LuPone to Perform in New Heggie Work in 3 CA Cities

By: Aug. 01, 2006
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Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone, currently on Broadway as Sweeney Todd's Mrs. Lovett, will headline Jake Heggie's To Hell and Back at a number of California venues from November 2nd through November 5th.

According to Heggie's website, To Hell and Back is a "short lyric drama" based on "The Rape of Persephone."  LuPone will join soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian for the performances, which will also feature the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, led by Nicholas McGegan. 

To Hell and Back will feature music by Heggie--who wrote the opera Dead Man Walking with Terrence McNally--and a libretto by Gene Scheer. 

LuPone,, who recently released the CD "The Lady with the Torch," has been one of Broadway's foremost leading ladies since her star-making performance in 1979's Evita, for which she won a Tony Award.  She was also recently nominated for her turn in Sweeney Todd.  The star, who graduated from Julliard and was a member of John Houseman's famed Acting Company in the '70s. Broadway credits include Noises Off, The Old Neighborhood, Master Class, Anything Goes (Tony nomination), Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Oliver!, Working, The Three Sisters, The Robber Bridegroom (Tony nomination) and The Beggar's Opera; she has also starred in Pal Joey and Can-Can at Encores! Additionally, she originated the role of Fantine in the London production of Les Miserables, starred as Norma Desmond in the 1993 West End production of Sunset Boulevard (her last appearance in a fully-staged musical), and played Genevieve in the original production of The Baker's Wife.

She will next appear at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago as Rose in Gypsy from August 11th through 13th.

To Hell and Back will be performed on Thursday, November 2, 8:00 pm, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View, CA, on Friday, November 3, 8:00 pm, at the Herbst Theatre, in San Francisco, CA, on Saturday, November 4, 8:00 pm, at the First Congregational Church, Berkeley, CA, and on Sunday, November 5, 7:30 pm, at the First Congregational Church, in Berkeley, CA.

Visit www.jakeheggie.com or www.philharmonia.org for more information.  For more on LuPone, visit www.pattilupone.com. 


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