I hated this show. If you love Patti save your money and see her when she headlines alone. Mandy is a colossal egomaniacal bore who chews the scenery and schticks his ways through the whole affair. He drags Patti down with him in their boring selection of songs and monologues. The spare piano and laughable choreography make this all the worse. Not worth the high ticket price IMO.
"The sexual energy between the mother and son really concerns me!"-random woman behind me at Next to Normal
"I want to meet him after and bang him!"-random woman who exposed her breasts at Rock of Ages, referring to James Carpinello
All I want is to see Patti LIVE! I really don't care what anyone says.
I almost look at this as the way I saw Deuce. It's not the script or story or how good the show is, its because Angela Lansbury was in it...(God forgive me) But who knows how long she is going to last...It was just to say, I saw Angela Lansbury LIVE!
"Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok. Have you guys heard about fidget spinners!?" ~Patti LuPone
I saw them when they had their show in Cleveland for a few weeks in May. I'll admit that from the description/fan reviews I read beforehand online, I was a bit hesitant, but I ended up enjoying the show for the most part.
Yes, it's got some slow moments, and obscure showtunes I was unfamiliar with (and admittedly bored by), but there are some great moments! Patti singing "Not Getting Married Today" was almost worth the ticket price alone.
I found that the sparse staging and set work rather well, and yes, the show is obviously and undoubtedly an ego trip for both Patti and Mandy, but they're two performers who are dedicated to their craft, and it comes off when you see them together.
Is it the best thing you'll ever see? Not in the least bit. But is it worth it to check out? Definitely. They don't make it around everywhere very often... so as fashionguru_23 says, go see them LIVE and in person if you have the chance! Buy a cheaper seat if you're not sure.
"I'm seeing the LuPone in Key West later this week. I'm hoping for great vocals and some sort of insane breakdown..." - BenjaminNicholas2
"Mandy is a colossal egomaniacal bore who chews the scenery and schticks his ways through the whole affair."
See, that's what I love about Mandy. When he's excellent, he's excellent (Sunday in the Park with George). But even when he's a self-indulgent trainwreck, it's still fun to watch.
I wish they just sang songs, and actually talked to the audience in between times, instead of creating some sort of strange jukebox 'musical'. (It felt pretty cold)
But I don't regret paying - seeing both live in Australia seems a rare treat - I enjoyed 'Roses' and Mandy's criticised performance of "Buddy's Blues" (It was very similar to the 85 concert CD recording performance) especially.
It was pretty funny at the end they were singing 'a cappella'/without Mics, and Mandy went ridiculously high, everyone laughed – he stopped – and was a little embarrassed (hopefully this was a genuine mistake and not some kind of rehearsed charm). Oh I also got a kick out of seeing Paul Ford and thinking about how involved he in past Sondheim shows/recording (piano-wise). Maybe it's sad and says something about the show if this was a highlight, though.
The other thing I found strange was Mandy seemed to overpower Patti at times...they should have adjusted the Mics or something. Please Mandy - you're a gimmicky sidekick, it is Patti we want to hear!
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
I agree with you Magdalene. I'm looking forward to seeing her and whatshisname here in Austin in March 2010. from RC in Austin, Texas...oh... I need to get a ticket for Wicked in San Francisco.. I'm going there Dec. 20th - 23rd.
"Noel [Coward] and I were in Paris once. Adjoining rooms, of course. One night, I felt mischievous, so I knocked on Noel's door, and he asked, 'Who is it?' I lowered my voice and said 'Hotel detective. Have you got a gentleman in your room?' He answered, 'Just a minute, I'll ask him.'" (Beatrice Lillie)