PATTI LuPONE
Recently received rave reviews for her performance as Rose in a new production of the Jules Styne-Stephen Sondheim-Arthur Laurents musical Gypsy, directed by the show’s author, Mr. Laurents, at New York’s City Center. Last season she made her debut with the Los Angeles Opera in the company’s new production of Weill-Brecht’s Mahagonny and appeared in the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s new opera To Hell and Back with San Francisco’s Baroque Philharmonia Orchestra.
Miss LuPone recent stage credits include Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s award winning Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd., the title role in the Marc Blitzstein’s Regina, a musical version of Lillian Hellman’s The Little Foxes at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, a critically acclaimed performance as Fosca in a concert version of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, which was also broadcast on PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center and a multi-city tour of her critically acclaimed theatrical concert Matters of the Heart, presented by Clear Channel Entertainment. She has toured Matters of the Heart throughout the United States and internationally, including runs at Australia’s Sydney Festival, London’s Donmar Warehouse Theatre and New York’s Lincoln Center Theater. Her CD recording, based on this concert, was named one of 1999’s best recordings by both The Times of London and Time Out/New York.
In addition to Matters of the Heart, Miss LuPone also performs two other solo concerts Coulda, Woulda, Should and The Lady With The Torch.. She made a triumphant solo concert debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall in Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda resulting in a sold-out encore performance at Carnegie Hall, and performs the concert with major symphony orchestras around the country. The Lady With The Torch is the basis for Miss LuPone’s latest solo CD, on Ghostlight Records. Conceived and directed by Scott Wittman, The Lady With The Torch features musical direction by Chris Fenwick and a 10 piece band performing an eclectic selection of torch songs, orchestrated by Jonathan Tunick
Patti LuPone’s other recent New York stage appearances include performances as La Mome Pistache in the City Center Encores! production of Cole Porter’s musical Can-Can at New York’s City Center, as The Old Lady in the New York Philharmonic’s concert production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, and performances on Broadway in the hit revival of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, in David Mamet’s The Old Neighborhood, Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Master Class andin her own concert Patti LuPone On Broadway, for which she won an Outer Critics Circle Award. Over the past six consecutive summers, she’s appeared in the Ravinia Festival’s critically acclaimed Sondheim series, starring as Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd, as Desiree in A Little Night Music, Fosca in Passion, Cora Hooper in Anyone Can Whistle, Rose in Gypsy and was featured in two different roles in Sunday in the Park with George.
After completing her training with the first class of the Drama Division of New York’s Juilliard School, she began her career as a founding member of John Houseman's The Acting Company playing a variety of leading roles, both on and off-Broadway and on tour throughout the United States. Her subsequent New York dramatic credits include Dario Fo's Accidental Death of An Anarchist; David Mamet's The Water Engine, Edmond and The Woods and Israel Horovitz' Stage Directions. Miss LuPone's memorable performances on the New York musical stage include Vera Simpson in the City Center Encores! production of Pal Joey, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, (1988 Drama Desk Award, Tony nomination, Best Actress in a Musical), The Cradle Will Rock, Nancy in Oliver!, Evita (1980 Tony and Drama Desk Awards- Best Actress in a Musical), Working and Rosamund in The Robber Bridegroon (1976 Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations, Best Featured Actress in a Musical).
In London, she created the role of Fantine in the the RSC production of Les Miserables, a role she subsequently played on the West End. For that performance, as well as the reprise of her performance in the London production of The Cradle Will Rock, she won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Miss LuPone created the role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1994 Olivier nomination, Best Actress in A Musical), and recreated her Broadway performance of Maria Callas in the West End production of Master Class.
Film: City By The Sea, David Mamet’s Heist & State and Main; Just Looking, Summer of Sam, The 24 Hour Woman, Family Prayers, Driving Miss Daisy, Witness.
TV: NBC’s Will & Grace (as herself), PBS Great Performances’ Candide, Oz , the TNT film Monday Night Mayhem, PBS’ Evening At The Pops with John Williams and Yo Yo Ma, Falcone, Bonanno: A Godfather’s Story (Showtime); Frasier (1998 Emmy nomination); Law & Order, An Evening with Patti LuPone (PBS), the NBC movie Her Last Chance, Showtime's ACE Award and Emmy nominated The Song Spinne" (Daytime Emmy nomination, Best Actress), The Water Engine, L.B.J., AMC's Remember WENN and ABC's Life Goes On.
Recordings include: Sweeney Todd (both the 2006 Broadway revival cast recording and 2000 live performance recording on NY Philharmonic’s Special Editions Label); Pal Joey (DRG); Heatwave with John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra (Phillips Classics); Sunset Boulevard (Polygram); Patti LuPone Live (RCA Victor). You can visit Miss LuPone on the worldwide web at www.pattilupone.net.
