“I have been incredibly fortunate over the course of my career to have been associated with some extraordinary dramatic and musical productions, and also some rather spectacular disasters. Looking back, I can find gifts and life lessons in every one.”
The legendary Patti LuPone is one of the theatre’s most beloved leading ladies. Now she lays it all bare, sharing the intimate story of her life both onstage and off--through the dizzying highs and darkest lows--with the humor and outspokenness that have become her trademarks.
With nearly 100 photographs, including an 8-page four-color insert, and illuminating details about the life of a working actor, from inspired costars and demanding directors to her distinct perspective on how she developed and honed her Tony Award–winning performances, Patti LuPone: A Memoir is as inspirational as it is entertaining. And though the title might say “a memoir,” this is ultimately a love letter to the theatre by a unique American artist.
Raised on Long Island’s North Shore, Patti discovered her calling at the age of four and knew that she was destined for the stage. A prodigiously gifted child, she was one of only 36 young actors chosen for the inaugural class of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division, where she fought near-constant criticism from her instructors, and here describes those early years with disarming frankness.
From the heady days of her early twenties—crisscrossing the country as a founding member of the classical repertory theatre ensemble, The Acting Company--to her early success on Broadway, her four-year stint as Libby Thacher on the television series Life Goes On, her loving marriage to Matt Johnston, and much, much more, Patti chronicles her professional and personal life with inimitable candor and wit.
With its insightful retrospective of her career-defining turns, both on Broadway and abroad, in Evita, Les Misérables, Anything Goes, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, and Gypsy, Patti LuPone: A Memoir reveals the artist’s deeply felt passion for music and the theatre and is, in the end, the compelling and quintessential tale of an exceptional life well lived.
Patti LuPone: A Memoir
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Carol Burnett Reviews Patti LuPone: A Memoir
Carol Burnett is an American actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, and writer. Read her review of Patti LuPone: A Memoir:
Patti's story had me from the moment I turned to page one of the prologue until the absolutely triumphant final chapter. The passion with which she writes about the theatre and her love of it found me, at various times, crying and laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed her backstage tales that were both victorious and horror-filled. The lady pulls no punches in describing her most humiliating moments, such as the backstabbing that unfortunately happens all too often in this business. She recreates her failures and even includes quotes from her worst reviews. She writes about her loves and losses without a tone of self-pity. The chapter about her struggles with bringing Evita to life gave me goose bumps. It was definitely not an easy journey. She persevered and that role made her a bona fide Broadway star. The chapter about the backstage goings on during the production of Sunset Boulevard are even more harrowing. The fact that she could take such slings and still remain standing is proof that this is a woman of great strength and grit...and talent. God gave her the gifts of being able to brilliantly bring characters to life onstage. She’s a wonderful actress...and, oh yes, she can sing like nobody’s business. This is a heartfelt memoir that exposes Patti’s innermost feelings, fervor, temper, and humor. There’s no "censorship." She tells it like it is, warts and all. And by the time I finished reading the last chapter, I found myself giving Patti a standing ovation in the privacy of my very own living room.
From Publishers Weekly
Broadway legend LuPone, a five-time Tony nominee and two-time Tony winner, raises the curtain on her life and career in this engaging memoir. Detailing both her travails and her triumphs, she takes the reader on a guided tour recalling some memorable moments in musical theater. She began in her teens when she and her twin brothers performed on Long Island as the LuPone Trio. On a 1968 scholarship at John Houseman's Juilliard Drama Division, she was "overwhelmed with fear," but then toured with Houseman's Acting Company from 1972 to 1976. After her 1973 Broadway debut in Three Sisters came a parade of awards and acclaimed performances (Evita, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Gypsy), solo concerts, films (Driving Miss Daisy), TV (Oz, 30 Rock), recordings, and her one-woman show, Patti LuPone on Broadway . LuPone is the ultimate backstage gossip, and she never pulls her punches: During the ill-fated Baker's Wife, she despised actor Chaim Topol ("an asshole") and had little enthusiasm for his replacement, Paul Sorvino ( ÿ'like having Howdy Doody at Auschwitz"). With razor-sharp memories and hundreds of colorful anecdotes, LuPone knows how to capture an audience. She makes an easy transition from stage to page, writing with wit, flamboyant energy, and a theatrical flair.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Janet Rowell
Format:Hardcover
The extravagantly talented Patti Lupone shows that she is as sparkling a memoirist (with Digby Diehl as collaborator) as she is an actress. If you love theater, acting, or Patti Lupone herself, you need to buy this book - and get it ON AUDIO. Lupone doesn't simply read the memoir, she PERFORMS it, and as in her best stage, TV and movie performances, she will move you to tears and laughter. She shares the good, the bad and the ugly from a career that started when she performed as a child with her brothers, and spans some of the high points of the Broadway and London stages. She also settles a few scores (Andrew Lloyd Webber, ahem) and provides insights into the art and craft of theater. A fascinating memoir from an American treasure, and a great audiobook experience.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By Luci DeVoy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I really really loved this bio. Read it cover to cover in one sitting. I have only known her work through recording, until I saw her in Sweeney in 2005 and Gypsy in 2008. BRAVA on making this book so entertaining. I didn't find her a downer at all. I think she has had a really rocky road and I heard her story told with grace and style. It gives the readers hope for laughter and good friends to help find the silver lining when you are down. She also does an excellent job on giving her side of the story without being crass, or disrespectful to other people invovled in the situation. I appreciated that.
