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With a jet-black bob, dangling jewelry, and torn fishnets worn beneath
a tight miniskirt, Patti LuPone's Mrs. Lovett gives the Broadway
revival of Sweeney Todd a jolt of sexiness and sleaze. And when
LuPone sashays onstage playing the tuba, surrounded by nine other
cast members doubling as the show's on-stage orchestra, the effect
is electrifying. During rehearsals, the actress wrote on her personal
website, "I haven't been this creative since I started to learn
how to act." LuPone has spent the last few years brushing up
on her Sondheim in concert versions of Passion (opposite her current
Sweeney, Michael Cerveris), Sunday in the Park With George, A Little
Night Music, Anyone Can Whistle and Sweeney Todd (with George Hearn).
She won't confirm rumors that she'll do Gypsy at the Ravinia Festival
next year, saying only that the theater will announce its 2006 schedule
before the end of November. But she's positively bubbling as she
describes the unique vision British director and designer John Doyle
is bringing to Sweeney Todd.
The first thing that struck me about this production is the awesome
display of musicianship. Having the cast members play the music
is almost unbelievable to watch.
I totally agree with you. It's a real statement for the importance
of music in schools. When you look at the kids on that stage, there
are generations of musicians represented. Mano [Felciano, who plays
Tobias] and Ben [Magnuson, Anthony] and Lauren [Molina, Johanna]
all have parents who are classical musicians.
What's it like
to have to concentrate on playing the xylophone just moments before
you leap up and sing "The Worst Pies in London"? How did
you learn it all?
You know what? I think it's easier for us because we are all actors.
Musicians might never have been able to memorize everything, but
it really wasn't that hard. I've given up the idea of giving a performance
where I don't make a mistake. Something is going to fall apart someplace,
whether it's a tuba note or a xylophone note. Hopefully it will
never be a lyric or a musical note. I'm not as much of a musician
as the other guys are, but I used to play piano, so it wasn't that
hard. And the tuba is pretty damn funny. You're supposed to sit
with a tuba, but I'm carrying it.
Is it exhausting
to work so hard for the entire evening?
No. It's inspiring. This one feels great. A show is exhausting when
it stinks. It's exhausting when you have to work overtime to make
something work. It's like I keep saying, John Doyle is a miracle
worker. We are so well rehearsed that all the questions have been
answered. Now we just play. We're not exhausted at the end; we're
thrilled to death.
I have to ask
about your outrageous costumes. Was that a collaboration between
you and John? I noticed there's no costume designer.
That's all him. He showed me the renderings and I said, "This
is fabulous." Why not? Does it look ridiculous?
Not at all.
And in the second act, just when we've gotten used to the first
outfit, you come out and we get to study another incredible getup.
Mrs. Lovett the sexpot!
[Laughs naughtily] You know what John compared her to? An East End
barkeep. He said this is what they look like in the East End. I
think it's hysterical. I'm never reluctant when it comes to things
like costumes. They are the creators, and I am the storyteller.
I don't remember
"A Little Priest" being this funny and sexy. Your chemistry
with Michael Cerveris is wonderful.
I know. Passion was the first thing we did together, and [the chemistry]
was evident right away. It's just the easiest relationship it could
possibly be. I adore him. He trusts me, and I definitely trust him.
There's a safety net—he can do whatever he wants to me onstage.
And he is a supreme storyteller. I've been onstage with very selfish
actors, people who are in it for the wrong reason. Michael is in
it for the right reason, and he's just so damn good at what he does.
And then there is the personal element, which makes him unbelievably
generous and gracious and wise onstage. He is an amazing guy and
I am so grateful.
There's nothing cuddly about your Mrs. Lovett. She's positively
scary singing "Not While I'm Around" with Tobias.
Well, she is the villain of the piece. Steve [Sondheim] said that
to me years ago. She's totally pragmatic. She knows what she needs
to do to survive and get her man. It's in the lyrics: Sweeney says
at the very top, "There was a barber and his wife and she was
beautiful." And not 10 minutes later, Mrs. Lovett sings, "There
was a barber and his wife and he was beautiful." At the end
she says, "Yes, I lied because I love you. I'd be twice the
wife she was."
