Christine Ebersole stole the show in War Paint

[Broadway Flash]

She had the best role, and best performance.  Patti was her servant in that show.  Thoughts?

[NOWaWarning]

I’d say they were equally and distinctly great in an underwhelming show.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Couldn’t understand most of what Patti spoke or sang. That definitely gave Christine the edge. I listen to the CD frequently— there’s so much great composing there— still can’t understand most of Patti’s part thru that thick Polish accent.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Dupe

[qolbinau]

Christine had a great catchy melodic entrance song   I love that ‘she’s herrrrrre’ line. and ‘Pink’, which did somewhat steal the show. But Patti had ‘Now You Know’ and in general a much funnier and more complex character in my opinion. So I’d call it even.

[Kad]

It took the first act for me to get used to Patti’s accent, and even then I was getting only about 70% of what she said.

Aside from the ladies’ joint 11 o’clock solos and the final scene in which the show FINALLY gives us what we want- the two divas in the same space, acting opposite each other- War Paint was a tremendous dud.

[BrodyFosse123]

Patti sorting out her jewelry with that grip rod while sitting on the glass bed was worth the price of the ticket.

[Broadway Flash]

They couldn't really act opposite each other since the characters never met in real life unless the writers went fictional which they weren't going for. I personally loved the show, but Christine was the standout. She had the better opening number and by far the better 11 o'clock number.

[qolbinau]

I wish they could have rewritten the music of “Forever Beautiful”.

[ljay889]

Christine undoubtedly got the best song of the show, but Patti had the flashier and funnier role.

[Kad]

Broadway Flash said: "They couldn't really act opposite each other since the characters never met in real life unless the writers went fictional which they weren't going for. I personally loved the show, but Christine was the standout. She had the better opening number and by far the better 11 o'clock number."

Yes,  but dramatic liberties are taken with fictionalized history all the time. Because, frankly, real life is often not dramatically compelling or coherent. 

 

 

[CATSNYrevival]

I liked Patti. She definitely had the funnier lines and the better wardrobe. Each song generally sounded like the last one so I don't see how either of them got a better song than the other. The best songs were when they sang together.

[CT2NYC]

I'm biased, because War Paint was the first time I ever saw Patti on stage, and she exceeded my already very high expectations. I was in heaven hearing that voice live, so, for me, Christine Ebersole couldn't compete. If someone else had played Elizabeth Arden, I wouldn't have cared, but no one looks and sounds like Patti, and I think the show would have been nothing without her.

[Jarethan]

I thought that Patti gave the best musical performance of that season, Bette be-damned.  Her character was more complex, she wrung every bit of humor and pathos there was out of the book.  Both sang well.

I have to admit that, while I am not a Lupone groupie, I think she is much more talented and charismatic than Ebersole.  I just do not get all the Ebersole adoration.  I have seen her give fine performances, but I always felt that a lot of people would have been just as good as her.  There is an 'it' factor that I do not think she has.

Lupone has that 'it' factor in spades.  I have seen no-one approach her as Evita and Reno Sweeney, including Sutton Foster who deserved her Tony award.  Her Rose and Mrs. Lovett were outstanding, and certainly in the first tier of the many performers I have ever seen in those roles.  She made a strong impression as Fantine in Les Mis (which I saw in London)...I have seen many Fantines, and none conveyed the sheer agony she was in.  She was an excellent Nancy in that flop revival of Oliver.  Heck, thinking about it, I just remembered that I saw her in The Robber Bridegroom, a show that I hated, and she was far and away the best thing about it.  

The roles in War Paint required both talent and charisma.  IMO Lupone won both, particularly in stage presence.

[SisterGeorge]

Not much to steal. That said, I saw this at a saturday matinee and Betty Buckley at 54 Below in the evening. It was the gayest birthday I've ever had.

[CATSNYrevival]

I'll say too that everyone here hyped "Pink" so much that when I finally saw it I didn't understand the praise. It wasn't the showstopper I was expecting.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Went to the show for Patti.

Left the theatre unable to stop thinking about Christine's performance.

[Marlothom]

#Justice4AWomansFace 

[ljay889]

CATSNYrevival said: "I'll say too that everyone here hyped "Pink" so much that when I finally saw it I didn't understand the praise. It wasn't the showstopper I was expecting."

What I love about it is that it’s the only song in the score that’s reminiscent of and closest to the magic of “Another Winter in a Summer Town.”

[Dollypop]

I have to agree: underwhelming show

[Impossible2]

The only thing stolen in this show was my 100 bucks.

An utterly screeching ****show x

[qolbinau]

Re: Ebersole. I get she doesn’t make my face light up and smile like Patti or others do - I wouldn’t really want to see her do Hello, Dolly like Patti or anyone else with an ‘it’ factor - but Ebersole’s voice has this very rich, unique timbre that is hard to find elsewhere - if Patti is a brass band Christine is an expensive, very detailed silk cloth found in a rich Parisian penthouse. There is just something so sophisticated, classy and layered about her voice. You can hear it in ‘Pink’ but if that’s not enough listen to Will You? Around the World and Winter Town from Grey Gardens.

[BCfitasafiddle]

Watching her in Grey Gardens right now. Astonishing still to this day.

[imeldasturn]

BCfitasafiddle said: "Watching her in Grey Gardens right now. Astonishing still to this day."

Ben Brantley really got it when he said "watching this performance is the best argument I can think of for the survival of the American musical". To see a performance in a musical as good as Ebersole in Grey Gardens you need to travel back in time to Tyne Daly in Gypsy or even Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd. No musical theatre performance in the past decade has reached the heights of Ebersole's.

[BCfitasafiddle]

imeldasturn said: "BCfitasafiddle said: "Watching her in Grey Gardens right now. Astonishing still to this day."

Ben Brantley really got it when he said "watching this performance is the best argument I can think of for the survival of the American musical". To see a performance in a musical as good as Ebersole in Grey Gardens you need to travel back in time to Tyne Daly inGypsy or even Angela Lansbury in Sweeney Todd. No musical theatre performance in the past decade has reached the heights of Ebersole's."

Just finished watching. I don't even know what to say. I saw her do it on Broadway and obviously knew that I had witnessed history onstage. But watching it this afternoon on a different medium, I still had that feeling of awe and disbelief. That's the type of performance that is a benchmark. My GOD, what she did in that show is ridiculous. I love seeing Ms. Ebersole perform and can't wait to again one day.