So LuPone pulls a Merman at Gypsy?

[scot]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 8:39pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGoSc8HS2WE&feature=channel_page

I was a little late knowing about this.
Too funny!

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 8:41pm

That happened 5 months ago.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 10:42pm

And I thought I lived under a rock...

[blaxx]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 10:58pm

I was a little late knowing about this.

That has to be sarcasm.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 10:59pm

Who is Patty Lapone?

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 6/28/09 at 11:00pm

GET THEM OUT! I WONT CONTINUE!!!!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 1:08am

haha?

[broadway122]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 9:40am

My favorite part of this video is when the girl tries to hit the high note. I LOL every time.

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:15am

Why do you say she "Pulls a Merman"? Ethel was known for not letting anything rattle her- not audience distractions, not on stage screw-ups, nothing. Did Ethel EVER do anything like this?

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:46am

JoeKv, I think the OP is referring to the story Stritch tells about Merman personally tossing someone out who was being a distraction during one of her numbers.

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:48am

HMmm never heard that one.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:50am

Did Ethel EVER do anything like this?

Story has it she left the stage, went into the audience and physically threw a drunk heckler out the emergency exit into the alley. I can't remember which show it was, though.

[D2]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 11:55am

The show was CALL ME MADAM. Stritch was her standby.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 12:00pm

Stritch was never one to let the truth get in the one of a good story.
Dody Goodman tells it differently.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 12:23pm

This is news to me, so thanks for posting...especially the audioclip.

However, isn't that a bit hypocritical? People getting yelled at for taking pictures and someone recorded the whole thing. Aren't you not supposed to do that too?

At any rate, I would have been upset if I were emotionally invested in the performance.

But...since it was recorded, does anyone know what she did when she said, "You know what we're going to do?"

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 12:24pm

She started again from the top.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 1:27pm

I thought it was Call Me Madam, but I couldn't be sure. I do know I read it from another source, however.

Posted: 6/29/09 at 1:39pm

I'm not challenging the Merman story, I've just never heard it before. I've always thought her a "Show must go on" type of Diva- Not a "Stop it! Your picture taking is shattering my concentration!" type.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 1:40pm

Oh, it's everywhere, Matt. I was surprised that Joekv had never heard it before - it's classic show-biz apochrypha. I heard it long before Stritch was telling it (at least she, Goodman - and Mister Matt - agree that the show was indeed Call me Madam, if they don't agree on the specifics of the event).

I always wondered about Merman and Mary Martin's swear jar.

Story goes, Martin had a swear jar backstage at some show. You know, you had to put in for each expletive you uttered - fifty cents for "bastard", a quarter for "damn", and so on. It goes on to tell that one night Merman, annoyed about the practice, hands Martin a sawbuck. Says:

"Here's ten bucks - go fcuk yourself!"

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 4:38pm

Though notice that in the version Elaine Stritch tells and the Dody Goodman version they both state that Merman attempted to continue on until it became impossible to do so. Even the most professional artist can be pushed to their limits.

[Patti_LuPone_Fan]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 8:27pm

Scarywarhol, have you been living under a rock. Patti the sun, the light, not always the grace but if not that the voice of reason on stage.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 10:23pm

ghost-

I read an Ethel Merman bio (Ethel Merman: The Biggest Star on Broadway)that said the F.U story happened on a movie set.

She had just been hired at a new studio when they were showing her around and one of the stars (forget her name) had the jar. Ms. Merman said something and the actress held the jar in front of her, telling her that it's 50 cents for every swear word and Ethel said, "Oh yea? How much would it cost to tell you to go fcuk yourself!?"

And she was whisked away..

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/29/09 at 10:59pm

TDiva, you prompted me to do a little searching, and I found this, from the Sondheim/Rich lecture/interview not so long ago:

"Sondheim began by sharing some Ethel Merman stories. For instance, Merman once appeared as a guest on Loretta Young?s television show. Young, who had a ?no swearing jar,? was not accustomed to Ethel?s ?salty mouth.? When she cursed, Young said ?Ethel, that?ll cost you a quarter.? Merman responded, ?Look, here?s 10 bucks and go f>ck yourself.? "

[scot]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:01pm

(during the "Money Song" in Call Me Madam)

Merman's singing...

Drunk heckler: "Yeah you can throw so money
my way sweetheart...I sure could Goddamn well
use a little bit of it!"

Heckling went on until she stopped the show...
left the stage for the orchestra seating mid
isle and threw "the son-of-a-bitch on west 45th st".

As per Elaine Stritch-At Liberty DVD.

[scot]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:02pm

CATSNYrevival must be living under
a rock...Cats a revival?