Patti - diva?

[stevie-Y2]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:04am

I have always loved Patti LuPone. Always.

Over many years, and all acress the country I've seen many of her concerts and various broadway performances.

Oh, I've heard she's a diva, bitchy, selfish, etc. But I'd never seen it personally b/c I only ever watched her performances. Then left. No stage door acosting. No letters to her, no e-mails. Nothing. I was in blissful ignorance.

Last Saturday that all changed. I flew into Boston to take a depostion, catch a Sox game at Fenway, and MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, to see Patti do her woulda coulda shoulda concert. Again. I love that show, I loved that woman.

A week or so before the concert I got a pleasant surprise in the mail. The theater sent me an invite to a post-show meet and greet at a local restaurant, the Candlewood, I believe --- with Patti! The soiree was for high-price ticket holders only.

I was pyched.

At intermission, to my dismay, I was given a 3 x 5 index card with a sticker on it. It said that unfortunately Patti would not be attending the Candlewood affiar but would be greeting us, from stage, after the show. Wow, what a mammoth let down.

I knew it was too good to be true.

The concert was awesome.

Afterwards, we waited for Patti to "greet" us. About ten minures later she came out in bluejeans and tennis shows. She asked nobody in particular if we were "donors." Then in a very peevish tone she said, "hi - I don't know why i was dreagged out here but I have to get in a car and go to Connecticut."

Some greeting.

She turned to leave.

As she was leaving, someone asked, "aren't you going to the Candlewood?"

Her response, "this is not a question and answer session! I don't know what this is supposed to be." And she scurried off the stage.

I rushed outside to the stage door. Prurient interest. there were no more than a dozen folks waiting to meet her, get a picture, a signature, give kudos. Maybe as few as 6. She came out accepted a gift from a young, blond girl, signed one poster, then blew by everyone else while mumbling about what a nightmare everything was.

The soiree. One topic. Patti's bitchiness, her unprofessionalism, her selfishness. Everyone was crushed. One of the planners told me that Patti had cancelled on the Candlewood event a half hour before the concert started.

Well, I hadn't wanted to believe all the rumors about Patti's mean spirit, but I saw it for myself as did everyone else who was there. My description doesn't do it justice. She was ugly. Very ugly.

Reality sucks.

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:32am

Maybe it was a bad mix up. Sounds like maybe she didn't know about it and it was put on her last minute that she had to go to this meet and greet when she had something else planned already.

I love me some Patti LuPone. She has always been so nice and gracious when I've met her. Could be a bad night.

[musical_devotee]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:51am

Too bad. Maybe it was a bad night, but then, you never know it.

My experiances with Patti were only through email and she always replied, even though it may be just a sentence or two.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:18am

Sounds like there was a lack of communication and she didn't know what was going on. When folks don't communicate with her, that tends to bother her.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:24am

Well, I think miscommunication is fine, but she doesn't have to be rude to audience members. She should be rude to the people who booked her and made the mistake, sure, but what gives her the right to treat people who haven't done anything to her like that?

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:28am

It's called transgression - releasing your anger towards one person on someone else.

As for stevie-Y2;

Hate to break it to you, kiddo, but Patti has her ups and downs - just like the rest of us. I say give her a break and don't let this experience be the end all for you.

Updated On: 5/22/07 at 01:28 AM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:35am

Sounds like she did what anyone would do if she was told about something at the last minute.

[McCall2]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:17am

I wondered if anyone would talk about this. It was jarring for sure. Everyone was really upset and the people from the theater insisted that she HAD known, that it was in her contract, and that she had come in with an attitude all day. This was my first time seeing her and it was very disappointing. Eclipsed an otherwise wonderful show. If her annoyance was justified, it still was genuinely hurtful to the fans and season ticket holders that were there. And guess what, they're the ones who paid to see her.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:25am

stevie-Y2 = Betty Buckley

Betty dear, I'm sorry Patti got Gypsy and you didn't. But really Betty, City Center is not a good venue for you.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:26am

"and the people from the theater insisted that she HAD known,"

They will say anything to cover their own asses....

