5 Broadway Songs Patti LuPone Completely Slays
Patti LuPone is a goddess of the Great White Way. She is a brass Broadway belter, a musical master, and a living theater legend. From Evita and Anything Goes to Company and Gypsy, LuPone has been lucky enough (and beyond talented enough) to take on some of the most coveted female characters in musical theater history. Thus, she has graced multiple melodies with her pristine pipes.
1. “Ladies Who Lunch” | ‘Company’
LuPone’s take on Stephen Sondheim’s “Ladies Who Lunch” feels raw and unfiltered — a genuine display of alcohol-infused disdain and mockery. Yet, her ability to convey a state of “one-too-many,” while simultaneously getting across the biting nature of each and every remark is praise-worthy. She goes in on those “dinosaurs surviving the crunch,” but not without ponderance.
Look into her eyes, and you’ll see what she knows — what she feels, her perspective on the world; all of it comes flooding into the light, as her feigned superiority transitions in and out of pensive introspection. And, who could forget the ending, as she demands with power that “everybody rise!”
2. “Anything Goes” | ‘Anything Goes’
LuPone may be quite accustomed to taking on heavy roles with somewhat melodramatic inclinations, yet the actress also feels at home when performing lighter, funnier tunes. Her rendition of “Anything Goes” is quick and breezy — with a saucy smidge of flirtation and just enough spunk.
3. “Rainbow High” | ‘Evita’
If LuPone has mastered one emotional quality, it is fervor. “Rainbow High” requires conviction – an ability to own one’s status without fear or hesitation. One must know the path ahead and chase it. She pays homage to Eva Perón’s commanding presence without resorting to mere imitation or vocal exaggeration. She hits hard in all the right places, and softens when needed.
4. “Rose’s Turn” | ‘Gypsy’
Gypsy’s Rose Hovick — the woman who endlessly pushes her daughters to make it in showbiz, for she, herself, was “born too soon and started too late.” She’s got jokes, and she’s got conviction, but her delusions of grandeur are not funny once contemplated; they’re heartbreaking. “Mama’s got the stuff [but] Mama’s gotta let go.” She has to let go of her dreams, let go of her desires, and Patti LuPone takes this number from light and a bit tenacious to poignant…in seconds.
5. “A Little Priest” | ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’
LuPone as Mrs. Lovett singing “A Little Priest” with Sweeney Todd is simple syrup for the soul. From the initial pitch (of feeding dead bodies to customers) to the neverending puns, the whole song is too clever, and LuPone’s delivery is delicious. The fun LuPone is having is palpable, which is why this number earns its place on the list. LuPone can do it all; whether inspiring Argentina or reflecting on a life unfulfilled, she is always the woman for the job.
