Both shows I have had the pleasure of seeing her in.. she stagedoored afterwards. Not to mention when she was in Sweeney Todd she had people to see her there. She felt bad so she opened up a window and sincerely apologized to everyone waiting for her and came down within a few minutes. At Gypsy there was a guy who said she was one of the greatest performers on Broadway.. her response : "Wow! Thank you so much darling."
Yeah .. she's completely heartless.
anything you do let it come from you and it will be new.
to not let this devolve into a "God that Patti woman is so mean!" thread, I have to comment that I was expecting her short, to the point answers we got from Ask Patti. probably because there were some legitimate good questions asked.
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
Patti could not have nicer the few times I saw her at the stage door. She signed for everyone that was there. She even wished my good firend "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" when she went to see the show to celebrate.
"What's the strangest thing you've signed at stage door?" - Dennis
That would be ME!
I love the "Maggie, I dont audition anymore" - Patti is Patti, you love her or hate her. At the very least, I think she is very accomplished and am not surprised by her, dare I say, "diva-attitude" ... Sherie Renee Scott seems much worse and yet doesnt have the comparable accolades as Patti's to back it up :X
I have stage doored numerous times and Patti has been nothing but absolutely gracious. She always signs, and even reaches to the people who arent in the very front of the barricades to sign their playbills as well. One day, for whatever reason she didnt come out, and someone brought out a huge bucket of signed playbills and apologized for Patti not being able to come out .. not too many people do that I dont think. I think people should stage door for themselves before speculating on what she is or isnt like. If you caught her on a bad day, I'm sorry to hear it but I've had nothing but great stage door experiences with Patti.
Updated On: 12/16/08 at 10:21 AM
I've never been a Patti fan. At 15 I experienced her in EVITA and just never fell into the whole Patti bandwagon. Her voice just never worked on me. To this day, I still say she sings EVERY role like Eva Peron. She attacks ALL of her musical material just like she did in EVITA. The exact same way.
Anyway... though I may not enjoy her work, I'm simply mad about her as a person. I totally GET her and think she's everything she thinks she is. She's a riot and that dry personality is a gem. Just listening to her condescending "... dolls" bit brightens up my day instantly.
Hate her as a performer... LOVE her as a person and personality.
I felt sad after she said "I'll be in Gypsy until March 1," too. I know producers don't have to notify actors more than a week in advance, but still, you'd think they would have some idea that it might close early.
Was she joking on the last question or does she really watch all those shows? I couldn't tell.
Patti is one of the nicest most garcious people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
<------ Me and my friends with patti Lupone at my friends afterparty for her concert with audra mcdonald during the summer of 2007.
"I am sorry but it is an unjust world and virtue is only triumphant in theatricle performances" The Mikado
I love Patti as a performer but always thought of her as a diva (and not in a good way). I had a bad experience with her at the stagedoor of Gypsy which kinda turned me off from her.
Her answer of "Maggie, I don't audition anymore" was really...arrogant. Sure, she's Patti LuPone and maybe she doesn't need to audition anymore but she really could've answered that in a more humble way. Something along the lines of "I've been in the business for a while now and am very fortunate not to have to audition anymore" would've been a lot more appeasing.
There is a difference between sugar coating and being a bitter, pretentious, bitchy diva.
"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
Her answer of "Maggie, I don't audition anymore" was really...arrogant. Sure, she's Patti LuPone and maybe she doesn't need to audition anymore but she really could've answered that in a more humble way. Something along the lines of "I've been in the business for a while now and am very fortunate not to have to audition anymore" would've been a lot more appeasing.
She was trying to be funny, and I thought that answer was hilarious. I would much rather have heard her reply than your boring answer. Updated On: 12/16/08 at 08:00 PM