Patti LuPone/ Evita Movie...

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:13am

I'm sure some of you will know this...

I was wondering how Patti felt about the EVITA film, especially Madonna's take on the role many feel Patti owns?

While Madonna can never top Patti. I think Madonna sounds great in the lower keys, she's never sounded better. The training she got for the role helped her voice SO MUCH. I still think she did a fine job with the role.

But I really want to know how Patti felt...

[chernjam]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:28am

Not trying to be in Patti's mind... I know she hates ALW since Sunset Blvd... I do remember her saying something about the fact that they changed the score to accomodate Madonna, and her feeling was that "the minute they did that, was the minute it wasn't the same thing I did" so basically she looked at Evita as a different entity to what she did and really didn't comment other than that...

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:29am

Madge has said she was working with the same vocal coach as Patti to do "Evita" and she would come as Patti left and the coach told her that Patti was very supportive,.. Madge says "Us Italian chicks stick together!"

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:30am

Someone asked her that question on her website and she said she'd never seen it.

I'll bet she's lying ;-D

[Che2be]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:32am

I was completely with both Patti and Madonna around the same time... before the movie was actually released Patti seemed like she was supportive of Madonna...

after the movie was released.. Patti claimed she never had any desire to see it.. and still hasn't...

so- who knows.. the world may never know...

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:37am

Nice to hear Patti was supportive. I wonder if she REALLY never saw the film.

I am just so glad Madonna got the extensive vocal traning, she sounds great.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:39am

Well, somewhere else on Patti's website she described the whole Evita experience as "gooey", but never elaborated on what she meant by that. I guess we won't know the full story until she gets around to writing her autobiography.


As for Madonna, I remember hearing her express an interest in the role around the time of her Like a Prayer album and thought she'd be perfect, but was utterly disappointed with the result. I think she would've been better if she hadn't taken those voice lessons. I think she psyched herself out.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:48am

I like her and her voice in the film and think she is a better singer to this day because of it. Remember the Sondheim debacle at the Oscars when Madge sang "Sooner or Later" like a wet cat, LOL!

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:53am

Oh yeah, I also want to know what Sondheim thought of Madonna's versions of his songs?

I guess he wasn't thrilled? lol

[Che2be]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:54am

Well, as far as training goes.. Madonna's range and overall quality improved with her vocal lessons for EVITA...

which lead to dissapointment from her fans cause her voice is a little more "broadway" sounding now... I guess for the kind of music she sings, she started to sound too trained... You can definately notice a difference in Ray of Light from the previous album....

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 12:58am

..or in the Blonde Ambition tour when she was practically dry-heaving on the piano. Yes, the lessons were definitely a good thing, I just think she took them too close to the actual movie for... optimum performance. There were moments when I was wanting a good strong belt (which we'd all seen her do before) where I felt she was too intent on "singing" to really deliver the power needed.

I can totally sympathize, though. I had been singing numbers from musicals for years, and went to a teacher who insisted you learn opera. For the first, like TWO FREAKIN' YEARS I was so worried about my posture/breath/soft pallette/etc. that I lost all sight of the song I was actually singing and ended up sounding like crap.

Madonna, being a professional, (and a millionaire to boot), surely wouldn't have taken as long as I did, but watching the movie I felt like I recognized moments where she was "thinking" too much about what she was singing. Or maybe I was just making excuses for myself. It's been a long time since I've seen the movie.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 1:33am

Love the "Dry-Heaving on the Piano"!!
Hey, Let's cut Madge a break here, she was preggers with Lourdes while she was filming "Evita", and also had Kurt Loder following her around the globe as well, and that can alter one's voice drastically as we well know, LOL!
Patti got to do it nightly in a nice warm theater and didn't have to haul her cookies off to Hungary to film AND sing, LOL!

Updated On: 12/28/05 at 01:33 AM

[Kringas]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 1:37am

But her singing was completed before shooting began, wasn't it?

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 1:42am

Actually, that is a good question. I was fooled then (as I'm sure it was!) since she tends to BLINK her eyes so much more when she sings live and she got blinky in "Evita"!
Very good point and Madge, You TOTALLY fooled me Girl!!

Posted: 12/28/05 at 1:57am

If I'm not mistaken, Madonna was onboard for Dick Tracy prior to Stephen Sondheim was to write some songs for the movie. If that is in fact that case, he must have known of her vocal abilities prior to writing/producing those songs for her.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 3:09am

I believe you are correct DT, If Warren was ON for the film and given the date & timing, You can BET Madge was in from the get go. I have still never seen anyone shake so nervously during a song as she did at the Oscars though, But then again, I recall her date that year was Michael Jackson, LOL! (I don't recall if he was carrying the chimp Bubbles or Webster that night, LOL!)

[StageManager2]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 2:43pm

jimmirae, Madonna wore brown contacts for the movie, which might explain why she was constantly blinking. As for Patti, I recall reading somewhere that she thought the movie EVITA "looked like crap" upon seeing the trailer.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 2:51pm

Yes, StageManager2, You are correct, She did have those brown contacts in in the film, I'm sure that was what fooled me - Like I said, When she sings "Live" her eyes get very "Blinky" and I noticed she was blinky in "Evita" and - well, I never thought much about it. I really enjoyed the film and so did a buch of old ladies sitting around me when I saw it in the theater, They were all openly weeping at the end and I had to cheer them all up a bit reminding them they were weeping over a fascist, the tears quickly dried up - no problem.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 3:00pm

I don't know what she thinks of the movie, but there's no mention of EVITA anywhere in her Sweeney Todd bio. It seems like she's sick of being associated with it- but that's a SPECULATION. It's understandable. She played the role but it's not the only thing she's ever done.

I really don't believe that she's not seen the movie either, but claiming so provides a diplomatic way out of talking about it if she's choosing to keep her opinions to herself, which she has every right to do.

[jimmirae]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 3:28pm

It is still a tad strange of no mention of Evita in a bio - that is like Chita Rivera's bio not saying "West Side Story" or Mrs. Brolin's not saying "Funny Girl". If it weren't for "Evita", Who knows? Patti may be the manager at Borders right now.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 4:24pm

"'Who Moved My Cheese' is over that way, dear...."

But seriously, why SHOULD Patti have any desire to watch EVITA? Mary Louise Parker freely admits she'll never watch the film of PRELUDE TO A KISS. A sense of propriety over these parts isn't really outrageous diva behavior, IMO. Plus, after doing hundreds of perfs of these parts, who would want to sit through it again?

Updated On: 12/28/05 at 04:24 PM

[Marquise]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 4:33pm

I don't know why anyone even cares *what* Patti LuPone has to say about a movie that was released 10 years ago.

As far as that film goes I had extremely high hopes for it and was excited that Madonna was cast in it. The end result however left alot to be desired. Not one of my favorite films.

[morosco]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 4:37pm

I can't imagine that a film version of EVITA would have even been produced had it not been for Madonna's involvement. Patti would have been fantastic on film but sadly I don't think the film would have happened with her as Eva.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 4:38pm

Patti: Screw the movie version. I will NEVER accept it. As for you Madonna now that you've had that kid wait till you start to breast feed and your pert little titties start sagging

I love Forbidden Broadway

[best12bars]

Posted: 12/28/05 at 5:10pm

Patti has said repeatedly that she has never seen the movie.

She was also asked many years ago if she had seen the Evita spoof of her in Forbidden Broadway. Again, she responded that she'd never seen it.

I know for a fact that she had. I worked at Palsson's Supper Club in NYC during its run.

But she can "plead innocent" if she wants.