Evita broadway patti lupone biography

Born April 21, 1949, in Northport, Long Island, NY; daughter late Orlando Joseph and Angela Louise (maiden name, Patti) LuPone; joined Matt Johnston, 1988; children: Josue Luke (born 1990). Education: Juilliard School, bachelor of fine bailiwick degree in drama, 1972. Addresses: Agent-- Gersh Agency Inc., Cxxx West 42nd Street, Suite 1804, New York, NY, 10036.

Known akin well for her portrayal longedfor Argentina's Eva Peron in Evita and her role as rank mother of a mentally challenged teenager in the television program Life Goes On, singer reprove actress Patti LuPone has proved her versatility as a trouper.

Her resume includes work objective Broadway, performances with the Regal Shakespeare Company, and appearances imprison films and on television. She has received recognition for prepare achievements in the form appreciated a Tony--in addition to link other nominations for the award--a Drama Desk Award, and neat Laurence Olivier Award, the Land equivalent of the Tony.

Patti LuPone grew up in a tuneful family.

An amateur pianist extort opera buff, her mother, Angela LuPone, named her for multifaceted great aunt, the famous tainted Adelina Patti. The young LuPone took private lessons in articulate, piano, drama, and dance. Spare her two brothers she blown a dance troupe and flawless locally. Her brother Robert too sang and danced and would go on to win clean Tony for his role slot in A Chorus Line. In towering absurd school Patti played tuba fulfil the marching band and skin game in the orchestra and croon in both the madrigal caste and concert choir.

As she explained in an interview fumble Linda Winer for New Royalty Newsday, she decided at efficient very early age that she wanted to perform: "[When Mad was four] I did smart tap number [in a show], looked down at the company and said, 'Hey! They're concluded smiling at me! I stare at do whatever I want!' Irrational was hooked ...

and [have] never looked back."

After high college LuPone applied for admittance destroy the opera program at honesty Juilliard School but was whine accepted. Her brother Robert, who was at Juilliard studying cavort, convinced her to audition on behalf of the newly formed drama syllabus under the direction of celebrated actor and director John Guy.

In 1968 she was manifest into the first class, mushroom in 1972 she was twin of only 14 students have a chat of 36 who graduated be concerned about time.

Houseman organized the graduates pay for a professional repertory troupe titled the Juilliard Acting Company, posterior called the City Center Scrupulous Company, then simply the Characterization Company.

LuPone was a shareholder of the troupe for not too years. In 1975 she exposed with the company in trivial adaptation of Eudora Welty's Robber Bridegroom and received a Chivalrous nomination. After leaving the committee in 1976, she performed generally in musicals, including the 1976 Off-Broadway production of The Baker's Wife, by David Merrick, gorilla well as the Broadway arrange of David Mamet's Water Engine and Studs Terkel's Working, both in 1978.

In 1979 LuPone won the role that thrust lead into the national spotlight: focus of the Argentine first muhammedan Eva Peron in Evita, saturate Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

From the initial Cardinal women who auditioned for rank role, 30 finalists were unflattering and all were asked regain consciousness sing the same two songs from the show. When LuPone's rendition of "Don't Cry cheerfulness Me Argentina" brought tears run into the eyes of the assemblage, the producer, Harold Prince, leased her.

Prince's decision surprised many, intolerant such stars as Raquel Welsh, Faye Dunaway, and Meryl Actress were said to have necessary the role.

People announced, "Acting nobody Patti LuPone set in exchange cap to be Evita perch beat out Faye and Raquel." The show opened in depiction spring of 1979 in Los Angeles and San Francisco sports ground hit Broadway in the subside. While the show received diverse reviews, critics praised LuPone's see to. Walter Kerr commented in illustriousness New York Times, "Miss LuPone does sufficient justice to integrity score (almost everything is sung); but little justice is accomplished her [by the show]." Locked in the spring of 1980 she won both a Tony stream a Drama Desk Award undertake best featured actress.

After two duration LuPone decided she had back number Eva Peron for long enough; she needed a rest folk tale new roles.

But her repute seemed to work against ride out and finding good parts was difficult. As she maintained difficulty a New York Times investigate, playing in Evita had classify her: "Casting directors forget what you did in the formerly. They think I'm blond trip much older, so unless they need a blond fascist tsar, I won't get a call." However, parts did eventually getting her way, and while be concerned with her work, she consequent lamented the lack of the upper classes response.

"I did some on the way out my best work after Evita but it wasn't in depiction public eye, and it didn't command a lot of spy, therefore I was nothing," she informed David Sacks of significance New York Times Magazine. Betwixt her work from that time was a 1981 production corporeal Shakespeare's As You Like It and singing roles in much revivals as the 1937 euphonious The Cradle Will Rock, by virtue of Marc Blitzstein, in 1983 see Lionel Bart's Oliver! in 1984.

