Patti LuPone: A Memoir (spoiler alert)- Page 6

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/21/10 at 5:15pm

I am a big fan of Miss Patti but I am having a problem with the book's tone, for lack of a better word. Maybe its the distance from the events or the perfunct-oriousness of detail but this very much sounds like an "as told to" autobiography. "and then this happened and then I went there and oh I learned this from that ( and frankly she keeps repeating the learning). I've been rereading "If Chins Could Kill- Confessions of a B Movie Actor "by Bruce Campbell and the contrast is striking. He interviewed a lot of his frineds from his days in Michigan who were part of the "Evil Dead" experiences and I feel like I know these guys and the truly insane experince of making the 1st and subsequent films together. ( there is other stuff too but i'm just using an example) She mentions people by name but I never get a sense of who they are to her and her career. Still, it's got some interesting bits ( her grandfather's murder, her appearance in "1941") that it is certainly an interesting read.

[Float05]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 10:25am

"I'm listening to the audiobook - every T is capitalised. Patti, there's good diction and there's ridiculousness."

Yes! Sometimes when I'm listening it feels like she's angry with me.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 5:32pm

Just picked up my copy from the library an hour ago. Read the Prologue and will continue reading tonight after I get back from the theater. Can't wait.

[PitPro2004]

Posted: 9/22/10 at 8:11pm

I'm rolling with laughter over here! Her one liners are hilarious!

"Howdy Doody performing at Auschwitz".

That line alone was worth the price of admission...

And how many other Broadway actress's would mention having caught crabs? I am enjoying every delicious stinging morsel she's providing!

I'm only 90 pages into it, but it doesn't come off as snobbish just yet to me, mostly just very soul baring. I suppose I should go to YT and listen to that video of her screaming at the photographer that night in Gypsy and then go back to reading??

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/23/10 at 4:42pm

PitPro, I am too. Just got to:

"Sticks and stones sister. Here, have a Valium"!

I love all of the pictures and how they are placed throughout the book.

[MrBundles]

Posted: 9/23/10 at 10:27pm

Anyone notice that the audio version is actually a tad longer? I've been following along and in parts, there are full sentences or two spoke in the audio that don't exist in the book.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 12:13am

YOU try and interrupt Patti LuPone during a recording session to say, "Excuse me? Miss LuPone? That was NOT in the audio script!"

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 12:31am

Currently listening to the audio book and...

This BAKER'S WIFE chapter is epic

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 6:58pm

Is there some beef between Rebecca Caine and LuPone? On Wednesday, Caine tweeted this:

"How maaarvelous Patti LuPone has now added fiction writing to her long list of accomplishments."

There's nothing about Caine in the memoir, so I guess it was just something about Les Mis that was fictional. Any ideas?



Rebecca Caine's twitter

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 11:12pm

Just got the actual book in the mail (I've been listening to the audio book) and the cover looks a million times better in person.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 11:36pm

I am on disc 6 of the audiobook and I must admit, the diction is starting to wear on me. She doesn't talk like that in interviews or on stage. I have no idea where the odd over enunciation is coming from. It does sound forced, angry and a little odd.

However, I like the book a lot. I think Patti is the same as any actor-very insecure and emotional. It's a cruel business.

Most creative folks are like this. Patti is just being open about it. I appreciate her honesty. She doesn't strike me as entitled, she strikes me a dedicated actress who simply seeks a basic level of respect. If she doesn't get that, then you better watch out. She is pretty clearly loyal to anyone who bestows her with kindness and respect.

She's clearly very sensitive and deeply appreciative of those who gave her breaks. She is very upfront that she's gotten more bad reviews than good ones and she's very aware that she's not beautiful and could stand to lose a few pounds. I like her liberal use of F@#k.

Her authenticity is refreshing. I love that she just wants actors to feel safe and respected. She puts her money where her mouth is by doing projects she believed in for very little money if she believed in the work.

To be perfectly honest, I like Patti more after reading the book.

