LuPone and Patinkin Reunite and Reignite the Stage in Los Angeles

They starred together 30 years ago in the smash hit Evita, and for one week only, at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, theatre legends Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin reunite on stage in a love letter to the theatre which also celebrates their decades-long friendship.  The resulting two-hour event is an unforgettable performance that makes you feel privileged to have had the experience.

The best thing about "A Night with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin" is watching the sheer joy that both Ms. Lupone and Mr. Patinkin exude as the move around the elegantly understated stage, decorated simply with a variety of theatre ghost lights.   As the evening progresses and they deliver rousing number after number with infectious joy, you feel as though you’ve stumbled upon these two virtuosos hanging out in their living room with a bottle of wine and a collection of cast albums.  Like two friends reminiscing, they act out scenes and sing their favorite songs to each other, and when they forget a lyric or two, simply laugh it off with a sense of fun, like a musical Nichols and May.

From Sondheim to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lloyd Webber to Kander and Ebb, they deftly segue from some of the greatest songs ever written for the theatre.  With only a piano and bass to accompany them, Lupone and Patinkin sing non-stop for two hours, as if performing the world’s longest musical medley, creatively weaving classics and modern classics together to create this unique theatrical event.  Highlights include Company’s “Getting Married Today” interpolated with “Loving You” from Passion, which makes the lyrics of both songs even more poignant.   Additionally, inventive choreography from Ann Reinking brings even more delight to the evening, most notably in the number, “April in Fairbanks,” which finds our two principals “dancing” in wheeled office chairs, culminating in an incomparable and hilarious kickline.

In all, “A Night with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin” leaves you in awe of the incredible talent of these two headliners, and happy to have simply had the opportunity to witness these two friends having a ball together.

Patinkin, who conceived with event with music director Paul Ford, also acts as director, with David Korins credited as Production Designer and Eric Cromwell as lighting designer. 

Tickets for “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin” are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at CenterTheatreGroup.org. Tickets can also be obtained in person at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Music Center.  For groups, call (213) 972-7231.