» Patti Lupone at Les Mouches

Patti Lupone at Les Mouches Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: THIS IS SHOWBIZ HISTORY!
Comment: Anyone who is a Patti LuPone fan or is interested in cabaret should pick
up this exuberant CD. No, the sound isn't state of the art, but when you
consider that it was compiled from OLD CASSETTE RECORDINGS that were found
in a shoebox somewhere, the producers and engineers did a heck of a job
getting it to sound as good as it does. If you can get past that, you will hear a performance that is as energetic and heartfelt as anything out
there. At the time it was recorded, Patti was the toast of Broadway, starring in "Evita". She performed this act every Saturday night at midnight (after finishing "Evita" for the night) for half a year and it was
the hottest thing in town. I was living in NYC at the time (I still live
here) and you couldn't go anywhere without seeing the posters for this
show. Her singing is vibrant, real, warm, engaging and her choice of
material is eclectic and risky, and it works. On the one hand, you have
songs you'd expect her to sing, like "Rainbow High" or "Meadowlark", and
then she does things like Patti Smith's "Because The Night" or a reimagined version of Pet Clark's "Downtown", all with great results. This is a rare example of a cabaret performer doing the unexpected, and boy does she pull it off! The CD booklet is filled with reviews of the
show, rare photos and memorabilia, and interesting essays. All in all,
they could not have done a better job considering the age and source of
the material. Get this CD and hear a living Broadway Legend enjoying the
first peak of a long and dazzling career. Go, Patti!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Lupone Rocks The House
Comment: She is the diva! Patti sounds wonderful in this most priceless find. This CD has been restored to perfection from analog tape recorded almost thirty years ago! The sound quality is wonderful as is Patti belting out some really great music. She has since become a legend and will remain so. I treasure her and this CD. Bravo!!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Eva with her hair down
Comment: Patti Lupone's been a singing force for years now, as is proven by her latest and most interesting find "Patti Lupone at Les Mouches".

As the liner notes say, her involvement with Les Mouches came after a noticable lack of applause during her now infamous and Tony winning run as Eva Peron in Evita. Somehow, after performing for over two hours in a B'way show in the lead, Lupone had enough voice and gumption to perform in a more intimate show, which is this one.

Lupone in the recording is surprising. At first, with her between song banter, she sounds girlish and not quite the professional of her later years. But then, as she gets into her act, her powerful voice grows and booms out some of her songs. When she gets to the career defining "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", she's in full form.

Some reviewers have complained about the quality of the recording. Is it 2008 sound standard? No. This is from found tape, recorded nearly thirty years ago now. It's amazing to me the sound is what it is. There is not one song distorted to the point of unenjoyment. It's Patti, and her powerful voice is one to awe in. Her song selection is representative of her career up to 1980.

This CD is for Broadway lovers, musical historians, and those who appreciate hearing singers with just a piano and a microphone, and a mighty set of lungs.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: someone trying to make a buck
Comment: The sound quality is poor. The singing is shrill. The selections are sometimes obscure. I threw away the money on this disc and will never play it again. There must be someone in my family I can pawn it off on as a white elephant gift this Christmas.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Wow and again I say Wow!
Comment: Knock me out and prop me up. I was taken by delightful shock over the clarity of this CD, the stand-up jokes delivered by Patti, and her most overwhelming powerful performance. I can only dream that I was there. I was probably down the block at the same time she was recording that night. This CD will take you back to that night and you will relive a flawless moment in history. Thank the Lord for this diva's gifts. She remains to this day as one of the best female vocalists we know. We drove to Denver last November to see her perform at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House's Anniversary Gala. Well worth the scenic drive and Denver is an artistic, entertaining and beautiful city. Seeing Patti overtake the dull and stuffy opera crowd was amazing. Click...click..click and buy...buy...buy.

---