[into_the_woods2]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 11:47pm

can't wait to read this...
i love honesty

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/24/10 at 11:51pm

I think that's a great, honest, sensitive response, Bettyboy.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 12:02am

With the amount of times she has been told "don't bother you're not pretty enough,not talented enough, or can't sing" the fact she kept going and worked harder is a wonder. The woman is a miracle. She humbles me.

The fact that she took it upon herself to work with an ensemble member to learn to sing the score to EVITA properly really touched me. All the while she was experiencing one of the darkest periods of her life....again, I was very touched.

From this day forth, I'm going to be nicer when I speak (or type) about Patti LuPone.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 12:06am

Bettyboy, I was wondering how non-fans of Patti would react to her memoir since I (obviously a fan) found it to be very humanizing. I was especially surprised and touched by how ready she was to admit to being afraid (especially during Juilliard).

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 12:25am

Oh, and for the record, Patti LuPone in the 80s.....HOT. Red hot and wickedly sexy.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 12:35am

I didn't think she was too shabby before the 80s, either. Other than my avatar/user pic, this picture of her and Kevin was probably my favorite b&w shot in the book and she was beautiful.

Updated On: 9/25/10 at 12:35 AM

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 12:56am

I think it's so interesting how our perceptions about ourselves are skewed. I mean if you look at Patti in the 70s and 80s, she was clearly very attractive. I think more so in the 80s maybe because she was a "star" and maybe was more made up and fussed over and therefore "hot".

She's pretty blunt that she feels like a plain jane, does not like dressing up or wearing make up and is bad at dressing herself (which sadly, we know is true with some of the ensembles she chooses-again, I appreciate her candor). It's just funny how hard we are on ourselves. She also felt all the women after Kevin were prettier that her. Looking at photos, I think it would be hard to compete with a woman as gorgeous and talented as Patti-which is why I imagine Kevin kept coming back.

I liked her saying that after EVITA performances she would just walk past people at the stage door b/c they were looking for a glamorous blonde.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:04am

My guess has always been that she just didn't look like anyone else, and maybe not necessarily in a good way. Wasn't the standard of beauty a little more blonde and a little more All-American in the 70s? I definitely think that if 23 year old Patti LuPone was going into the business now, she'd be considered gorgeous, because her look is more in line with 2010's idea of sexy. (I wasn't alive in the 1970s, though, so I might be totally off base)

I have a friend who is also a big Patti fan and walked by her once outside of the Eugene O'Neill when she was starring in Sweeney. My friend realized what had just happened and only recognized Patti because of her nose, but she definitely said it'd be easy to walk right past her on the street and never know. Maybe she was also shorter than everyone expected.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:08am

Just finished the book about 15 minutes ago. Enjoyed it but found it to be a bit repetitive. Couldn't put it down though and had it done in 3 days. Lloyd Webber and Really Useful were real jerks.

Betty, I found that interesting about the Evita stagedoor also and that she was told her hair had to be colored for the other show because she was a blonde.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:08am

Patti definitely has her own look-gorgeous in the way Gia Carangi was. Not cookie cutter for the 70s or 80s, but a woman who was unique in her decidedly Italian beauty.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:10am

Betty, I found that interesting about the Evita stagedoor also and that she was told her hair had to be colored for the other show because she was a blonde.

I didn't understand that, because wouldn't she have been wearing a wig as Lady Bird anyway?

[Pianist3912]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:11am

"Is there some beef between Rebecca Caine and LuPone? On Wednesday, Caine tweeted this:

'How maaarvelous Patti LuPone has now added fiction writing to her long list of accomplishments.'"

Anyone know what's going on with this?

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:14am

Well didn't a BWW poster say that Barbra Streisand never recorded "Dont Cry For Me Argentina" which Patti really took issue with in the book. Patti said it killed the momentum for her premiering the song in the US.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 9/25/10 at 1:18am

^ that's true, but for some reason that's not what I think she's referring to. That comment feels a little catty, for some reason.