jv sees LuPone in Gypsy (Not a terribly long review, don't worry)

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 12:52am

Okay. So I saw it this afternoon. Finally! Patti LuPone in the role she was "born to play."
It was the most bizarre performance I have ever seen in my life, and possibly the most frigtening. It was just pure bizarre scariness from the start.
The audience went nuts too. If LuPone were to skin an infant up there they would have clapped and screamed and laughed.
That's not to say I didn't like her. I did. She was just...bizarre and crazy. But she was great. She did everything I expected, just a tad more frighteningly.
Gaines and Benanti were fabulous. Gaines was the best Herbie I've ever seen. The orchestra was great. Laurents did a fine job staging. But that LuPone. Oh boy.


Updated On: 7/22/07 at 12:52 AM

[ashley0139]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:16am

Bizarre.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:30am

Yes, I thought so. Will change it tomorrow.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:34am

So what parts of her performance did you like then that were not soaking with bizarreness?

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:42am

Oh, she sang it well. She was just...gosh, it's hard to explain without saying bizarre. Again, I didn't dislike her. Let me sleep on it. I'll collect my thoughts in the morning.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:44am

You know even the "bizarre" reviews help to get me more excited about Tuesday. I fear yet another City Center-provoked obsession is starting (though never as bad as the FOLLIES one).

Updated On: 7/22/07 at 01:44 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:47am

You'll like her. You really will. It's just a very different interpretation. I thought so at least.

[StageManager2]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:53am

I thought you were gonna wait till tomorrow?

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:59am

"It was just pure self indulgent bizarrity (is that even a word?) from the start."

Kind of like this thread, huh? Start a whole new thread only to say nothing particularly insightful. Bizarre.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 2:01am

Nah, I guess not. I might as well just finish my thoughts up tonight.
LuPone sang it well. Really well. She was terrifying, though. I'm assuming you all want an example? Well, I can't give you one. From the moment she went down the aisle and screamed "Sing out Louise!" she was frightening.
The one time she was upstaged was Herbie's "leaving scene." Boyd Gaines was tremendous and really took the stage for the first time.
Oh, and yes, her Rose's Turn is as good, as scary, as brilliant as everyone's made it out to be.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 2:03am

"Kind of like this thread, huh? Start a whole new thread only to say nothing particularly insightful. Bizarre."

What the hell do you want me to do? Critique it like crazy? We all start threads about our reactions here. I've done it before. I'm sure you have.
I've elaborated a little more now. Hopefully that helps.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 2:45am

Well, I don't know what you saw, but I was there this afternoon as well, and I thought she was INCREDIBLE. Her Rose's Turn had the audience on its feet and me shaking. Brillaint.

Go see it now.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 7:59am

JV, agree 100% with your assessment.

Especially the
"If LuPone were to skin an infant up there they would have clapped and screamed and laughed" part.

Posted: 7/22/07 at 9:27am

what was "bizarre" about it?
& dont say "the bizarrity".

break it down.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 10:43am

Your starting a new thread is just about as self indulgent as you say Patti's performance was.

Your comment about the audience clapping about the infant is highly insulting. Oh my gosh, the audience appreciated her performance and was very demonstrative in showing it. What's so bad about that?

I get it, it wasn't your cup of tea.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:48pm

Okay, I'm going to stick up for myself here.

Yankee, are you being sarcastic?
And to Kalimba-
I'm a Patti fan. Don't get me wrong. But the audience laughed at moments in the show that weren't very funny. They clapped when they shouldn't have.
And one non-LuPone laugh that really pissed me off-
When Louise sings "I wonder how old I am." in Little Lamb, that's a very sad, very touching statement. Big laugh. What's so funny? The poor child doesn't know how old she is!? I never found it very funny in previous productions of Gypsy and I didn't in this.
And wonderfulwizard-
I recommend it. She was incredible. Just scary. Really scary.
Updated On: 7/22/07 at 01:48 PM

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 1:51pm

You've never found that line in Little Lamb funny? Yes, it's a sweet momemt, but it is rather funny.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 2:01pm

Not really. I always thought it was rather sad. The child's insane mother tried to keep her 10 forever. She's a young woman. She should know how old she is. I guess you could find it funny, but I don't.

Posted: 7/22/07 at 2:54pm

genius is doing two things simultaeneously.
i ***LOVE*** when something is sad & funny at the same time!!!!!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:30pm

jv - Nope, 100% sincere. She could have been up there in a KKK robe with a pitchfork and burning cross and the audience STILL would have clapped.

I've never seen someone get so much applause for just breathing.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:36pm

Just breathing? What do you mean, exactly?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:37pm

The audience went ape**** over her mere presence on stage.
Updated On: 7/22/07 at 03:37 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:38pm

That's because today's actors are not stars.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:40pm

I'd still consider her one of "today's" stars.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/22/07 at 3:41pm

Like when she said her first line? Well, yeah, it's a great entrance.