Were you able
to build on having played the part in concert, or did you start
from scratch?
Oh, I had to totally throw all that out. And sometimes when it sneaks
in, I know it's absolutely wrong for this production.
What are your
memories of the original production of Sweeney Todd, which opened
when you were doing Evita?
I was gobsmacked. I can see the entire thing, even now. I sat there
with my mouth open, just dropped to the floor. I thought it was
truly an incredible piece.
Sondheim must
be happy with this production.
I think he is. I know he loves this company. He's getting support
from all ends. [Original director] Hal Prince and [orchestrator]
Paul Gemignani [whose son Alexander is playing the Beadle] came
to see it the same night.
In the last few years, Sondheim has seemed to be open to new interpretations
of his shows, from this one to Assassins to Pacific Overtures.
Yes, you're right. And good for him! He's incredibly helpful. He
rewrote some lyrics for this production, so I feel like I'm in an
original musical.
Patti LuPone in Passion
What is it about your talent that makes you so appropriate for Sondheim
shows?
Jeez, I don't know. I'm just lucky that at my advanced age, I finally
got to do them. I've auditioned over the years and didn't get the
parts. Finally I'm doing it. You know who could answer that is Welz
Kauffman of the Ravinia Festival, who suggested me for Sweeney Todd
with the New York Philharmonic. That moved to Ravinia, and I've
been able to continue playing Sondheim roles there, which has been
thrilling.
What had you
tried out for and not gotten?
I didn't get the replacement of Dot in Sunday in the Park With George.
They gave it to Maryann Plunkett.
Maybe they felt
your personality was too strong.
Well, you know what has been forgotten over the years? I'm a trained
actress. Steve told me that somebody said to him they couldn't believe
I could be totally different from the concert version [of Sweeney]
and he said, "She is a trained actress." And I think in
our business, in musicals, people don't always consider the people
who do musicals to be trained actors. They wanted to throw me out
of Juilliard, so they tossed every conceivable role in my direction
and I didn't fail. I had no idea they were doing that, but they
created a versatile actress. It's not difficult for me to drop one
characterization for another in the same play. Of course, Evita
didn't help because it was such a strong image that people thought
I was that person.
Who's more intimidating—Sondheim
or David Mamet?
They both have their moments. [Laughs]
Look at the
two writers you specialize in—I'm scared!
Me too! You think it comes easy? I knew Mamet when we both babies.
We did The Woods in 1976 or 1977 in Chicago, right before American
Buffalo opened. Before David became David.
I read that
Pacific Overtures is your favorite Sondheim score. Is that still
the case?
Yes. I don't really know why. It's just so gorgeous on the original
cast album. I've never even seen it, but I think it's spectacular.
But I love them all. I adore A Little Night Music equally. The original
production of that show broke my heart.
Is it a different
challenge to do a show like A Little Night Music in concert?
Oh it's a killer. It hurts. You have to absorb so much information
in such a short period of time. But it arms you. When I came to
the stage for this show and looked at everything I would have to
do—from being a stagehand, a musician, a chorus member, and
a lead actor—I said if I didn't have as much experience as
I've had at the Acting Company and the Ravinia Festival, I would
never have been able to do this.
Isn't it depressing
that your last original musical was Sunset Boulevard?
Yeah, but what can you do? If they're not producing original composers,
how can original composers write for people?
Have any new
shows come along that you wanted to do?
No. But I haven't seen a lot of them either. I'm pretty ignorant.
I live up in Connecticut and I choose to go see plays rather than
musicals because I find the musicals I do see kind of… [She
makes a thudding sound].
Do you lament
the push toward the so-called jukebox musicals of the greatest hits
of various pop composers?
Oh sure. I would love to see all of our young composers have a voice.
And I would love to see the producers who are making money hand
over fist open up black box theaters and let the composers grow
in their art and the audiences grow with the composers. When I saw
Jason Robert Brown's Parade I remember saying, "Regardless
of what I think of this piece—and I really liked it—I
deserve to see the body of this man's work. I deserve to grow with
this man." I am not allowed to do that as an audience member,
and it's just bullshit. It is an uplifting experience to grow with
a writer. And the audience is there.
