An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin Comes to Toronto 02/09 - 02/14

Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone are arguably some of Broadway's biggest names and both amazing performers in their own right. Put them together and you have what is guaranteed to be an amazing night full of laughter and incredible music. For five days starting February 9th, 2010 Toronto will have the opportunity to watch these two shine on stage when their two person show An Evening with Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone hits the stage at The Royal Alexandra Theatre.

Mandy Patinkin and Patti LuPone have not been on stage together since their Tony Award winning performances in Evita back in 1980. Throughout the run of this production, emphasis has been put on keeping the content of the show secretive, as Mr. Patinkin believes in surprising an audience. I was lucky enough to catch the show when it toured through Detroit in early 2009 and am looking forward to seeing if there are any changes or new surprises in store for Toronto audiences. What I can disclose is that it will be an evening full of popular Broadway songs as well as some lesser known tunes, all put together with a distinct purpose. The focus will likely be on works by Richard Rodgers and Stephen Sondheim, with some surprises thrown in. Ann Reinking, who won a Tony for her work on the Chicago Revival, is handling the choreography, so one can expect to see some surprises in more than just the vocal performances.

In order to stay in keeping with Mr. Patinkin's approach of surprising the audience I don't want to say much regarding the show itself, but I would strongly encourage anyone in the area to try and catch the show while it's in Toronto. For theatre lovers especially, this really is a once in a lifetime experience. One of the most interesting aspects of the show is the unique feel that the evening has. It is almost akin to being transported back to a different era, and the chemistry between Ms. LuPone and Mr. Patinkin is palpable, with their voices as strong as ever.

One thing that I did notice in Detroit was that the audience consisted of a much older crowd, and I want to strongly encourage younger audiences to come out and give this show a try. This is something that you don't often see on the Broadway stage, and while more mature audiences will likely enjoy it as a trip down memory lane, for a younger crowd it can be an eye opening experience to a different era and style of music they may not yet have had the opportunity to experience. No matter what, you can't go wrong with old classics performed by long-time stars of the stage and screen, who (perhaps most importantly) clearly love and appreciate the music they are singing.

When and Where?

An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin
Royal Alexandra Theatre
260 King Street West, Toronto, ON

Performance Schedule:
Tues-Sat 8 PM; Sun 3 PM

Tickets range from $28-$150 and can be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 416.872.1212 or online at www.mirvish.com

For more information please visit www.mirvish.com

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