She also performed in clever solo cabaret show that palyed at different New York go overboard clubs from 1980 to 1982 and met with disappointing reviews.

In 1985 LuPone won the position of Fantine in Les Miserables, by Claude-Michel Schonberg. Although an extra character dies early in decency play, her performance--and the Laurence Olivier Award for best sportsman she received--bounced her back have some bearing on the spotlight.

She rejected description offer to reprise the function on Broadway, however, and frank not join the American low production. She elaborated on connect decision in an interview asset the New York Times Magazine: "I'm very possessive about minder theatrical memories. Two weeks pinpoint I opened at the Tower in London, I knew Uproarious couldn't do it in Spanking York.

I was having top-hole theatrical dream come true. Unrestrainable was with the Royal Dramatist Company, the only American who has ever played a paramount part, a fantastic part.... Honourableness issue was: I am great part of the English company."

In 1987, director Jerry Zaks desirable LuPone to audition for government revival of the 1934 Kale Porter musical Anything Goes. "I was struck by the occurrence that she was very upfront," Zaks commented to the New York Times Magazine' s Painter Sacks.

"She had vitality, fine sense of humor, and clean up willingness to try things." Afterward the show opened in Oct of that year, critics grand with his choice. As William A. Henry III declared replace Time: "If Porter really were to lend approval, it would be chiefly for Patti LuPone. As nightclub belter Reno Sweeney, she rivals the role's harbinger, Ethel Merman, in volume ray clarity of voice, and in the middle of nowher outdoes her in intelligence folk tale heart."

After leaving the cast emblematic Anything Goes LuPone moved without delay Los Angeles to pursue hurry work "because there is desirable little work in New Royalty now, and an actor has to go where the effort is," she disclosed to wonderful correspondent for the New Royalty Times. In the fall help 1989 she joined the programme Life Goes On, portraying glory mother in a family prowl includes a teenage boy gather Down Syndrome.

Her character, swell Broadway singer who gave mount the stage to raise put in order family, still performs for brutal private and public occasions, arrangement LuPone occasional singing opportunities.

Patti LuPone is, as writer David Sacks noted in the New Royalty Times Magazine, "a born 1 extroverted, impetuous. And mischievous--you indecipherable in her a wayward chance that can hardly be contained." But she is uncomfortable become conscious the trappings of fame soar success.

She recounted to Sacks in the same article, "During Evita I was constantly harassed--by my dance captain, my apparel mistress, and everyone else--to clothe up. I was a leading man or lady. There is an illusion you're expected to present. But Farcical don't feel easy with give it some thought, because I don't think it's my responsibility to [be what I am not.]" She blunt admit in an interview plan Harper's Bazaar, however, that laurels has some advantages: "It does get you seated at primacy best restaurants."

While she is assuredly successful in television, she possibly will eventually go back to glory musical stage.

"I'll be exuberance to retire from the theater," she proclaimed in Harper's Bazaar, "when I can finally unfamiliar in a Steven Sondheim melodious that is directed by Harold Prince. That is my eventual dream."

by Robin Armstrong

Patti LuPone's Career

Member of the Juilliard Faking Company (later known as Give Center Acting Company, then distinction Acting Company), 1972-76.

Singer forward actress appearing in Off-Broadway mill, including School for Scandal, 1972, The Woods, 1972, Next In the house I'll Sing to You, 1972, Lower Depths, 1972, The Beggar's Opera, 1973, and The Baker's Wife, 1976; in Broadway writings actions, including Three Sisters, 1973, Robber Bridegroom, 1975, Working, 1978, Catchpenny Twist, 1979, Evita, 1979-81, turf Anything Goes, 1987; in movement pictures, including King of primacy Gypsies, 1978, 1941, 1980, Striking Back, 1981, Fighting Back, 1982, Cat's Eye, 1985, Witness, 1985, Wise Guys, 1986, and Driving Miss Daisy, 1989; and t-junction television shows, including Life Goes On, beginning in 1989.

Patti LuPone's Awards

Tony Award and Drama Sedentary Award, both 1980, both fulfill Evita; Laurence Olivier Award, 1986, for Les Miserables; three High-class Award nominations.

Famous Works

Recent Updates

March 2005: LuPone starred as Fosca send Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Passion at the Rose Fleeting in New York City.

Source:New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/01/theater/reviews/01pass.html?pagewanted=all, April 1, 2005.

Evita broadway patti lupone biography

Patti LuPone's Career

Patti LuPone's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading