Patti LuPone Singing "With One Look" | Sunset Boulevard London 1993 | Press Footage

[@trex1563]

It's like Callas. You hear ANYONE else in the role, and it's just not right. As for those keys at the end, no other Norma in the world could or did sing them. The whole show was up there. Sunset Boulevard was a flawed work but it was never a more exciting piece of theatre than that first production, helmed by the greatest, undisputed Broadway star of her era.

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

THIS!!! THIS!!! Hell yeah!

[@oscar646]

Well said❤

[@douglasduff4466]

Completely agree. I met Patti in her Dressing Room at the Adelphi - she was just lovely.

[@Kurtperry41]

There have been some productions in Germany and the Netherlands with Pia Dowes that use Patti’s keys, she’s wonderful!

[@hunterkovacs6071]

Linda Balgord (RIP) used Patti’s key for this!

[@teainortakoy]

I've always loved Patti. Back in 1994 when I was 20, I flew from England to New York to see her in her Broadway concert at the Walter Kerr. I wouldn't do it now but I asked if I could go backstage and give her the gift I bought her and I asked on the last night I was there if I could go backstage again to say good-bye!! Patti let me come backstage both nights, sat on the sofa and chatted, she was so sweet and kind. Whenever I've seen her in London and NY, at stage door, she always makes time for everyone. I've always loved her for that.

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

That's exactly what we love so much about her as well! She always has time for her fans, which is rather rare. We've been at stage doors where Patti spent an hour signing stuff and chatting with her fans. It's wonderful. She's one of the nicest and sweetest people we've ever met!

[@teainortakoy]

@@TheLuPoneDolls yes, thats my experience of her at stage door. The only one time she was trying to rush off was when she was wanting to go to the pub in London before it closed. All you could hear was Patti saying numerous times "I'm sorry, I gotta go to the pub" Haha! It made everyone smile and she still quickly spoke to everyone from what I remember.

[@bigred8432]

There are countless performers with a lot of time for fans. You can praise Lupone without saying nonsense like it’s rare

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

@@bigred8432 It's actually quite rare that performers take that much time for their fans. It's also quite rare that celebs always send back the stuff you've sent them to sign and sometimes even pay for the postage, which Patti does.

[@bigred8432]

@@TheLuPoneDolls There are thousands, upon thousands of performers on the planet. You are talking, I assume of your own experience which is going to be with a very small percentage of the thousands of performers. To say something is rare, with such skewed evidence is foolhardy

[@fadingnebulous]

Glenn Close’s interpretation makes you understand the character, the hunger, the ambition, the limitations that confined her as an artist and the range she has yet to show. Patti LaPone’s interpretation makes you understand the intention of the lyricist and composer, what they wanted to accomplish with the show, what they wanted to accomplish as artists. Very different interpretations. Both are excellent.

[@EmilyGloeggler7984]

You are entitled to your subjective opinion.

[@arnoldodelgado8703]

I could not agree more. Mrs Luppone is a great singer but Mrs Close is an interpreter, the finest actress this song really needs.

[@balabanov11]

No one has ever sung that better, and no one ever will.

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

AGREED!

[@sxnico]

Glenn did.

[@LucasFerreira-rl9nd]

Perfect. The only word to describe Patti LuPone is, Perfect.

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

We absolutely agree!!!!

[@oscar646]

Thrilling, absolutely thrilling! Per the usual with the great Ms. Lupone.

[@PatrickByrne-mt4ig]

Patti is sheer genius, plus she has a magnificent voice.

[@benjtan]

I am very, very fortunate to be able to watch Sunset Boulevard with Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson in 1993 when it just opened. I watched it cold (wasn't familiar with the movie and the story) but was so captivated by the show. Been obsessed since. For me, she is and will always be my Norma Desmond.

[@lukebayer]

OBSESSED!!! 🥹🤩🤩

[@darrenlumby7091]

Still the best sung Norma and in a higher key, without the need to sing Mey!! Superb.

[@oscar646]

My, oh my, oh my! The great Lupone doing as she can always be counted on to do: deliver a thrilling and ultra moving performance!

[@oscar646]

What Ms. Streisand said early on of herself is equably applicable to Ms. Lupone, “I am not a singer. I am an actress who sings.”

[@kevinwilson3609]

Patti says the same thing

[@greeley56]

But Barbra has a beautiful voice . Patti can sing in a theater but her tone is not really pretty just loud and aggressive which works great for the roles she plays. Barbra can sing the phone book and make it sound beautiful

[@kevinwilson3609]

@@greeley56 1. No one wants to listen to Barbra or anyone sing a phone book. 2. If all you think Patti does is sing loud then you have not heard her full repertoire. Patti has one of the most beautiful voices ever, whether belting, soprano. nearly whispering, etc.

[@greeley56]

We agree to disagree I just don’t find Pattis voice pretty even her lower tones jmo

[@arnoldodelgado8703]

I do not think so. With the exception of Ladies who lunch, Luppone is much more singer than actress. She is always worried of showing everybody how incredible her voice is.

[@kevinwilson3609]

In the david froat interview in 1991 when he was composing Sunset, ALW played a verse of WOL and said it needed a mix of Sarah Brightman, Kiri Te Kanawa and Liza Minelli to sing it. He chose Patti

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

We don't know if Patti's a mix of those. Patti is Patti with a unique voice. ALW wanted Patti for the role after he heard her singing With One Look for the first time in 1992. He obviously chose the right person but he turned out to be terrible asshole, as we all know! And he still is.

[@kevinwilson3609]

@@TheLuPoneDolls The point he was making was someone who could sing beautifully like Brightman, powerfully like Te Kanawa and with all the Broadway pizzazz of Minelli = Patti

[@peacopeaco]

❤ Patti Lupone!

[@milaoliveirasep]

so much talent. it's unreal. patti is the goat ❤

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

You've got everything right💯😎🥰

[@GaryDubois-g4f]

I see her acting. Don't know what that other commentator is talking about.

[@jrdonasco2331]

Glen Close, who?

[@hefinrosser8685]

Is it just me, or is Trevor Nunns direction just bad? We have a big set so just walk around !get from point A to point B!

[@royperez8965]

Petula better

[@greeley56]

I am surprised she just walked around singing it beautifully but no acting at all just walking around staring ...very disappointing

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

We take it you don't know the play, nor the role and apparently you don't know anything about acting either. Very disappointing....

[@bigred8432]

It’s very oddly staged indeed. And there is no emotional journey here. It was definitely better live but this was early on and she was still figuring things out. There isn’t much to work with when it’s been directed like this

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

@@bigred8432 Fun fact, this is a press reel, filmed before the show even opened. In the original staging Joe is there too and it's quite different from the press reel footage.

[@bigred8432]

Perhaps you could have answered the original poster with such generosity? Or were you off your meds?

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

@@bigred8432 Sorry, but dumb comments deserve equal answers. But we see now, you're of the same sort apparently. The meds comment couldn't be dumber and shows how immature you are. While we don't take any meds, there are people who do and this can be trigger for people who have take meds, or are even addictive and try to get off. So think next time.

[@johnflynn9619]

Patti has a Magnificent Voice. But, didn't look like an old movie star. She never should have been cast and then replaced.

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

Back then the rumor spread that Patti was fired because she was too pretty and looked too young. Which wasn't/isn't true ofc. And the role isn't about the looks either. Although towards the end, when Norma goes crazy and her hair is gone she (Patti) definitely looked destroyed and older. The original Norma (Gloria Swanson) was glamorous as well and didn't look bad either. The play takes place in the Golden Age of Hollywood, so the look was right. But Patti was cast because she could sing and act it. That's specifically why ALW cast her! And Fun Fact: Patti's the only one who's sung the score in its original key. They had to lower the key for Glenn Close, because she obviously couldn't/can't really sing and then they kept it.

[@sxnico]

Glenn Close is NORMA DESMOND.

[@joenavan927]

I'm sorry the best Norma is Elaine Page!;)

[@TheLuPoneDolls]

She was OK, definitely better than Glenn Close. But Patti's the only one you sang it in its original key and she was incredible! Second best was Betty Buckley btw. ;)