The Closing of 'Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches' at Joe's Pub

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/21/06 at 3:38pm

...in which Leslie Kritzer recreates Patti LuPone's closing performance at Les Mouches in 1980, is Saturday, January 6.

Who'll be there with me?

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Charles Isherwood, New York Times wrote:

"Patti LuPone lives! Oops, yes, of course Patti LuPone lives. We all just saw her and loved her in 'Sweeney Todd.' What I mean is that the Patti LuPone of 1980 lives again, at Joe’s Pub, in the enterprising person of Leslie Kritzer, above, a would-be, should-be Broadway diva paying homage to one of the last of the greats in a strange but wonderful new club act. Back when Ms. LuPone was flinging her arms skyward nightly as the title character in 'Evita,' she kept loose by performing on Saturday nights at a club in Chelsea called Les Mouches. Ms. Kritzer, a powerful young singer still awaiting her own Broadway break, has now recreated that show, song for song, with the help of Ms. LuPone’s original musical director, David Lewis, who is once again at the piano. Ms. Kritzer doesn’t particularly resemble Ms. LuPone, but her vocal intonations are eerily precise and very funny. She hits all the right notes in the songs and the kookily wrong ones in the patter, which is also recreated, word for word. (In the house tonight: Stephen Sondheim — Patti would just love to do one of his shows — and Andy Warhol!) The repertory is redolent of the era too. The highlight for me was hearing one Patti with an "i" pay tribute to another, Patti Smith, with ‘Because the Night.’"

Updated On: 12/21/06 at 03:38 PM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 3:54pm

It's selling out, people!

You missed Patti doing it--don't miss Leslie doing Patti doing it!

[new_philosophy_girl]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 3:55pm

I will be there PJ!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 3:56pm

"don't miss Leslie doing Patti"

Oh, if only...

[Mamamia Sammy2]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 4:02pm

Don't miss Rathy doing Leslie doing Patti!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 4:03pm

You of all people should see this, Rathnait. Why don't you talk to GarlandGrrrrrrrrrrrrl about making it a night out?

See you there, NPG! I'll be the one carrying on like it was the Last Days of Disco.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 4:07pm

its really something special!!!!!
DONT MISS IT!!!!!!

[etoile]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 5:54pm

Just read in Time Out NY that they ranked this show #2 in the Best Cabaret of 2006 category even ahead of Eartha Kitt, Rebecca Luker, and Ute Lemper. I have no doubt it is a special as PalJoey says.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 12/27/06 at 6:05pm

Wasn't that a great spread in TimeOut!

Wish you could be there, Etoile!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 12:30pm

A recording!

===

Ghostlight Is Recording Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches

By Andrew Gans
January 4, 2007

One of the cabaret scene's biggest hits, Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches, is being recorded.

A spokesperson for Ghostlight Records, a division of Sh-K-Boom Records, confirmed that the cabaret act — which features Kritzer re-creating Patti LuPone's now-legendary performances at the defunct New York nightspot Les Mouches — was recorded Jan. 3 and will be recorded again Jan. 6. No release date has been announced.

Kritzer's act, which re-creates word for word and note for note LuPone's performances at Les Mouches, was one of the surprise hits of the cabaret season. Several additional dates were added to her Joe's Pub engagement, and Kritzer will play her final performance at the intimate venue Jan. 6 at 11:30 PM before heading to San Francisco to begin rehearsals for the Broadway-bound musical Legally Blonde.

"Doing the show has been a blast," Kritzer recently told Playbill.com. "The show is so much fun, and the audiences have been amazing. There is nothing like a little Patti LuPone with a 1980s rock band. What else could you want? Oh, wait," she laughs, "of course, the white tuxedo. I would never be able to rock a white tuxedo just being Leslie."

LuPone's original musical director, David Lewis, returned as musical director for Kritzer's evenings, which utilize the show's original arrangements. Joy's Ben Rimalower directs. The show features such LuPone signature tunes as "Meadowlark," "Rainbow High" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" as well as "Because the Night," "Love for Sale," "Downtown," "Not While I'm Around" and "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Leslie Kritzer has been seen on Broadway in Hairspray and Off-Broadway in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Bat Boy and Godspell. Her other theatrical credits include the national tour of Hairspray and regional productions of Funny Girl and Grease.

Joe's Pub is located within the Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. Tickets, priced at $25, are available by calling [phone]. For more information visit www.joespub.com.
Ghostlight Is Recording Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches

[new_philosophy_girl]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 12:32pm

I just posted this on the main board. I am quite happy about this recording!!

Updated On: 1/4/07 at 12:32 PM

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/4/07 at 12:55pm

THAT IS FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!!!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:32pm

Tonight. It's sold out.

It will be a night to remember for the rest of our lives.

[Jane2]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 12:35pm

that's a great one, n69-you got Leslie's look down pat!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 1/6/07 at 1:02pm

i really felt like she was conjuring up some special magic, in the spiritual sense of perfomance art, (like Karen Finley or Ann Magnuson), not just as entertainment....although it sure is entertaining too!

not only is she channelling the young Patti, but the whole era, its optimism & glamour, & all those who have passed on since then.

its a beautiful, healing thing.