Mandy Patinkin: No "Evita" reunion concert — Page 2

Last spring Betty Buckley told Seth Rudetsky on his Sirius radio show that LuPone called and took her to task for singing "Meadowlark", which LuPone had originated in THE BAKER'S WIFE. Buckley did not portray LuPone as a horrible person and even said she understood how LuPone felt. And then proceeded to sing the song on the radio.

That broadcast suggests LuPone has a sense of what is "her" territory, but also that the two women are cordial enough for one to phone the other. (Another interpretation is that Buckley is sly enough to sound gracious while portraying a rival as petty, but she sounded sincere to me.)

I agree that any reunion concert (at least in New York) would be inappropriate when a revival is pending (or running).

I think what actually happened was that Betty had said (or implied) that "Meadowlark" was written for her, or rewritten for her, or some such, and that's what Patti took exception to--to put it mildly.

I don't think it was about Betty singing the song, per se.

That idea of post-stroke Ethel Merman driving across the country to be with Mary Martin in Palm Springs is so sweet.

I think if Patti had a stroke, Bernadette would ask her to drive across country and meet her in Palm Springs.

Then Bernadette and Betty would get together in New York and laugh and laugh.

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Updated On: 11/22/11 at 09:01 PM

And if we can't get an EVITA reunion concert, how about a reunion of Andrea Martin in INDIRA....
INDIRA THE MUSICAL

"I think what actually happened was that Betty had said (or implied) that "Meadowlark" was written for her, or rewritten for her, or some such, and that's what Patti took exception to--to put it mildly.

I don't think it was about Betty singing the song, per se."

Reg, are you saying that was the truth *behind* the story that Buckley told? Because if she had said on Seth's show that "Meadowlark" was written for her, I think I would remember. It's one of my favorite Schwartz songs.

The version I heard clearly said that LuPone felt possessive of the song because she originated it. Buckley quoted LuPone as saying, "Why are you singing MY song?"

Buckley then proceeded to justify singing it on the radio because of the number of years that have now passed. (A fair argument, IMO, if one were required.)

I promise you, Reg, I trust your memory better than I trust mine. The version you heard actually makes more sense.

But I suspect Buckley just simplified the story when she told it on Seth's show. As I said, although one might interpret it as a dig against LuPone, Buckley didn't make LuPone sound awful. She certainly didn't say LuPone was nasty about it.

Indeed. The territoriality strikes me as amusing given that (a) only the tiny fraction of the public who attend Broadway musicals could possibly care, and (b) both women know that up through the mid-1960s, it was quite common for multiple artists to record a hit song and even climb the Billboard charts simultaneously.

It's not like ALW doesn't deserve the 20 years of Patti's wrath.

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Pretty Sure Patti could still hit the notes. Plus, Patti sang the score in a way not many women did. She belted most of it, where as Elena Roger and Elaine did more head voice. Could Patti sing the score the way she did it in her later run? Probably. Could she sing the score the way Elena Roger sang the score? Most definitely.

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Even if Webber and luPone were still on good terms, they would not have been allowed to do either of those concerts simply because the professional US rights to Evita are at the moment and for the past five years been controlled by The producers of the current Broadway and now touring revival. I still think it could happen someday.

Updated On: 10/14/13 at 06:13 PM

Patti hit the notes remarkably well this summer in those shows with Seth Redetsky.