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TV Exclusive: CHEWING THE SCENERY- Randy Recounts Patti LuPone's Struggles with SUNSET BOULEVARD
May 17, 2024
It's time for the newest episode of BWW's exclusive TV series - CHEWING THE SCENERY WITH Randy Rainbow! In this edition, Randy returns to Patti LuPone's memoir- this time recounting her experience starring in the West End premiere of Sunset Boulevard.
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0:00
Sang my first show tune when I was just three
0:04
My mother knew I'd go far I've been a show queen since way before Glee
0:10
Now I'm a Broadway star Well, not exactly, but my friend has a friend who knows Idina Menzel
0:16
You know, I mean, sort of So things are happening, you'll see
0:20
But till my ship comes in, I've got a lot to tell her Let's start chewing the scenery with
0:26
Welcome to chewing the scenery with Me Turn off your cell phones
0:42
Chapter 13 Sunset Boulevard Part 2 When the reviews came in, the British press was somewhat mixed
0:49
But on the whole, positive The Americans were almost uniformly negative Sometimes brutally so
0:56
Perhaps predictably, Frank Rich was hard on us And on me, calling me miscast and unmoving
1:03
Robert Osborne in The Hollywood Reporter was particularly cruel LuPone should take the sunset off-ramp
1:10
She is a distinctly negative hurdle if the show is to go further LuPone never seems to have a clue as to how a great star would behave
1:18
As Norma Desmond, she has no mystique, no elegance She often runs up and down stairs like Irene Ryan in The Beverly Hillbillies
1:27
Glenn Close is a cinch to be an infinitely better Desmond For one thing, she already possesses an imperious air that suits the role extremely well
1:37
She wasn't opening for nearly a year And she was already getting better reviews than I was
1:44
By the way, the reason I ran up those stairs like Irene Ryan in The Beverly Hillbillies
1:48
Was because Andrew refused to write any more music for Norma to exit with
1:52
And the stage left exit was a long way up that staircase
1:56
Why he didn't want to address the design of the staircase And the number of stairs it took to exit is beyond me
2:02
I remember the conversation with Trevor And I remember the no Once the excitement surrounding opening night died down
2:10
We settled into the run We played to sold-out houses I was getting standing ovations every night
2:17
In the London press, there was no bad word of mouth Nothing about how I stank in the part
2:22
The goodwill was too good to last Sometime in September, I was having lunch at Orso in the West End
2:29
When Richard Polo, who owns the restaurant in partnership with Joe Allen
2:33
Came over to the table Just heard the ads, Patty, he said, they're fantastic
2:39
I looked at him blankly Excuse me? What are you talking about
2:43
I don't remember recording anything Shortly thereafter, I heard myself singing on the radio
2:50
Really useful was running radio and television ads promoting Sunset Boulevard The reason I don't remember recording anything
2:58
Was because they were using the same birthday recordings I made in April on the day I arrived
3:03
Right before Andrew's party in my honor I felt violated Again They were using my voice without permission, without compensation
3:15
It was the worst kind of exploitation, not to mention a breach of contract
3:20
The attitude at Really Useful seemed to be that I was their property
3:25
This was not very different from what had happened years before during Les Mis
3:29
And I had the same emotional reaction I walked off the stage
3:34
I went home and called my agent Then waited for somebody from Really Useful to call me
3:39
I refused to perform until the matter was resolved Really Useful invented a fig leaf for themselves
3:45
Saying I'd come down with tonsillitis But there was nothing wrong with my throat
3:49
As it turned out, their timing was not to their advantage They had rolled out the radio and TV ad campaign
3:55
While Carol Duffy, my understudy, was on vacation Elisa Ensley, who was a member of the chorus
4:01
And second understudy, went on as Norma At the curtain of her first performance
4:07
Andrew made the in-your-face Patty grand gesture Appearing on stage to present her with an armload of red roses
4:14
They blew up her notices and posted them prominently in the lobby Shit
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