A well told story that is very entertaining and well worth the money!
A well told story that is very entertaining and well worth the money!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
What a wonderful read!!! Patti wrote this bio the same way she performs on stage...she gave her all
& I think those of us fortunate enough to have seen her dazzle us with her performance knew she held nothing
back & we were a party to something very very special. In her very honest book she left nothing out & the reader
is privy to life behind the curtain. Its not all applause & awards & the difficult times make for a very
interesting & very quick read.
Throughout the book I felt she was talking to me-not at me, as many bios seem to do-but telling me a
very interesting story that included not only the high points of a star's life, but that there were also many
low points over the years. She does a very good job in writing about the bumps in her career & how they took
their toll on her...both personally & professionally. When I finished the book, one of my thoughts was that
she was able to overcome thse setbacks & difficulties & somehow she never quit & she managed to become a stronger &
maybe a better person for it. In these difficult times it is something we all can do if we try.
I have been fortunate enough to have seen Patti perform in a many different venues & roles & walked away from
them all amazed at her enormous talent & almost unlimited energy. In Evita one of the songs has the 2 words
"star quality". From that moment on that defined, to me, Patti LuPone. She has a star quality that can't be learned
or practiced. Its just there & very few performers have it. Her book has that same star quality & it is such an
interesting & quick read that you hate for it to end.
& I think those of us fortunate enough to have seen her dazzle us with her performance knew she held nothing
back & we were a party to something very very special. In her very honest book she left nothing out & the reader
is privy to life behind the curtain. Its not all applause & awards & the difficult times make for a very
interesting & very quick read.
Throughout the book I felt she was talking to me-not at me, as many bios seem to do-but telling me a
very interesting story that included not only the high points of a star's life, but that there were also many
low points over the years. She does a very good job in writing about the bumps in her career & how they took
their toll on her...both personally & professionally. When I finished the book, one of my thoughts was that
she was able to overcome thse setbacks & difficulties & somehow she never quit & she managed to become a stronger &
maybe a better person for it. In these difficult times it is something we all can do if we try.
I have been fortunate enough to have seen Patti perform in a many different venues & roles & walked away from
them all amazed at her enormous talent & almost unlimited energy. In Evita one of the songs has the 2 words
"star quality". From that moment on that defined, to me, Patti LuPone. She has a star quality that can't be learned
or practiced. Its just there & very few performers have it. Her book has that same star quality & it is such an
interesting & quick read that you hate for it to end.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic insight into the world of a serious artist
LuPone again takes us on a journey through her life, the good, the bad, the ugly. It is a story about never giving up on yourself. Read more
Published 1 month ago by candide13
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Lovely Conversation With An Old Friend
I've always loved Patti LuPone, but admittedly didn't know all that much about her (except that she'd rocked in Les Miserables, Evita, and Sunset Boulevard). Read more
Published 2 months ago by T. Filowitz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard to Say Goodbye Once the Memoir Was Over
ACTORS, PLAYWRIGHTS, STAGE HANDS, DIRECTORS, FAMILY MEMBERS OF THESPIANS I couldn't have read Patti LuPone: A Memoir at a better time as I was embarking on another theatrical... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ruth
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rambles on in places
I was seeing Patti in person - so wanted the background - some interesting stories - a diva for sure - thinks a lot of herself - she is one of a kind - her show in person was four... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Robert S Aleksich
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful!
This memoir by Pattie LuPone is wonderful, and I would recommend it to everyone, whether you are a fan or theatre of not!
Published 4 months ago by Maxisback
5.0 out of 5 stars
In depth look at the making of a legend
This book is great for anyone interested in the Broadway world. It was so interesting to hear what the great Patti Lupone went through to get to where she is now. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Puppylover111
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read of Its Type
Looking at the radiant photo of Patti LuPone on the cover of her memoir we see a beaming face without a single obvious blemish. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Samuel Leiter
2.0 out of 5 stars
She leaves a lot out...
While some parts are quite interesting and laugh-out-loud funny, she loses points for not coming clean about her own faults and mistakes. Read more
Published 16 months ago by phlashba
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read for theater lovers
Before reading the book I was a fan of Patti's, but did not know how much struggles she has had to fight over her tremendous career. Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. Diaz Morales
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life chronicle
The journey of this amazing talent has been chronicled in a most interesting, humorous and informative memoir. This book is a great read.
Published 18 months ago by Tyler
