LuPone stops Vegas show — Page 3

Oh please. Stop getting melodramatic. I buy a ticket, I am the customer. If I want to pick my toes while Patti sings Meadowlark what difference does it make?

Imagine if she was a chef! Mid course, the kitchen door flies open and she starts ranting at a customer: "I PUT the carrot Puree on the PLATE so that you'd eat it with the pork and ENJOY the counterpoint between the two! If you weren't talking on your cell phone you could have EATEN the damn CARROT PUREE like you were supposed to!"

"But I don't eat carrots! I am allergic to them actually!"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT EXCUSES! EAT THE DAMN CARROTS! I'M NOT SERVING ANOTHER TABLE TILL YOU DO! IF I SAY EAT THE CARROTS, YOU EAT THE CARROTS!"

JoeKv99, VERY funny, I like that very much.

Joe pretty much hit the nail on the head with what I was trying to say. While there is clearly something wrong with texting or talking on the phone etc while someone is performing, the way Patti is dealing with the situation is not any better. It's like the old childhood saying two wrongs don't make a right. There are more professional ways to deal with people on their phones or taking photos during the show.

And, most people don't understand how hard it is to be an usher during a performance when someone is taking pictures. Your job is to stop the person from doing so while not bothering the rest of the audience. Not an easy thing to do.

With all that said hearing this story about her made me loose what little respect I had for her from the get go.

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"I think people who believe her antics are fine would start feeling differently if all actors began the practice and interrupted shows to correct audience members."

I wish that would happen! Good for Patti.It's about time these jerks are called out in public! The disrespect from audiences is over the top. Don't go to a performance if you can't watch it without seeing what your friends are doing at the moment.

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I'm with Jane.

Nothing irks me more than rude audience members. I am totally in favor of performers calling them out during a live performance.

And all the haters who talk about her ruining the show or whatever, that is B-S. I would love to have been there for her freak-out during Gypsy. Like come on! That's a great story to tell and experience to have. It makes the performance more unique than any other.

More importantly though: it stops the audience member from being rude and bothering other audience members. Good.

Updated On: 6/22/09 at 04:33 PM

I don't understand why so many people in this thread insist that her refusal to be victimized by rude audience members is "unprofessional."

We've all been annoyed by talkers at the movies and theater--what's wrong with someone taking a stand against the behavior?

When someone is talking at the theater, do you sit there upset? Or do you shush them?

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Jane, I don't think Doom was directing that at you. it seems to be directed more at Winston.

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What the hell Jane!? I quoted Winston's post. Why would you think I was replying to you? I have obviously been agreeing with everything you've said this whole thread.

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Updated On: 6/22/09 at 04:50 PM

Do you think she was angry that the texting was disruptive or just that he wasn't sitting in rapt attention of her?

We all know Patti is a bee-yotch and I think that is part of the problem. She exercises her right to b#*@h more than the average entertainer. After she shredded a customer rep at Bank Of America and then posted it on her blog, I thought, this woman has problems with anger and she is kind of a moron.

I think the woman is divinely talented. Some of us prefer to see her just shut up and perform and others are cool with her going off on people. We need to agree to disagree on this one.

I also wouldn't go so far as to use words like "victimized" or "abuse" to describe a texter in the audience. We are all big boys and girls and can ask the offending party to stop. I do it all the time.

I see both sides, but my preferences is for her to be more civilized when she has an issue with something.

She is also very rude to fans at least half of the time. I don't just mean brief or short, I mean RUDE. (I didn't say that to prompt 40 "'Patti was nice to me' stories.")

To address Jane: She can walk off the stage, tell the stage manager to get on the horn and have the texter in the second row removed. That is how stage management communicates with the front of house.

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Updated On: 6/22/09 at 04:54 PM

double post

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Updated On: 6/22/09 at 04:55 PM

"Do you think she was angry that the texting was disruptive or just that he wasn't sitting in rapt attention of her?"

Joe, I think she was angry because there's just so much rudeness she was going to take.

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To be fair, it's more to rude to other patrons than it is to Patti. She still gets paid.

I do agree that theatre behavior is atrocious. I just think that Patti LuPone's behavior is atrocious as well.

I also wouldn't go so far as to use words like "victimized" or "abuse" to describe a texter in the audience.

I agree with that. I think those words are a little too loaded.

As Patti enters her sunset years, I expect we will see more and more of this behavior. It seems to be her new trademark. Perhaps it's to balance out that she doesn't slur her words like she used to.