Just finished reading Patti LuPone's autobiography...- Page 2
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's autobiography...
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/28/05
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#25
Posted: 8/1/11 at 3:02amDoes she really never mention Bernadette Peters?
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#26
Posted: 8/1/11 at 2:26pmNope. No mention of Peters at all. Is there something more to that, do you think?
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#27
Posted: 8/1/11 at 2:27pmShe has little reason to?
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#28
Posted: 8/1/11 at 3:07pm
She mentions that Arthur had "disowned" the Mendes production of GYPSY, which is true, but is more of a comment on how Arthur felt, not Patti.
And it's true. He went from being that production's biggest champion to its fiercest critics in about two seconds flat.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#29
Posted: 8/1/11 at 3:11pmI haven't read the book in a while but I think she does mention that Peters got star billing in Into the Woods after they refused to give it to Patti.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#30
Posted: 8/1/11 at 3:20pm
Was that in the book, Mildred? I know she's said it, but I can't remember if that's where it was.
And, to be honest, I'd be pretty upset/annoyed if that happened to me, too.
Broadway Star Joined: 9/21/03
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#31
Posted: 8/1/11 at 3:32pm
"She mentions that Arthur had "disowned" the Mendes production of GYPSY, which is true, but is more of a comment on how Arthur felt, not Patti.
And it's true. He went from being that production's biggest champion to its fiercest critics in about two seconds flat."
Doesn't that sum up Arthur in a little nutshell?
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#32
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:14pmPrecisely.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#33
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:22pm
"I haven't read the book in a while but I think she does mention that Peters got star billing in Into the Woods after they refused to give it to Patti."
I haven't read the book in awhile either. Is she speaking about the original Broadway production? Two things occur to me:
1. Nobody knew who Patti LuPone was. She had done Evita and that was it. Bernadette Peters had already done "Mack & Mabel" "Sunday in the Park" and "Song & Dance". Plus Bernadette had made several appearances on The Carol Burnett Show, The Hollywood Squares, etc. People knew who Bernadette was.
2. Bernadette did Into the Woods as a last minute replacement favor to Sondheim (Betty Buckley was originally slated and proved too difficult). To get her, they would have given her anything. They would have even retitled the show "Into Bernadette Peters's Woods".
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#34
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:27pm
1. Nobody knew who Patti LuPone was. She had done Evita and that was it.
That's not even close to true and you know it.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#35
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:34pm
1. Nobody knew who Patti LuPone was. She had done Evita and that was it.
That's why she was given star billing for Anything Goes that season, then, right?
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#36
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:38pm
"Into Bernadette Peters's Woods"
Sounds slightly pornographic...
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#37
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:41pm
First of all, you can't toss off "She had done Evita and that was it" like it's nothing.
At any rate, here's Patti's version from a Playbill interview:
"I was offered the Witch, but I wanted to play Cinderella, and I actually auditioned for Cinderella," LuPone says with a laugh, "[but they said], 'No we still want you to play the Witch.' And then, of course, what happened was negotiations broke down. . . . [even though I had] said, 'Yes, I'll play the Witch.' . . I did Anything Goes instead, but … we were in negotiations."
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#38
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:49pm
I'll be interested to see how Goth spins his statement, but if we want to get down to brass tacks:
Yes, Bernadette has been around longer than Patti. That's what happens when you begin your career at nine. But really, nothing she'd headlined had a hit on Broadway until SONG AND DANCE, which she did right before INTO THE WOODS. LA STRADA was a flop. MACK AND MABEL was a flop. ON THE TOWN was a flop. SUNDAY was a snob hit, but never turned a profit and was killed at the Tonys by LA CAGE. GEORGE M was successful, but not because of Bernadette. Yes, she had a Golden Globe for PENNIES FOR HEAVEN, been on TV and done THE JERK, but it was hardly like they'd secured Sally Field.
Patti, on the other hand, headlined one of the most successful shows of the eighties and became a star overnight. Her Les Mouches act, which was supposed to run four weeks, played almost a year. You couldn't get near it. She won a Tony for her first big success (let's not forget she already had one nomination under her belt for THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM). She starred in THE CRADLE WILL ROCK, which was broadcast on PBS across the country. She originated Fantine, was the first American to win an Olivier, and turned what was supposed to be a limited subscription run (ANYTHING GOES) into a hit that ran for three years.
But yeah, she did Evita then faded into obscurity for seven years.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#39
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:52pm
SUNDAY was a snob hit
What exactly is a "snob hit"? Please explain.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#40
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:53pmOh an d you forgot to mention that Bernadette was also in SILENT MOVIE and ANNIE. How could you forget ANNIE?!!!
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#41
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:53pm
Not to quibble--because I agree with your larger point--but the Les Mouches set was never released on vinyl; the recent CD was its first (legit) appearance in any format.
Updated On: 8/1/11 at 04:53 PM
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#42
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:54pm
"I'll be interested to see how Goth spins his statement, but if we want to get down to brass tacks: "
You should know by now he won't be back to spin the statement. He'll ignore any attempts to discuss it, maybe drop some other "fact" and keep on going in his endless cycle.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#43
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:56pm
My mistake. I thought it was!
A "snob hit," as defined by William Goldman in his excellent book THE SEASON, is a play that is usually praised by critics and attracts intellectual theatergoers but never breaks through with the general public.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#44
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:57pmThanks AC126748 it's always good to learn something new.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#45
Posted: 8/1/11 at 4:59pmAnd lest anyone accuse me of editorializing, I heard Sondheim himself refer to SUNDAY as a "snob hit" at a Q&A several years back.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#46
Posted: 8/1/11 at 5:06pmI'm pretty sure Anything Goes ran two years.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#47
Posted: 8/1/11 at 5:06pmI believe you. SUNDAY is way too esoteric to have mainstream appeal.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#48
Posted: 8/1/11 at 5:07pmI would buy Les Mouches on vinyl, though.
Just finished reading Patti LuPone's biography...#49
Posted: 8/1/11 at 5:08pmThe LuPone "Anything Goes" ran Oct 19, 1987 - Sep 3, 1989, per IBDB.
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