Patti LuPone/ Evita Movie...

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...

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!"

---

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...

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.

---

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

I guess he wasn't thrilled? lol

..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.

---

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

---

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, 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.

---

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.

"'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

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.

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.

---