Patti Lupone talks about Elena Roger in

Here we go again...

Oh, forget it. Must have gone over your head.

Updated On: 6/18/13 at 11:56 PM

LuPone does not say she saw Elena Roger in the show in London. She says she met Elena Roger in London.

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^ in her book, she said that she did it because it was a show he knew and that she was filling in for an Eva who left the show before it opened.

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she hated EVITA way before Sunset. She was absolutely terrified to go out every night and risk her vocals on a score she had to yell her way through. Everyone thought of her as this goddess but the reality was she had no idea how to sing the score until one of the chorus members helped her with it. She would practice the score during the day and perform it at night.

Obviously she got betterr and better at it and developed her confidence. By the end of her run she was on FIRE! There was electricity in the air during her performances every night.By the end of her broadway run she chose to leave the show instead of renewing her contract because she had lost her sense of humor.

She chose to do the Sydney show because the sydney Evita had lost her voice and they needed lupone to bring in the dough. She agreed cause she had nothing better to do and because she finally felt confident in the songs. She got to the point where she could get through the show without any fear of vocal damage because she trained her voice to adapt to the score. There are still only very few women who can sing that score in the original key. When she went to Sydney she got stellar reviews.

LOLZ I haven't heard or seen anything about it either but i don't think it was a long run. She mentions in the book that she was happy she didn't have to re learn the choreography on the other foot cause management "bought" her performance.

The person taught her how to sing the show correctly without hurting herself. If you are talking about how she yelled "star quality" instead of singing them during the end of "Rainbow High" then its clear she did that for the effect. It was a character choice and the only time she "yelled" during the show. It wasn't really a yell though, there are many techniques on how to "scream" onstage without actually screaming.

Thats complete crap. Evita is much more challenging to sing than Elphaba. Evita is a sung through musical and Eva is hardly ever off stage. She goes throung song afer song singing in the high octave belty range.

"There are still only very few women who can sing that score in the original key"

Because its freaking true. Evita is probably the hardest score to sing for a woman on broadway. Do you not realize the vocal tole it takes on a voice? Many singers and actresses have had to quit their careers ruined by the vocal demands place on Eva.

Glinda isnt challenging if you are a true soprano. Elphaba is a challenging role vocally but not anywhere near the level of Evita.

ELphaba sings 3 big songs: Wizard and I, Defying Gravity, and no good deed. The rest are not as challenging. With EVITA: She sings 70 percent of the score. The notes in "A NEW ARGENTINA" can't even be compared to the notes in "Defying gravity".

The actress playing EVA sings songs in a very uncomfortable range for most singer. The range is usually on the break of the chest voice and the head voice and it must be belted and have great support to get the effect. Eva has to sing:

Eva has to hit very strenuous high notes in the first few minutes of the show during " eva and Malgadi/ eva beware of the city" then she goes STRAIGHT INTO ( no break) BUENOS AIRES where she has to dance her ass off while being expected to hit those very high and low notes while still belting her face off. Does she get a break after that? nope she then goes right into GOODNIGHT AND THANKYOU where she is expected yet again to hit those uncomfortable notes. Then she goes into "ID BE SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR YOU" where she has to sing belt those high lyrics "there is no one no one at all never has been..." After that for awhile its more talk singing but she is still singing in a high range until she has to blow the roof off with NEW ARGENTINA. The "HE SUPPORTS YOU FOR HE LOVES..." is murder on the voice. THEN she has to sing this big long aria DONT CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA and then she has to do the "I am only a simple woman..." speech this is very taxing on the voice ecspecially after getting done with the grand aria. After that it would be normal in a show to only have to sing one more big song BUT NO she YET again has to hit those uncomfortable notes in HIGH FLYING ADORED and still is expected to have a voice left to sing the rousing RAINBOW HIGH. she then goes directly into rainbow tour where she "shocker* has to sing again!oh and then she has to do a whole freakin waltz while singing and belting at the same time! Does elphaba have to learn how to do the tango and waltz? Yeah i didn't think so. After that she is suppose to have enough energy to sing a duet with peron (YOU MUST LOVE ME) and AGAIN has to sing THE Sonnet,The Montage,THE broadcast, AND the lament ALL one after the other! Anyone who says this role isn't THAT challenging is an idiot.


"LuPone had no greater voice then and has no greater voice or range now"

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Updated On: 6/18/13 at 11:04 AM

I'm afraid you must have misunderstood or misread my post, I made no comment on the physical or vocal demands of the role compared to any other (e.g Elphaba), I recognise that Eva is a much harder role to perform (Ché is no picnic either) ALL I said was that any of the actresses who have played Elphaba could sing Eva, many of them have.

LuPone has a stunning and emotive voice, but Broadway is lousy with these, I'm merely saying she isn't so far above other actresses, as people seem intent on suggesting.

"ALL I said was that any of the actresses who have played Elphaba could sing Eva, many of them have."

Since when? I would like to see actual proof regarding your statemnt cause the only Elphabas i have ever heard sing a FEW songs from EVITA are Idina and Mandy. But THOSE WERE ONE OR 2 songs. You have no idea if they could sing the show 6-8 times a week on a daily schedule. No, "many of them have" NOT because none of the elphabas ( that i am aware of) Have never been a replacement and/or undestudy for Patti Lupone or Elena roger.

"I'm merely saying she isn't so far above other actresses, as people seem intent on suggesting."

I disagree but thats your opinion i guess.

THEN she has to sing this big long aria DONT CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA and then at this point it would be normal in a show to only have to sing one more big song BUT NO she YET again has to hit those uncomfortable notes in HIGH FLYING ADORED and still is expected to have a voice left to sing the rousing RAINBOW HIGH.

broadway guy, you forgot the "I am only a simple woman..." speech she give immediately following "Don't Cry for Me..." Unlike the movie, in which Madonna simply recites it, the stage Evas have to deliver it via recitative, and it gets really high toward the end. I would imagine that puts a lot of strain on the voice, too.

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Updated On: 6/18/13 at 12:50 PM

You are right Stagemanager. I will add that in.