[Norma D]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:28am

I agree that she might have been upset being told last minute--but treating her fans so rudely isn't necessary. She could have apologized or explained what happened instead of reacting the way she did and storming off like they were an annoyance to her. I understand having a bad day but these are people who paid to see her and adore her-she could have been civil!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:44am

Were you there?

Did you see her 'storm off'?

Or are you just repeating a rumor you heard?

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:51am

stevie-Y2 = Betty Buckley

Betty dear, I'm sorry Patti got Gypsy and you didn't. But really Betty, City Center is not a good venue for you.

- LMAO!

[Glebb]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 11:57am

I would think that something was incredibly wrong.

She was completely nice to me backstage at Ravinia and I've heard that she is demanding of cast and crew but is very nice to fans, always.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:00pm

The only thing she demands of her cast and crew is that they do their jobs. I think that makes her a professional, not a bitch.

[Tom148502]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:16pm

Anyone old enough to remember seeing the look on her face when she lost the Tony to Joanna Gleason knows that there appears to be a certain lack of grace in Patti Lupone.

[Maileh]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:27pm

Well, here is my two cents. I traveled a long way to see her shows in Portsmouth and New Bedford. They were both outstanding. I did have this vip pass and I did think, nice, a reception with Patti, good deal. And when that didn't happen and instead there was that ugly scene, with a side of Patti I didn't necessarily pay to see, it was weird. And yeah, everyone at that reception was way annoyed.

BUT, after cogitating on it for a couple days, I think that if she had reason or felt she had reason to be pissed, then I am glad she fled rather than going to the reception and being grumpy the whole time. I paid to see her performances, which were great, and as a big fan I'm just going to give her the benefit of the doubt. If she didn't think she could deal with going to the reception, for whatever reason, then I'm glad she didn't go. By the way the pupus there were really tasty.

[ljay889]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:28pm

there appears to be a certain lack of grace in Patti Lupone.

- BUT I think that's why most of us love her. She isn't graceful at all. She speaks her mind. And if she's considered a bitch for that, so be it.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:31pm

"Anyone old enough to remember seeing the look on her face when she lost the Tony to Joanna Gleason knows that there appears to be a certain lack of grace in Patti Lupone."

It's lovely that you judge her based solely on a facial expression she made YEARS ago.

I’ve worked with her and know her. She is a consummate professional.

Posted: 5/22/07 at 12:33pm

I LOVE HER.

& i love her EVEN MORE after this story.

[ahmelie]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:05pm

Yes, she's a diva. A great one. No, she's not a bitch. Yes, she's human.

Love her, and I've only had good experiences with her through e-mailing and stage-dooring.

[mrs felciano]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:24pm

I was at that concert too. I worked at that theatre for two years. I know the stage crew very well. There was no lack of communication. A half hour before the show she decided she did not want to do it. I was heartbroken. If she wasn't going to go.. okay, fine. But her attitude towards the audience was disgusting.

Oh! And you forgot the part when she realized that we weren't sponsors.. simply ticketholders. She flipped! Updated On: 5/22/07 at 01:24 PM

[lovesclassics]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:32pm

Can't speak to the soiree issue, wasn't there. But I was at the Portsmouth, NH concert, and if ever there was a moment when Ms. LuPone was entitled to be a diva but wasn't it came smack dab in the middle of her Carousel soliloquy. A blankety blank cell phone went off right at the moment when she was making her transition from singing about her boy Bill to thinking, but what if he's a girl. She paused, shot a look in the direction of the phone, smiled as if to say, I'll wait, then, when she was sure there wouldn't be another ring, she continued with the song. It was amazing to see how composed she was. She went right back into the emotion of the song and didn't let the spirit drop at all. The phone ringing could have ruined the moment, but she didn't let it. After she finished the song, she took her applause graciously, but then she said quietly, humorously, yet firmly, "Now would be a good time to turn off all cell phones, pagers, beepers..." She gave this wicked little smile, and that was that.

lc

[Maileh]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 1:49pm

lc - true dat. That was great.

[LostLeander]

Posted: 5/22/07 at 2:05pm

LuPone is a diva, and that's why I love her.

There's not a lot of pretty in LuPone - and I love her all of the more for it. She's a harsh, honest woman, and I wouldn't have it any other way.