What It's Like Finally Seeing Patti LuPone

Image via https://www.broadway.com/buzz/195878/patti-lupone-joins-the-broadway-inspirational-voices-to-sing-from-les-miserables-more-at-new-york-philharmonic/

Anyone that has dipped their toes into the theatre world has probably heard of Broadway legend Patti LuPone. Having landed so many memorable roles, it is no surprise that she is incredibly talented. But I seemed to have forgotten this for the past 5 years, marking when I first spiraled into an Evita obsessed abyss. Luckily, my class on Stephen Sondheim reminded me of Miss LuPone's musical prowess. My class may have been about Sondheim's lyrics and composition, but I learned just as much about Patti's roles as Mrs. Lovett, Joanne, and Mama Rose, each of which carrying their own anecdotes and perfect belting that I am now no stranger to. As my semester progressed, I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper into this obsession with a 70 year old woman, but I know I am not alone in this sentiment. I have, after all, converted many of my neighbors who could hear Gypsy or Anything Goes flowing through the vents at a volume that may have increased with my stress. The culmination of my newfound affinity was planning a trip to go see Patti LuPone perform—a feat that took some of the most detailed planning I have ever mastered.

Obviously, the only solution to my LuPone fever was going to Patti's 70th birthday celebration at the New York Philharmonic's Spring Gala.

Did you know that a gala isn't just a concert? I really thought that "gala" was just a fluff word, like "vine ripened" or "oven roasted" on a menu. It's not. I always dress up, and I was not underdressed, but I had not fully anticipated the group of people that would attend this event. There were the people that had to buy their tickets: a delightful gathering of old women and gay men (and my friend and I!). And then there was the other group of people, the fancy people, the people that looked passed their pearls to look down on me. I went through a back door. These people came in via red carpet, wearing floor length gowns, brushing elbows with celebrities, and pushing passed me to get through security first...no I'm not mad about that at all. I felt very fancy and tangentially important, but I didn't go all the way to New York to show off my cocktail dress.

My excitement increased as I climbed three flights of stairs to get to my seat. I could see Patti perfectly! If you think really far away and blurry is perfect. But nothing obstructed my sight from my bird's eye view.

And then she sang! And she was absolutely perfect. She wore her Olivier dress, and though I could barely see, I knew she was serving some looks and some sass. I can honestly say that she sounds even better in person than any cast recording. A recording can do no justice to the power behind her voice that filled the room, specifically on the word "gem" in Ladies Who Lunch. The entire audience was so excited for that song—the man to my right may have yelled out. And I may have gasped when I saw someone carrying out a glass (that we all knew she would inevitably throw), marking this song. But there were some other songs that really stood out to me. When she cried during "I Dreamed a Dream." Or when she sang "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" with so much tenderness—it was at that moment that the man to the left of me put his head in his hands in disbelief, and I almost cried. Backtracking a little, that same man also whispered, "she's just so good" after Patti's first songs, and I don't think anything could sum up my reaction any better. There are few times when a performer truly takes my breath away, as if I am also the one belting, and this was one of them. And I didn't just feel like this for the first few moments or when she hit a particularly spectacular note but during the entire performance.

It's a really special feeling when someone you love so much is just as amazing as you imagined, even better. Even through my blurry eyes (I stupidly left behind my glasses and was a woman on the verge of crying), I could see and feel Patti's emotion. It was truly a special night, and I am so lucky to have spent my last day with my friends and sophomore year with this experience. I'll drink to that.