is small, though--as the article attests--it's made for a dynamic performer to swoop in for ten minutes and steal the show. If I were in LA right now, I'd see this production for Patti and for Patricia Racette, who's one of the best sopranos singing today.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad