Legendary Broadway diva Patti LuPone makes it look effortless. The two-time Tony Award winner originated Evita, Norma Desmond and Fantine, and has made many other iconic stage roles her ownmost recently Mama Rose in "Gypsy." She has also conquered theater and television; had memorable roles in movies; and now adds "author" to her list of creative accomplishments. But as Patti LuPone: A Memoirher recently released, no-holds-barred autobiographyreveals, her remarkable career achievements ( and many facets of her life ) have not come easily to this singing, whirling dervish of energy and passion.
Taking a break from rehearsals for her return to Broadway in the eagerly awaited musical adaptation of gay Spanish film auteur Pedro Almodovar's beloved Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown ( opening Nov. 4 ) , the down-to-earth LuPone laughed continually, dished like your best gal pal and didn't hesitate to offer strong opinions on a variety of subjects.
Windy City Times: What a roller-coaster ride your life has been!
Patti LuPone: [ Laughs ] Yup!
WCT: One of the main themes in your memoir is that many of your greatest triumphs have only been achieved after an intense struggle. [ LuPone laughs. ] Has anything come easily?
Patti LuPone: No, no. I discovered very early on in my life that I was dealt the hard hand. Just in life, you know? It must be karmic payback. [ Laughs ] It's what I have to learn to move on to the next level and, of course, because theatre and show business encompasses a great majority of my life it's going to filter into that. It's taken me a long time to learn anythingin school, in love life, to cook from a recipeanything.
WCT: Has it gotten somewhat easier with age and experience?
Patti LuPone: Yessomewhat. All of a sudden I'm being called a legend and people are going, "It's an honor to talk to you" and I'm going, "What the hell is going on?" and as my press agent reminds me, "You're 60." So yeah, now it's easierpeople are listening to me when I say something [ laughs ] as opposed to having to battle for it. I'm older and "I'm Still Here."
WCT: Have you recorded that? Is that in your repertoire?
Patti LuPone: NoI'm too young for that.
WCT: Another 15 years.
Patti LuPone: At least! [ Laughs ]
WCT: I was also astonished to read about vocal difficulties with the Evita songs because it just sounds effortless and they are so thrillingso much so that for decades my best friend Victor and I have listened to other singers and have said with triumph to each other, "She's no Patti LuPone!"
Patti LuPone: I don't play it but if I happen to hear, for example, "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" on the radio I'll go, "This doesn't sound bad" and that was the weekwhen we recorded, that I had no voice; it was the last night of the seventh week in Los Angeles when we recorded that. I lost my voice after "Buenos Aries" and had to leave after the first act. It doesn't sound like it, but I muscled and willed my voice.
WCT: Just curious: Were you ever considered for one of the many editions of the movie?
Patti LuPone: When Hollywood Pictures had it they called up my agent and wanted me to play Evita's mother [ giggles ] and I remember singing [ croons ] , "They really brightened up your out of town engagement." I said, "I don't think so…" and they didn't know who Hal Prince was! That's like that Judy Garland-Mark Canton story. When they wanted to do musicals again and somebody put on "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St. Louis and the guy said, "Nice song. Who's the girl singer?"
WCT: Sounds like you dodged a bullet there.
Patti LuPone: I guess.
WCT: Speaking of dodging bullets, has Andrew Lloyd Webber ever apologized?
Patti LuPone: No, no, no, no. I haven't spoken to him since he left for the L.A. rehearsal [ of "Sunset Boulevard" ] that September [ in 1993 ] . He left after bitching about the Frank Rich review [ in the New York Times ] and I never heard from him again.
WCT: Well … his loss. Your version of "I Dreamed A Dream," the original from Les Miz, is still, in my estimation the greatest but I'm curious: What do you think of Susan Boyle, who became an overnight sensation with the song?
Patti LuPone: Well she put me back on the charts in London so God bless her. But poor Susan Boyle, what can you say? This woman is not and will never be ready for show business, and it's cruel what happened to her. She's got a lovely voice but as everybody knowsit ain't talent alone. It is tenacity. It is a thick skin. You're combating an army just trying to survive things that happen in the business of show, do you know what I mean?
WCT: Sure.
Patti LuPone: And I think it's taken its toll on her.
WCT: With so many signature songs, when is Ryan Murphy going to come to his senses and do the Patti LuPone "Glee" episode?
Patti LuPone: Ah, don't ask me darling. Probably never because I think it's too pop-oriented. But, who knows?
WCT: Gay men have obviously been a huge influence in your careeron and off stage. What's the best thing about that?
Patti LuPone: I guess it's their discerning taste and their support and their acceptance. You want that kind of fan; you want that kind of rabid audience.
WCT: We will come out when it's 50 below, even if we end up saying, "She was no Patti LuPone."
Patti LuPone: [ Delighted ] Thank you.
WCT: I love that in the book you included so much about your long association with the Ravinia Festival here on the North Shore. I was thrilled to be one of thousands out there in the dark the night you first performed Mama Rose in Gypsy.
Patti LuPone: Wowwhat a night that was.
WCT: What has the association with Ravinia meant to you?
Patti LuPone: It's a place that has been my summer theatrical home for a very long time. I love it. Welz Kaufman [ the CEO of Ravinia ] has been instrumental in shaping my craft by casting me and allowing me to play these roles I never would have played. That's very importantyou don't learn unless you do. There have been people that have kept me off the stage and Welz wants me on the stage.
WCT: I know that Rose was a dream roleis there another?
Patti LuPone: I would have loved to have played Desireé [ in A Little Night Music ] I did it at Ravinia and there's a lot of roles that I did there I never got to play elsewhereRuth in Wonderful Town, Ado Annie in Oklahoma, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific.
WCT: How ironic that "Night Music" is back on Broadway but you're busy creating another new role for the stageyour wacky character for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Patti LuPone: That, of course, has been my life! [ Laughs ]
WCT: Are you pleased with this new show?
Patti LuPone: It's a very technical show and I'm focusing on getting all that down. I don't want to curse it by telling you what I think of it but I'm very happy.
WCT: Is this one coming a little more easily?
Patti LuPone: YesI'm not the lead and the director and the playwright and the musical director appreciate me! Nobody has to humiliate me or keep me under their thumb. They appreciate my contribution. That's such a big differencewhen people appreciate who you are and what you might have to offer and not consider it a threat. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I'm a woman.
WCT: And also maybe because your talent is so overwhelmingnot unlike Patti LaBelle's. She wrote about this same thing in her autobiographyshe has such a large gift that she's constantly being asked to rein it in when other talented people are around.
Patti LuPone: Isn't that interesting? Many people mistake me for Patti LaBelle, too. And that is the truth! [ Laughs ]
WCT: You two should do a duet. That's something left to conquer.
Patti LuPone: I just want to keep being relevant. I want to keep being hired.
WCT: Well, thank you for the gift that you've given to the world with your beautiful talent.
Patti LuPone: Thank youI really appreciate it.
WCT: You're welcome. Take care, Patti LaBelle! [ Laughs ]
Patti LuPone: [ Laughing hysterically ] Oh, God. Thank you back.