Book: "Actors At Work" Patti LuPone Discusses Evita AND Sunset Boulevard

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:31pm

Hello. I found this amazing book titled: "Actors At Work" by Rosemarie Tichler and Barry Jay Kaplan. The book contains conversations with: Frances Conroy, Billy Crudup, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Kline, John Lithgow, Patti LuPone, S. Epatha Merkerson, Mandy Patinkin, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Marian Seldes, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep and Dianne Wiest. Here are a few excerpts:

Patti LuPone: EVITA:
"What happened in Evita was this: we had a rehearsal. We flew to L.A. We never worked a full rehearsal without microphones. And then we had a ten-out-of-twelve day, you know: a full-out day. An orchestra rehearsal. I said to Hal, "Let me concentrate on the blocking and the technical stuff and let my understudy sing." And he said no. As punishment. By the end of that night, people were saying, "Why didn't they supply us with microphones?" And why didn't somebody instruct me? They knew that I had never done this before. Why didn't the conductor say, "Don't sing out"? Because after it I had no voice. I went to this famous doctor in L.A. and he said, "Your vocal chords are like raw hamburger meat. You cannot sing for five days." And I'm opening in five days! This had never happened to me! I'd never been in a show like this before!

(interviewer) There was worse to come. Should we talk about Sunset Boulevard?

Patti: "I should have seen how bad it was gonna be, right from the very beginning. You can't ignore how tedious the negotiations were. I should have known. Then I heard Meryl Streep wanted the part. Andew wanted to do dual productions because of his greed. Well, that isn't fair to the actor, because it sets up a competition and somebody'll lose. I mean, if I'm premiering it in London, I should be premiering it in America. I'm not even in rehearsal yet and I'm thinking, what the fu** It was very painful. They gave it to Glenn Close. That was rough.

(interviewer) You're not yet in rehearsal in London and they announced the L.A. production"?
Patti: Yes, which was ten months down the line. I was like ...aaargh! They had to negotiate to get me on a plane to London. I got there, and I said to Andrew and Trevor, "You're setting up a competition." "No, no. You're our most important.

(interviewer) No one had seen you in London yet?
Patti: ..... My friends kept saying, "Stay, don't walk. They'll have to pay you off." And in the meantime, I got handed a 35,000 pound bill from the Really Useful company for my trip to Sydmonton. So, I went through something in my career that affected my life, and that isn't what you have to do ever, ever, ever.

What a fantastic book!!

from R.C. in Austin, Texas

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 01:31 PM

[philly03]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:40pm

Sounds like a good book!

Just a few questions though...Is there more on Patti or did you put everything that's about her in it? And does Mandy talk about EVITA & Sunday in the Park with George or TV or ..!?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:56pm

I don't know that you can fully trust what Patti LuPone says. She is a huge drama queen. She once made the comment something to the effect that ALW must have hated women because of the way he wrote high notes in Evita.

I also smell something fishy in her memories of Sunset Boulevard. If she knew before she went to London that she was not doing the US production, why did she take a huge dramatic sick leave during the London run, claiming she was too disraught over the decision to perform?

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 01:56 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:01pm

Gothampc, she missed three performances.

I wouldn't call that a huge dramatic sick leave.

[BroadwayBenny]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:05pm

From what I remember even though it was announced that Glenn would open the show in L.A. Patti was still promised the New York premiere. So she opened London knowing Glenn would premiere the U.S. but it wasn't until during her run that Andrew decided to give Glenn the N.Y. opening as well. Hence the distraught sick leave for a few shows.

[Weez]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:34pm

She once made the comment something to the effect that ALW must have hated women because of the way he wrote high notes in Evita.

I'm not a drama queen (well, not as much compared with others, anyway), and I agree with that statement. Some people say Adam Guettel doesn't write for singers because his songs are difficult. Wrong. His songs are difficult, but a skilled singer can sing them perfectly well. Whereas Andrew Lloyd Webber writes leading ladies that are so not fair on the human voice that Christine and Eva need alternates if they're to survive a full week. Some people have the voices to play these roles, but that doesn't mean they're not damaging.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 2:39pm

That's my memory as well, Benny.

