Patti LuPone

A Memoir

By: Patti LuPone

Narrated by: Patti LuPone

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.

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 20s - 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.

“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".

©2010 Patti Lupone (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Patti LuPone, with honesty and humor, gives a brave and candid account of an astonishingly unique and brilliant performer’s journey to reach Broadway stardom." (Angela Lansbury)

"Anyone who has seen Patti LuPone perform on stage is well aware of her daring, risk-taking artistry. Now she has channeled her considerable talent from the stage to the page and the result is a frank, funny and totally captivating memoir about her life on and off the stage." (Jane Fonda)

"For some rare performers, there is a place beyond commercial success, popularity with audiences, and honors within an industry. A special place where they are both respected and adored--even envied--by other performers for their wealth of talent. These are actors who sing, as opposed to singers who act. They bring an actor’s range of thought about character and truth and psychology. Among them, none has more talent, more courage, and more emotive power than Patti LuPone. When Patti LuPone comes on stage, you don’t always know what will happen, but you know it will be among the greatest work by any stage actress in theatre, ever. Ever. As everyone in our business knows, Patti…is Patti." (Alec Baldwin)

Amazing

This was spectacular!!! Best memoir I've listened to in a long long time. Recommended. Check it out

Happy Tears!

My mentor, Finis Jung, recommended I read this book! Last year was full of many show biz highs and lows for me. He thought the book would be a great comfort and encouragement. He was right!

If you are a theater lover, this is a MUST READ! Get the tissues out when reading the last chapter!

Marie

Amazing book easy read, but I paged her very informative. Gave me a lot of empathy for Artist, all artist, calm, musicians, dancers painters, etc. they take a lot of abuse that we are unaware of.

Patti LuPone is a KNOCKOUT.

Listening to this memoir was like getting a masterclass in how to have a successful career. Patti takes her failures in stride, and turns them into lessons. Anybody who is a fan of the theatre should get this memoir, and get it now.

An excellent reading

Patti Lupone shares her incredible life experiences with humility and grace. I literally laughed and cried listening in my cubicle.

Gratitude and Grace

She is camp and circumstance. A blend of the real world and her parade of dreams coming true or coming apart.

Love her!

I already loved Patti LuPone, and this made me love her even more! If you are a performer, this is a must read. She gives such insight to performing that I was crying 10 minutes into the book! And hearing Patti herself tell you the story makes it even better!

Great Book - Must Listen!

Where does Patti LuPone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. However, you really must be a huge fan of musical theater for this book to work for you.

What did you like best about this story?

Let's face it, if you know anything about Patti LuPone, I'm sure you've heard about her legendary career and theater antics over the course of her career. In this book, she puts all of those antics in perspective and does a marvelous job showing how her career has progressed into the mega-diva she is today.

Which character – as performed by Patti LuPone – was your favorite?

Patti - herself.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I don't generally listen to books in one sitting, so I really can't answer this question easily. I prefer listening to books while I'm in the car. I can say that listening to Patti definitely made driving considerably more entertaining!

Any additional comments?

If you're a lover of Patti LuPone or the theater, then this is one of the best inside scoops you'll ever read.

Wow!!!

This book was a masterclass for any actor young or old, and to hear it in Patti’s voice is, simply put, EXTRAORDINARY!!!

Not A Fan

While I’m not a fan of Patti LuPone (I saw her in Sunset Boulevard) I thoroughly enjoyed the book. She did seems to have more things that bothered her about the business than things she enjoyed. I enjoy A.L. Webber musicals but wasn’t impressed by his treatment of
Patti and others. From what I saw on You Tube, I think I would have really enjoyed her in ‘Sweeney Todd’. That seemed to be one of the most positive experiences for her. She speaks her mind in the book and holds nothing back. And that’s why I liked it so much. And having her a the narrator really made the book a good one. Get it - you won’t be disappointed.