AuntSuzzy said: "I was at today's matinee. They offered refunds or you were invited to see the show and get another (free) ticket to another performance at which Patty Lupone was performing. House was full.
P a t t y ?
I wonder if she'll break out the isotoners upon her return.
If she IS sick, I hope she gets well. If she is resting after her recording session, then I say "boo-hoo." Lol.
I saw her sick in Gypsy and it's still one of my favorite performances. Seeing her belt out those notes and then slide a tissue out of her sleeve, blow her nose, and continue on was really a true inspiration for me as an actor. Such professionalism as she knew we were all there to see her. Astonishing.
qolbinau are you visiting? Thought you were an Aussie, dint we have some sort of travel ban?
Do we know when she'll be returning to the show? I'm seeing it Saturday night and really don't want to have to reschedule!
Agreed! I am seeing it Saturday and don't want to miss her.
Does anyone think the show will extend past Sept 3rd? I'm coming to NYC Sept 20-25 and keeping a slot open right now.
Saw the show last night with Donna Migliaccio. She was fine, but she's no Patti. As already reported, they were encouraging people to stay and see the show, and also handing out vouchers to go back and see it again with Patti, which I thought was more than fair. No doubt, Patti would have made the show better, but not better enough to sit through it twice. Frankly, between the show itself and the no-leg-room seats in the mezz, it was an excruciating experience. Word of advice... if you're going to sit in the mezz, be sure not to sit any closer than the 3rd row. Unless you're tall - I'm 5'8 - the bar across the front row of the mezz obscures your view of the lower quarter of the stage. I was seated in the 1st row. I moved to the 3rd row at intermission. There were plenty of available seats in the mezz.
Curious if there's any news on Patti for tonight?
Luscious, what kind of images are you trying to include there?
I think Theatre Talk was taped already, since there's a picture of LuPone and Ebersole on the set of the show with Michael Grief in the article. She didn't do today's Leonard Lopate Show with Ebersole due to vocal rest, so she wouldn't have done Theatre Talk today.
Patti is still out tonight!
Re: Visiting. No there aren't restrictions South Florida - not sure what you're referring to? (The 'Muslim ban'?)
Re: offering to see the show and an exchange. It does seem nice but I wonder how many people will bother after seeing the show (unless they are a die-hard theatre fan or Patti fan), so it seems like a a good idea to me.
The show is Legally Blonde: The Musical for overly pretentious people and middle-aged women. As such I'd personally go back of course (and not because I'm a middle-aged woman).
I beg to differ, Legally Blonde is actually a pretty good musical :P
haha. I can see how many people would have more fun at Legally Blonde. But there is a lot to love about War Paint, I think. Despite some of the criticisms here I actually really like the book - LuPone and Ebersole have juicy parts that allow them to show off some incredible acting. LuPone in particular probably has the slightly better part in my mind - she gets to be vulnerable, angry, funny. Somewhat surprisingly to me, a lot of the show focuses on the business aspects of their companies (e.g., considering product design, ethics, marketing and target markets etc.), which I personally find engaging and interesting working in business myself. I appreciate the social commentary of women in business, the role of makeup in society etc. - even if it is a little heavy handed at times (is there a more subtle way to sing "If I'd Been a Man" without literally saying those words?)
While the scenes do sometimes mirror each other and it looks like there is a deliberate effort to ensure LuPone/Ebersole get approximately equal stage time, there is enough variation to keep it interesting for me and the scenes don't always literally mirror each other. Nor do they always literally go LuPone/Ebersole/LuPone/Ebersole etc.) so I didn't find it as predictable and annoying as some. I also LOVED the final scene where they meet. Pure diva fan service here and speaking of juicy acting, they get to show how they progress with aging given the show is set over a couple of decades.
The biggest issue for me is simply the score - as I have been saying for a while based on sneak listening "Pink" is the only standout number in the show, and Ebersole performs it masterfully. The song is so good I think it easily competes with the best in DEH, is far better than anything in Come From Away etc. and to me sounds like a classic in the same way "Another Winter" in Grey Gardens is. Unfortunately, there just isn't any other moments that come close. LuPone's song is thematically interesting but very jarring and unmelodic. Although all songs have a recognisable dramatic or character purpose (including "Dinosaurs)", many of the songs songs sound derivative and forgettable. I hope I warm up to it with further listening, I am looking forward to hearing "Behind the Red Door", "Back on Top", and "Now You Know" again (in addition to the 11 o'clock numbers).
I kind of wish the composer could hit it out of the park more often, but I must admit he is starting to feel a little like Michael LaChusia to me - can really connect deeply with one work (Grey Gardens or in the case of LaChusia, the Wild Party) but it's hard to feel any connection to the songs of other work (e.g., Far From Heaven; Most of War Paint or in the case of LaChusia - anything else he has ever written). I wonder if they were fired from "Finding Neverland" because they just couldn't deliver the kind of score that would appeal to a mass-audience the producer was hoping for.
Can't wait to see War Paint again, though. And I know everyone is sick of me talking about Bernadette - it's done, she isn't in the show. And she probably couldn't pull what Ebersole has done in the show. But how great would it be to see the final scene with Bernadette and Patti?
Any word on whether Patti will be in the show tonight? (Also HBD Patti)
Lupone would make a great Elle in Legally Blonde.
She is in the show this afternoon and apparently was back last night.
Patti seems to still be sick. She coughed several times during the matinee and blew her nose.
Ebersole also cracked once, though not reading too much into it.
Patti was in glorious voice at the Saturday evening performance. I would never have guessed she'd been sick recently.
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