And I agree with Weez (with Patti, for that matter): Webber writes at the piano, with no cosideration for vocal limitations. It can be thrilling but also punishing. Bernadette's vocal distress in "Song and Dance" is an indication that it's not just Patti's problem (and Patti has a demonstrably wider range than Bernadette).

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:01pm

Granted Evita is very difficult to sing, but that's what makes the show exciting. Evita coming into power singing "He supports you, cause he loves you..." The notes were changed for Madonna and she wasn't nearly as effective.

You think Mama Rose or Effie White are walks in the park?

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 03:01 PM

[Weez]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:07pm

No, but I think a skilled musical theatre actress can do Rose or Effie without an alternate, whereas only an imbecile with no regard for her vocal health would try belting the likes of 'Buenos Aires', 'A New Argentina', and 'Rainbow High' eight times a week.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:13pm

I never heard Elaine Paige complain about it.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:18pm

What else does she say about Hal? I understand he was the one that wouldn't let the producers fire her durring Evita.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:28pm

"I never heard Elaine Paige complain about it."

Elaine didn't do all 8 shows a week either. One of my first theatre experiences was a matinee of Evita during its first year in London, and the groans from the audience when it was announced that Elaine wouldn't be appearing (Marti Webb was on instead) still ring in my ears today.

[jennyish]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:35pm

If you like nothing else about Patti, you have to admire her candor. She says exactly what she thinks, and as far as I know she's never hurt anyone.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:49pm

I agree that Patti (or any Evita) shouldn't do 8 shows. Mary Martin (I Do, I Do) and Sarah Brightman (POTO and Aspects of Love) did shortened schedules. And Lea Salogna did only 4 shows a week in Miss Saigon. But I think it's tacky to complain about the composer. LuPone stayed with the show for 2 years so obviously there was something there for her. And the music was changed (whether by her or ALW I don't know) because there are YouTube clips that illustrate Rainbow High being different.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 3:54pm

"You think Mama Rose or Effie White are walks in the park?"

While neither role is an easy role, I do believe they are not as difficult as Eva or Christine. Mama Rose is very difficult to sing and act, yes, but the show is structured so the actress does have some down time during the show. And Effie, while also being a difficult role, can be done if one is singing correctly. With good technique, a singer can perform Mama Rose or Effie eight times a week, despite their difficulty. I don't think the same can be said for Eva or Christine.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 4:01pm

And Lea Salogna [sic] did only 4 shows a week in Miss Saigon.

She did 6. Kam Cheng did the other 2.

[dchesnutny]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 4:16pm

Hey -
thanks for posting this - it's great.

Is there more of the patti interview in the book (other than what you posted)? I'm wondering if i should buy it.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 4:20pm

"Elaine didn't do all 8 shows a week either."

LuPone did NOT do eight shows a week in Evita. Terri Klausner did the matinees.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 4:25pm

She is a huge drama queen.

Goth--in this thread, it seems like you're the one who's been the big drama queen.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 4:55pm

^ LuPwned.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:16pm

Goth, I'm just not sure what your point is. You seems to be saying things that support Patti's view, then catch yourself and slip in a slam at LuPone.

Is the Evita score hard or isn't it? Should the actress sing 8 performances or shouldn't she? How did Mary Effin' Martin come into it???

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:31pm

"Goth, I'm just not sure what your point is."

Do you read the entire post or just every other word?

My position has been consistent.

Evita is a hard score to sing. However, its difficulty is what makes it exciting. The difficulty shouldn't be construed as hating women.
No actress should have to sing it 8 shows a week.
Patti LuPone shouldn't be crabbing about ALW because he wrote a difficult score.
Even a tough old broad like Mary Martin needed a breather.

Updated On: 6/23/08 at 05:31 PM

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:40pm

Goth:

Gotcha. Score's hard. Patti shouldn't say so.

Moving on . . .

[Weez]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:42pm

Whereas my viewpoint is that if a score is *too* hard to sing, then it's hateful to whoever you want to sing it, be it woman, man, or some ungodly hybrid of the two. We're mostly on the same page, but I believe vocalists - even St Patti - have limits and shouldn't be pushed to the absolutes by composers who are getting over-excited.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/23/08 at 5:45pm

"We're mostly on the same page, but I believe vocalists - even St Patti - have limits and shouldn't be pushed to the absolutes by composers who are getting over-excited."

Would you say the same thing about opera?