sweet angels and david yurman...
So, LA is very fun thus far. I went shopping today with my Uncle Shawn and went to a Lush store out here...very different. This girl that works there goes to NYU too! How ironic. My Uncle got me a gorgeous David Yurman jewelry set. I love it! AND I got to see wonderful Jeanine (one of my Uncles' closest friend), who is too fabulous to even start describing.
LA is so different. I have decided it's very fun for vacation, but New York is my city. I'm so excited to not drive. AHHHHH. I can't wait.
Oh, and I found a wonerful review of Patti in Gypsy:
"For many years the theater community wondered why Tony Award winning actress Patti LuPone had never been cast as Mama Rose in the various revivals of the legendary musical GYPSY. It seemed like this big-voiced diva was so very right for this part in so many ways: vocally, dramatically and physically. Finally, the part and the actress were brought together at Ravinia's Music Festival and the results surpassed expectations. The three performances that were given at this open air venue will not soon be forgotten by anyone in attendance.
From the moment Ms LuPone walked down the aisle, dog in hand, uttering that famous line. "Sing out, Louise!" the audience knew that something special was taking place. Here, the right actress and the right part meshed in an almost super human way which electrified everyone who was in the vicinity. Closer in appearance to the historical Rose Hovick than the other great ladies of the theater who have played the role, Ms LuPone looked smashing in the period costumes created by Tracy Christensen. There's never been any doubt that this petite dynamo could dominate a stage; and here she did it to perfection. She badgered and bossed anyone who stood in the way of her children's' success and this was never more evident than in the scene in the office of Mr. J. J. Ganzinger, LuPone actually seemed to grow in stature as she stood up to the formidable secretary played with equal effectiveness by Rengin Altay. The tension created by the two actresses became palpable as they stood their respective grounds. As effective as the scene was, it was just a harbinger of the dramatic fireworks that were to follow in a musical that is chock full of dramatic tension.
As the plot continued to develop, there were even more dramatic moments that were fully realized by Ms LuPone: notably the scene that culminates the first act. Here Madam Rose has received a letter informing her that her youngest daughter (and the star of their vaudeville act) has eloped with one of the boys in the cast. Ms. LuPone's face was a study of emotion as she sat on a bench with the letter in hand. She was not only a heartbroken mother, but a distressed producer simultaneously. While other characters carried on with their dialogue, Ms. LuPone commanded the scene in her silence. When she did rise to speak to her other daughter, her line "I'm gonna make you a star" became a terrifying embodiment of the character's determination, culminating in a gut-wrenching rendition of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" that brought he house down.
Speaking of her singing, Ms LuPone seems to defy the laws of nature and is vocally better than she was years ago. Her voice can be velvet the most romantic passages and then belt out with a gusto that rivals Ethel Merman-- for whom the role of Rose was written. In Ms LuPone's performance, "Small World" was delivered with beautiful luster, while "You'll Never Get Away From Me" was packed with comic invention. Of course, the truest test of any actress playing Mama Rose is the show's climactic number, "Rose's Turn" which is something of a musical psychological breakdown for the character. LuPone attacked the scene with gusto and performed it with a ferocious intensity that scorched the stage. At the number's conclusion the audience didn't rise from their seats, they shot up to deliver one of the most well-deserved standing ovations in recent memory. It was a good two minutes before the frenzy died down and the crowd returned to their seats. "
YAY!!
LA is so different. I have decided it's very fun for vacation, but New York is my city. I'm so excited to not drive. AHHHHH. I can't wait.
Oh, and I found a wonerful review of Patti in Gypsy:
"For many years the theater community wondered why Tony Award winning actress Patti LuPone had never been cast as Mama Rose in the various revivals of the legendary musical GYPSY. It seemed like this big-voiced diva was so very right for this part in so many ways: vocally, dramatically and physically. Finally, the part and the actress were brought together at Ravinia's Music Festival and the results surpassed expectations. The three performances that were given at this open air venue will not soon be forgotten by anyone in attendance.
From the moment Ms LuPone walked down the aisle, dog in hand, uttering that famous line. "Sing out, Louise!" the audience knew that something special was taking place. Here, the right actress and the right part meshed in an almost super human way which electrified everyone who was in the vicinity. Closer in appearance to the historical Rose Hovick than the other great ladies of the theater who have played the role, Ms LuPone looked smashing in the period costumes created by Tracy Christensen. There's never been any doubt that this petite dynamo could dominate a stage; and here she did it to perfection. She badgered and bossed anyone who stood in the way of her children's' success and this was never more evident than in the scene in the office of Mr. J. J. Ganzinger, LuPone actually seemed to grow in stature as she stood up to the formidable secretary played with equal effectiveness by Rengin Altay. The tension created by the two actresses became palpable as they stood their respective grounds. As effective as the scene was, it was just a harbinger of the dramatic fireworks that were to follow in a musical that is chock full of dramatic tension.
As the plot continued to develop, there were even more dramatic moments that were fully realized by Ms LuPone: notably the scene that culminates the first act. Here Madam Rose has received a letter informing her that her youngest daughter (and the star of their vaudeville act) has eloped with one of the boys in the cast. Ms. LuPone's face was a study of emotion as she sat on a bench with the letter in hand. She was not only a heartbroken mother, but a distressed producer simultaneously. While other characters carried on with their dialogue, Ms. LuPone commanded the scene in her silence. When she did rise to speak to her other daughter, her line "I'm gonna make you a star" became a terrifying embodiment of the character's determination, culminating in a gut-wrenching rendition of "Everything's Coming Up Roses" that brought he house down.
Speaking of her singing, Ms LuPone seems to defy the laws of nature and is vocally better than she was years ago. Her voice can be velvet the most romantic passages and then belt out with a gusto that rivals Ethel Merman-- for whom the role of Rose was written. In Ms LuPone's performance, "Small World" was delivered with beautiful luster, while "You'll Never Get Away From Me" was packed with comic invention. Of course, the truest test of any actress playing Mama Rose is the show's climactic number, "Rose's Turn" which is something of a musical psychological breakdown for the character. LuPone attacked the scene with gusto and performed it with a ferocious intensity that scorched the stage. At the number's conclusion the audience didn't rise from their seats, they shot up to deliver one of the most well-deserved standing ovations in recent memory. It was a good two minutes before the frenzy died down and the crowd returned to their seats. "
YAY!!