Maybe the success of The Light in the Piazza will change things.
That should prove a point. The only theater that takes a shot is
Lincoln Center Theater. I nominated them
The full company of Sweeney Todd
for a Kennedy Center Honor. You're supposed to nominate a person,
but I nominated Lincoln Center Theater because of what they've done
for American theater.
When you graduated
from Juilliard, did you foresee being known more as a singer than
as a dramatic actress?
I knew that when I was growing up on Long Island! I knew I had a
Broadway voice.
Speaking of
Long Island, you must tell me what you did as a member of The LuPone
Trio, with your brothers Robert and William.
I did an adagio waltz to "The Belle of the Ball." [Begins
humming the tune]
What were your
brothers doing? Were they waltzing too?
Yeah, they were. It was ridiculous. We did it at Jones Beach and
at various hotel ballrooms. [Laughs]
Did your parents
encourage you and Robert [now co-artistic director of MCC Theater]
to pursue show business careers?
Not at all. When my mom and dad got divorced, my mom didn't really
have a say anymore and my father wanted my brothers to be teachers.
Are you surprised that both you and Robert have achieved so much
success in the theater?
No, I'm not. And I don't say that egotistically. But I knew that
I was born to the boards and when I saw my brother Bobby dance,
I knew he was born to dance. That was an instinct I had when I was
a kid, and we just never looked back. I'm grateful for the success
I've achieved, but it was obvious to me as a child that this was
my chosen path. I was lucky I had direction from the time I was
four years old.
So who said,
"Let's put the LuPone kids in a trio"? Was it your mom?
No, it was Mr. Andre.
Patti LuPone with son Josh and friends
Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman
Was that your dancing teacher?
Yes, Andre of Bodydance Studio on Jericho Turnpike in Huntington.
[Laughs] He was very French. Monsieur Andre.
Did Life Goes
On sour you on television? Would you ever want to do another TV
series?
Oh yeah. One last blast of a great paycheck—you bet. And then
get out!
If it's good
enough for Gary Sinise…
But I wouldn't want to do an hour-long show. You have no life. I'd
like to do a nice fat hit situation comedy.
Are you still
living in your log cabin and keeping chickens?
No we sold that house. We have no more chickens. We're in a smaller
house now and we bought property on a barrier island in South Carolina,
which is looking more and more insane because of the hurricanes.
Are you enjoying
being the mom of a 15-year-old son?
There's nothing nicer for a mom [than a son]. Josh woke me up this
morning to say good-bye and he looked so adorable. He goes to a
prep school up here that's about seven miles away.
Is he interested
in performing?
He performs with me in the chorus at the Ravinia Festival. He was
the mail boy in Passion, in the televised version, too. But I don't
think it's what he will pursue. He just enjoys that environment.
What's the secret
to the success of your 17 year marriage to cameraman Matt Johnston?
I don't know. It's not easy. I guess just working at it. He makes
me laugh my head off. He's a wonderful, supportive man. And we're
not show business people. We have a life.
Do you consider yourself a diva?
NO! [With emphasis] Not at all! [Long pause, and then laughter]
Writers refer
to you in diva-like terms such as "La LuPone." Is that
because of your larger than life persona?
I'm always cast in those types of roles—so, yeah.
Patti LuPone in Sweeney Todd
But it's not your personality.
Well, it could be. I'm totally Italian, and it's a big personality.
But I'm not a diva. If you could see the way I'm dressed in daily
life, that's not a diva. Appearances are so not important to me.
I have a feeling
from reading comments on your website that you can be tough on directors.
I'm fairly tough on anybody who isn't there for the play. I'm very
tough on people who are in it for the wrong reason. I'm very tough
on people who don't remember that there's an audience out there
paying a lot of money. The bottom line is that I love the theater.
I realized when I came back [after an absence in L.A.] and put my
foot on the boards, this is where I belong.
See Patti LuPone
in Sweeney Todd at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, 230 West 49th Street.
Click for tickets and more information.
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