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

#1

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

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

#2

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

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

Bizarre.

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"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife

#3

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

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

Yes, I thought so. Will change it tomorrow.

#4

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

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

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

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#5

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

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.

#6

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

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).

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"Some people can thrive and bloom living life in a living room, that's perfect for some people of one hundred and five. But I at least gotta try, when I think of all the sights that I gotta see, all the places I gotta play, all the things that I gotta be at"

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

#7

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

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.

#8

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

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

I thought you were gonna wait till tomorrow?

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Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia

#9

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

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.

#10

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

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.

#11

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

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.

#12

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

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.

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I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

#13

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

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.

#14

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

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

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

break it down.

#15

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

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.

#16

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

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

#17

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

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.

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I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

#18

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

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.

#19

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

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

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

#20

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

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.

#21

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

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

Just breathing? What do you mean, exactly?

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I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.

#22

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

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

#23

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

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

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

#24

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

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

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

#25

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

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

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

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I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.