Patti Lupone in Annie Get Your Gun at Ravinia

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 8/13/10 at 11:11am

So i'm too lazy to write like a full review, but I will say from last night (final dress) it is tragic when you see George Hearn mess up the lyrics to "There's no Business Like Show Business." Also, the only lyrics of "Doin What Comes Natur'lly" I could understand from Patti were "doin' what comes natur'lly." Overall, I would say pretty good production, I had a blast. It was a helluva rush just being there.

[broadwayworldreader]

Posted: 8/13/10 at 1:17pm

Anyone else on here see final dress or goin to see the show this weekend? Let me know what you think.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 1:34am

I saw the performance tonight. George Hearn was spot-on with lyrics and just all-around adorable. Patti only had a few little line flubs, but nothing show-halting. She charmed the pants off of everyone in the pavilion. It was weird watching her and her son playing characters who were supposed to be roughly the same age. But hey, Merman was no spring chicken either. Another thing- Suzanne Sole played Dolly Tate as if SHE WAS Patti LuPone. Their scenes together were bizarrely mesmerizing.

Paul Gemignani and Lonny Price can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. It was perfectly-paced and totally engaging storytelling.

Updated On: 8/14/10 at 01:34 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 1:50am

Lonny Price CAN do wrong and does so quite frequently.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:04am

*cough* Camelot *cough*

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:07am

*Shudder*

If you say it in the mirror three times, I hear Gabriel Byrne will appear and try to sing.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:11am

Forgot about Camelot. Yeah, that one sucked.

[JeaniusIsMe]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 2:43am

I was at the show tonight. Here's a quick rundown of my thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by Patrick Cassidy holding his own. I thought George Hearn was adorable as well. Really liked Joseph Anthony Foronda as Sitting Bull (I always seem to love his performances). My only real gripe was Patti in act one. She just didn't click for me at all- the singing was a bit off, the character was a bit off. Just didn't work. Then, in act two, it was like a light when on and she was absolutely wonderful. But, despite the awful weather, I had a good time.

[binau]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 6:27am

Is Patti's next role dot?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 8:38am

She's already signed on as Little Red next summer.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 9:24am

Annie Get Your Geritol

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 9:32am

Bettyboy, that's just cruel. You obviouslyhave no respect for stars of the legitimate theatuh.

[pc1145N2]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 11:53am

I thought this production was wonderful. At times it got a bit distracting because of the sound of the heavy rain but still it was a phenominal evening of entertainment. I do admit however, not being thrilled by Patrick Cassidy. I repeatedly kept thinking about how it would have been if Brian Stokes Mitchell had been the lead as originally announced.

Semi-side note: I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the second row and could see the actors quite well. Wow, Patrick Cassidy looks a lot like this father!

[Brick]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 1:02pm

It's a concert, people.

Clearly she isn't age appropriate for the part, which is why she isn't playing it. She's doing a concert version. It's also a role she did in the late 90s with Peter Gallagher.

Posted: 8/14/10 at 3:13pm

The correct insult for this situation is "Granny Get Your Gun."

It was rather amusing when Sondheim was in town recently giving a talk and the subject came up and he lambasted Merman for, among other things, playing "Annie" when she was in her 60's. There was a full-page ad trumpeting LuPone doing the very same thing in the program.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 6:07pm

I saw Merman's matronly ANNIE. She had put on quite a bit around the mid-section and had more chins than a Chinese phone book at the time. Her biggest problem was that she was playing opposite the very youthful Bruce Yarnell and that only made things worse. (Sadly, Yarnell died much too prematurely.)

At Ravinia, the show's being done in a (mostly) concert format. One can forgive the cruelties of the aging process in a concert, can't one?

Posted: 8/14/10 at 6:09pm

Didn't they have seventy-something John Cullum playing the teen-to-thirtyish King Arthur last year?

[alterego]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 10:14pm

Surely Patti Lupone must be the oldest ANNIE ever.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 10:18pm

These pictures just make me feel weird.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 10:20pm

It's a semi-staged concert. People really need to chill.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 11:09pm

...I think she looks adorable.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 8/14/10 at 11:19pm

I would love to see this.

Hopefully someone taped it .... oops , I didn't say that.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 8/15/10 at 12:48am

I just got back from tonight's performance. I really had no problem with her age. She was great in the role. I was surprised with how much staging was done, considering it was a concert production. The set was just a bunch of wooden suitcases that moved around, but I felt like it was a full staging. Patti was great with the humor in the role, as was the rest of the cast. She signed programs after the show, and I was so excited to see her, but I have never stage-doored, so this was my first time meeting a Broadway star. When she signed my program, I had so much to say to her, but nothing came out. I was thrilled to meet such an amazing woman, and it was the perfect way to end my birthday.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 8/15/10 at 12:57am

I think the costumes and wig make her look pretty youthful. Like late forties, early fifties.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/15/10 at 3:08am

Patti is a very physical actress. When seeing Gypsy two years ago, I believed she was in her 30s and 40s throughout the show because of her physical (movement) transformation.