Westport Country Playhouse to Present Mandy Patinkin In Concert For One Night Only Next Month

Broadway's master song man, Mandy Patinkin, accompanied by Adam Ben-David on piano, will bring his newest theater concert, “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive,” to Westport Country Playhouse for one performance only on Thursday, September 28, at 8 p.m.

“Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive” presents the Tony and Emmy Award-winning actor, singer, and storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “Mandy Patinkin is in the business of show stopping,” said The New Yorker, and that's exactly what he does in this powerful, passionate evening of song. “Being Alive” is a marriage of many of Patinkin's favorite Broadway and classic American tunes, along with selections from his newest recordings on Nonesuch Records, “Mandy Patinkin Diary January 2018” and “Mandy Patinkin Diary April/May 2018.” From Randy Newman to Stephen Sondheim, from Harry Chapin to Rufus Wainwright, Patinkin takes the audience on a dazzling musical journey they'll never forget.

Patinkin has been fortunate to carve out a varied career including theater, the concert stage, film, television, and as a recording artist. In his 1980 Broadway debut, Patinkin won a Tony Award for his role as Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's “Evita” and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role as George in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, “Sunday in the Park with George.”  Patinkin's other stage credits include: “Compulsion,” “Paradise Found,” “The Tempest,” “Enemy of the People,” “The Wild Party,” “Falsettos,” “The Secret Garden,” “The Winter's Tale,” “The Knife,” “Leave It to Beaver Is Dead,” “Rebel Women,” “Hamlet,” “Trelawney of the 'Wells',” “The Shadow Box,” “The Split, ”Savages,” and “Henry IV, Part I.” 

In 1989, Patinkin began his concert career at Joseph Papp's Public Theater in New York City.  Since then he has toured his various solo concerts across North America, in London's West End, through Australia and New Zealand, as well as on Broadway and Off-Broadway. His most recent solo concert was “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Diaries.” In addition to solo concerts, Patinkin has created collaborations with artists including opera star Nathan Gunn in “An Evening with Mandy Patinkin & Nathan Gunn,” touring the US, Australia, and New Zealand; with his dear friend Patti LuPone in “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin,” which has toured since 2007 and played Broadway in 2012; “Bridges,” a concert with musicians from various countries in the Middle East; and most recently, “The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville,” with Taylor Mac, and direction by Susan Stroman.

Patinkin's feature films include “Before You Know It,” “Life Itself,” “Wonder,” “Smurfs: The Lost Village,” “The Queen of Spain,” “Ali and Nino,” “Wish I Was Here,” “The Wind Rises,” “Everybody's Hero,” “The Choking Man,” “Pinero,” “The Adventures of Elmo In Grouchland,” “Lulu on the Bridge,” “Men with Guns,” “The Princess Bride,” “Yentl,” “The Music of Chance,” “Daniel,” “Ragtime,” “Impromptu,” “The Doctor,” “Alien Nation,” “Dick Tracy,” “The House on Carroll Street,” “True Colors,” and “Maxie.”

In television, Patinkin was recently seen as Judge Wackner in the Paramount+ series “The Good Fight.” He won a 1995 Emmy Award for his performance in the CBS series ”Chicago Hope,” and starred in the CBS series “Criminal Minds” and in the Showtime Original Series “Dead Like Me” and “Homeland” as CIA Agent Saul Berenson.

As a recording artist on CBS Records, Patinkin released two solo albums, “Mandy Patinkin” and “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual.”  Recently on the Nonesuch label, Patinkin recorded three digital albums “Mandy Patinkin: Diary January 2018,” “Mandy Patinkin Diary April/May 2018,” and “Mandy Patinkin Diary December 2018.” Also with Nonesuch are “Experiment,” “Oscar & Steve,” “Kidults,” and “Mandy Patinkin Sings Sondheim.” In 1998 he debuted his most personal project, “Mamaloshen,” a collection of traditional, classic and contemporary songs sung entirely in Yiddish. The recording of “Mamaloshen” won the Deutschen Schallplattenpreis (Germany's equivalent of the Grammy Award).  On October 25, 2022, Nonesuch Records released Mandy Patinkin's “Children and Art.”  The songs were recorded in New York with pianist/producer Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman); several have been previewed over the last two years as part of the digital “Diary” series.

As diverse as his professional life has been, Patinkin's education in the field of social activism has been even more varied and continues to evolve. He has helped raise funds for organizations dear to his heart including Brady Campaign, PAX, Association to Benefit Children, American Jewish World Service, Search For Common Ground, National Dance Institute, and ACLU.  Patinkin is a board member of the Arava Institute and continues to work with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), highlighting the plight of refugees worldwide.

Patinkin resides in New York City with his wife, actress and writer Kathryn Grody.

Adam Ben-David, piano accompanist, has been living his “bucket list” dream of accompanying Mandy Patinkin in concert since 2016. He has been active as an arranger, music director, conductor, and pianist on Broadway for the past 22 years. Ben-David's credits include: “The Book of Mormon,” “Jersey Boys,” “Spring Awakening,” “Wicked,” “High Fidelity,” “The Light in the Piazza,” “Bombay Dreams,” “Aida,” and “Once Upon a Mattress.” He has accompanied numerous artists including Kelli O'Hara, Jarrod Spector, James Taylor, Patti LuPone, and Megan Hilty. Ben-David is currently composing a theatrical adaptation of the children's classic “From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.”  He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.

Running time is 80-100 minutes; no intermission. For full details on “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive,” visit: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/mandy-patinkin-in-concert/

Tickets, at $175 and $150, may be purchased at the link below.

This event is sponsored by Roz and Bud Siegel. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.

A complete schedule of Playhouse events is available at westportplayhouse.org. All play titles, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

For Westport Country Playhouse information and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), Instagram (wcplayhouse), and YouTube (WestportPlayhouse). Westport Country Playhouse is located at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. 

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus