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Can Broadway exist without Patti LuPone, darlings?????????? We shall see, because on October 17, the TONY winner resigned from Actors Equity. The reason, as far as I am concerned, is still unknown, or comprehensible to me. Is she forever banned? Can she come back? Is there a Wendy out there, whose plea to the Theater Fairies could save the professional stage life of Patti LuPone? I can only hope.
But don't cry for Patti, girls. She kept her promise. Now, keep your distance.
4 comments:
Heard about that.
I want Details!!!!
Three apparent reasons, two from the horses mouth herself, and one we can infer.
1) She is notoriously money hungry, making Jack Benny look like Melinda Gates. Equity changed its rules recently in line with expected upcoming changes to Federal Social Security guidelines: if you pull big bucks, you're gonna start paying out the ass instead of getting a relatively free ride. Patti was none too happy to hear her Equity dues would be going way WAY up beginning with her next Bway appearance, so she decided (and I quote) "Eff that!"
2) Patti is thin skinned, like many other blowhards. She doesn't take personal criticism well (or actually at all). After an initial over-the-top fawning period re her excessive hostility to audience goofs during COVID, she's retroactively getting hammered now for setting a new precedent of stars mouthing off to their audience. As with everything else today, theres an element of race baiting to this which (for once) makes Patti's anger defensible. There has been a brief flowering of Black-themed shows recently: several of their Black leads took a cue from Patti and unloaded on audience members for perceived misbehavior. A couple times this unloading backfired hugely since the audience member was in fact in the right, and those peformers took a nasty publicity hit. The end result (predictably) being Patti getting slammed for her "privilege", since she was lionized for being a total C but these recent instances were received poorly. Patti no likey this state of affairs.
3) Please, Mary: she doesn't really need a reason, does she? We all love her talent, and sometimes her antics are entertaining, but lets face it: her personality is that of the incredibly obnoxious Aunt we all avoid at family gatherings. She's abrasive as f@#$, has a temper bigger than the Marriott, and an ego that dwarfs Mariah Carey. She's having a hissy fit with the union, it will pass as soon as she gets another big offer to do the showstopper number in a hot revival.
Personally, I'm looking forward to a non-Broadway gig she has coming this year: she agreed to co-star in the Katherine Hahn led spin-off of Disney's streaming hit miniseries "WandaVision". The new series its titled "Agatha: Coven Of Chaos" and I am SO here for it- the combination of Katherine Hahn and Patti Lupone as evil witches of unlimited power is a dream team for us gay Marvel fans. I know, this is all gibberish to you, RQ, but trust me: this will be a hugely visible career move for Lupone. She was brilliant to accept the left-field offer, now lets see if Disney can actually handle her without her walking off ($50 mill minimum production cost is riding on her).
BTW, HAPPY NEW YEAR, RQ! :)
Victoria,
There really is not much to tell. For
reasons unknown, Patti became disgusted with
the Equity union, saying it really does not give
members--albeit the more needy ones--the support
and help needed. And Patti can certainly afford to
do this, making some kind of statement.
My Dear,
Thanks for all the info. I agree with all you say.
And I did not know Equity was raising dues for high earners.
Wonder if BARBRA still has an Equity card. Imagine her hike!
I had Patti's number since 1987, when I witnessed her reading
the riot act to Beaumont execs through a window, during her
run in "Anything Goes."
Happy New Year to you, too, and love from David and I!!!!!!!!!!!!
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