Patti LuPone sings for the LuPonettes
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, October 5, 2024


Patti LuPone sings for the LuPonettes
Patti LuPone performs on Fire Island in New York on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, accompanied on piano by Joseph Thalken. On Fire Island, ardent fans described their affection for the Broadway star while waiting to see her perform at a Cherry Grove nightclub. (James Emmerman/The New York Times)

by Alex Vadukul



NEW YORK, NY.- Last weekend on Fire Island, far from the bright lights of Broadway, Patti LuPone performed at the Ice Palace nightclub for some of her most adoring fans. These die-hards, sometimes called LuPonettes, included a man who had seen LuPone in the 1979 production of “Evita” and another who had a caricature of her tattooed on his back.

Ben Rimalower, who arrived hours before doors opened, stood at the front of the line. “I first fell in love with Patti when I saw the ‘Evita’ commercial,” he said. “I’ve now seen her live hundreds of times, but never on Fire Island. Nowhere else will Patti get an audience that understands her like here.”

Opened in the 1970s, the Ice Palace is an institution in Cherry Grove, a Fire Island hamlet known as a summer haven for New York’s gay community. In addition to its Friday night Underwear Party, its stage has hosted Chita Rivera, Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming.

“Patti has played the greatest venues in the world, but for her to play here it’s about connecting with her most fervent fan base,” the club’s co-owner, Daniel Nardicio, said. “Her fans will scream and cry for her here.”

LuPone, 74, put on two sold-out performances of “Songs from a Hat,” in which she sings tunes plucked at random. Accompanied on a white piano by her musical director, Joseph Thalken, she gave her all to staples like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Meadowlark.” When she did the Sondheim number “I Never Do Anything Twice,” she brandished a riding crop.

In the edited interviews below, her fans reflected on why they can never get enough LuPone.

______

Jack Swerdlin

Accountant

Why do you love her? I’m a fellow Long Island girl, just like Patti. Her power as a performer is so unattainable that you can’t help but be in awe.

When did you first see her live? It should have been when I was 12. I still hold a grudge against my family. My parents took my sister to see “Gypsy” for her Sweet 16, but they didn’t bring me because I was too small. My mom told me I have to get over it. I told her, “I will never get over it.”

______

Quinto Ott

Actor

Why do you love Patti? Because she’s an ally to us in a way others are not. Lots of celebrities are part of the battle, but she’s been with us a long time. For an artist like Patti to come out here and do a show for us at the Ice Palace, that says something about her allegiances.

If you could spend a day with Patti, what would you do? I’d love to sit and have cocktails with her and Mandy Patinkin. Just to listen to the two of them talk. About anything.

______

Austin Tracy

Bartender and Playwright

What’s the story behind your tattoo? Years ago, I decided I wanted to cover myself with the divas I love, and I’ve been adding Broadway legends to my back ever since. This Patti is from “The Baker’s Wife.” I’ve also got Liza Minnelli and Elaine Stritch.

______

Daniel Nardicio

Nightlife Promoter

How did this show come about? We basically wooed her to come out here and eventually she said yes. Sure, we have the famous Underwear Party, but we also have greats like Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera here. Gay men have a deep relationship with these women, so they’re always appreciative to see them, and that’s why these women are willing to come out here and do these shows at the Ice Palace.

______

Lynda Marchese




Retired Astrophysicist

When did you first see her live? I saw her do “Evita” years ago and I was mesmerized. I don’t even like musicals. I’m not like the guys here.

What do you make of her performing here? This place started out as a sea shack for good times by the ocean. Everyone was doing poppers and having fun. But Cherry Grove has been changing. Lots of straight people from the city have been buying places here, changing our community’s culture.

______

Josh Prete

Whiskey Salesman

Any song you’d like to hear? Anything from “Sunset Boulevard.” It holds a special place for LuPone fans because Patti was infamously fired from her role and replaced with Glenn Close. So hearing Patti sing anything from it would be special and rare.

______

Ben Rimalower

Cabaret Director

Why do you love Patti? Her ferocity. Everyone throws that term around now but she’s the real thing. She’s a tiger. Patti would cut you. Whereas Minnelli is there to delight, Patti commands you and makes you afraid of what you might miss if you take your eyes off her for even one second.

If you could spend a day with Patti, what would you do? I wish a reality television show camera followed her. I would watch it all day.

______

Adam Feldman

Theater Critic

Why do you love Patti? Because her voice is a unique musical instrument and she’s maintained it to an astonishing degree. When other stars do cabaret shows they can sound diminished, but not Patti. She’s also old-school in a way that Broadway doesn’t reward so much anymore. She plays by her own rules.

______

Yvonne LaViale

Retired Property Manager

Any tune you’d like to hear? “The Ladies Who Lunch.” There’s no one like Elaine Stritch, but Patti is the only one who can sing it with the same feel as Stritch.

______

Michael Fisher and Gary Sacks

Cherry Grove residents

You’re longtime Cherry Grove residents. What do you make of Patti’s playing here?

MF: The Ice Palace is where gay men used to come to discover their sexuality. It only makes sense for Patti to play here, to perform for her most devoted following.

GS: We love Patti and it’s beautiful to see her come to our community. I hope she sings “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” Because when she sings that, I want to cry.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.











Today's News

September 1, 2023

U.S. seeks to block recovery of Titanic artifacts

Henry Timms wants to tear down walls at Lincoln Center

Richard Ekstract, magazine publisher with link to Warhol, dies at 92

Investigators seize 'Marcus Aurelius' statue from Cleveland museum

Bonhams to offer collection from leading Asian art dealer & collector

Decades after dictatorship, Chile mounts search for hundreds who vanished

Oil painting by Louis C. Tiffany brings $108,900 in Ahlers & Ogletree sale

The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston announces appointment of Erika Umali as Curator of Collections

Museum Folkwang to exhibit classic masterpieces by Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso

Venice Film Festival: No Zendaya as the strikes change the picture

First North American museum exhibition dedicated to Korean Experimental art on view at the Guggenheim

Mandy El-Sayegh transforms spaces at Thaddaeus Ropac London for her first solo exhibition there

Patti LuPone sings for the LuPonettes

Cousins (and co-authors) write a love letter to New York

Sadie Dupuis confronts her darkest memories on Speedy Ortiz's new LP

'Reggie Burrows Hodges: Turning a Big Ship' features new suite of works at Addison Gallery of American Art

"Claire Morgan: I only dared to touch you once I knew that you were dead" now open at Galerie Karsten Greve

Robert Kelly's 'The Pearl Diver and Other Stories...' opens at Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

'Timothy Barr: My Nature' exhibition of new paintings now on view at LewAllen Galleries

Two-part solo exhibition by Swiss artist Rebekka Steiger begins today in Zurich and next week in Lucerne

Extraordinary writers find new meaning in Stanley Museum of Art collection

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum awards 24th Rappaport Prize to artist Tomashi Jackson

In Chicago, keeping the heritage of Black dance moving

The Benefits of ADP Payroll: Streamlining Your Payroll Process




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful