Patti LuPone: A Memoir (spoiler alert) — Page 2

I mean I don't think she introduces any new controversial issues that she hasn't discussed before, she just delves more deeply into detail. As expected, there is a lot about the Sunset Boulevard debacle, not that we haven't heard of the Andrew Lloyd Webber memorial pool before. Other than Sunset, I would say that her discussion of her time in the Baker's Wife has the most potential to stir the stink a little bit, but then again that was so long ago. I'm almost finished with the book now (right around her time in Sweeney Todd on Broadway) where things seemed to calm down for Patti.

---

Yeah she devotes 2 chapters to Evita. She talks a lot about how "Andrew Lloyd Webber hates women" because he writes a majority of the notes in the passagio. She talks extensively about how much trouble she had with the score and how a chorus member worked with her daily to help her sing the score. She also talks a bit about the backstage drama but not a lot. Apparently she believed there was an "all about Eve" situation with the Eva alternate waiting in the wings to take her down when Patti got poor reviews and the alternate received good notices.

---

I mean I don't think she introduces any new controversial issues that she hasn't discussed before, she just delves more deeply into detail.

Yeah, there wasn't really much in the way of professional issues that she had never discussed before. Honestly, there was only one story that completely caught me off guard and it was personal, not professional.

---

Updated On: 9/3/10 at 01:55 PM

ALW allowed Streisand to record 2 of Norma Desmond's big songs before the London premier of Sunset Boulevard. Patti was upset that Barbra unveiled these songs first so that she did not truly get to originate them.

As for Laurents, apparently around the time of Sunset she was set to star in Laurents' play "Jolson Sings Again" but due to Sunset, she was unable to do his show. This caused the bottom to fall out and the show never got on its legs. At this point Patti thought she was "banned from all of Arthur's work." However, when the Ravinia production of Gypsy wanted to mount a run for Encores, she realized she would need Arthur's approval. Her agent convinced her to set up a meeting and Arthur was actually very welcoming to her. His late life partner, who was on his death bed at the time, told Arthur it was his dying wish that he direct Gypsy and that he do it with Patti. So, the rest is history. She mentions some frustration over the fact that Arthur wanted to directly replicate the 1989 Tyne Daly production, but eventually he allowed them to explore and create their own characters.

---

Although the Pone likes to think of herself as the "Million Dollar Victim", hey, that would have been a good title for her tome, since all her stories seem to paint her that way. There was talk at the time that ALW was somewhat glad to have her and all her drama gone before SUNSET reached Broadway. The book seems to be some sweet revenge on her part, but Topol cavorting with chorines seems a silly thing to harp on. We can only hope for some more gossip on WOMEN ON THE VERGE.....

Updated On: 9/3/10 at 02:57 PM

For Patti being such a "historian" of the stage, she has a short memory when it doesn't suit her.

Other people recording the probable "hit" songs from a show is nothing new now, or in 1993.

There is a great story about opening night of Mame on Broadway. When the audience heard the theme tune in the overture they began applauding- this was because Bobby Darin already had a hit with his cover of "Mame"- I don't recall Michael Crawford throwing a fit over ReallyUseful using the Steve Harley version of Phantom on the Premier Collection CDs-she does not have a "right" to be upset over something so trivial.

Of course maybe I'm wrong and still to this day Angelea Landsbury won't listen to Splish Spalsh or Dream Lover!

Actually, I think Patti was more upset with ALW for allowing Barbra to record the songs than she was upset with Barbra...

I got my copy of the book yesterday and I was surprised how short the book is. I know she's already mentioned writing a second book.....but wow, it's a comparatively small book. I expected much more writing.

It's a good read. I've never been a Patti fan but received the book for free and am half-way through it. Very entertaining. Definitely backs up my thoughts about Patti being difficult, narcissistic, and a diva even before she found any kind of real success on Broadway. Although her work ethic might be impeccable, her "I'm better then you!" attitude resonates in almost every chapter of her book.

I found the Baker's Wife section to be the juciest. I expected the high drama in the sunset boulevard chapters but I have to admit that the details of the Baker's Wife came as a surprise to me.

Did anybody find it odd that when Patti discussed Gypsy on Broadway, Leigh Ann Larkin was not mentioned even once? She discusses Boyd and Laura at length and even Tony Yazbek. I'm aware that June is not in much of the show at all but I'm wondering if Patti's failure to mention Leigh Ann was a dig at her or if she simply had nothing at all to say about her portrayal of June.

---

My favorite part of the Sunset Boulevard saga is where Patti finds out that Glenn Close will play Norma on Broadway from a tabloid and proceeds to start swinging at everything in her dressing room with her floor lamp. After taking batting practice at wig stands, wardrobes, and mirrors, she then hoists the lamp out her second floor dressing room mirror.

---

It seems to be the way her mind works: She mentions those she adores and those she loathes. The ones in the middle don't feature in her stories (probably not in her memories, either).

I was completely surprised by that. When I read that chapter that talked about her having cancer, I was desperately trying to remember where I'd read that before, but then realized it was something she never discussed before. Its interesting how open she is about her professional history but saved this personal information for the memoir.

---