Charles Isherwood
Patti LuPone: A Memoir…represents no dazzling literary feat…although the workmanlike prose is enlivened with zesty infusions of gum-chewing New York humor…But nobody reads showbiz autobiographies to discover the next Proust. If a book rings true and shovels a sufficiency of dirt, revealing the pain and grit without quite dousing the glamour, we are satisfied. On both scores Ms. LuPone's book delivers. She comes across as a straight talker, a tireless worker and an occasional tantrum thrower and Valium taker.
—The New York Times
From the Publisher
"Patti’s story had me from the moment I turned to page one of the prologue until the absolutely triumphant final chapter....She tells it like it is, warts and all. And by the time I finished reading the last chapter, I found myself giving Patti a standing ovation in the privacy of my very own living room."
–Carol Burnett
"In her autobiography, LuPone, with characteristic wit and theatrical humor, recounts her life story, both when she was feeling like Les Miserables and when everything was coming up roses."
–Entertainment Weekly
"Every aspiring actor needs to read Patti LuPone's saga...In this book, she is hard-hitting, funny, candid, truthful and she bursts off the page as the same dynamo we often see onstage."
-Liz Smith, The Women on the Web
"Though personal and professional battles are charted, the tone is, like LuPone's conversational style, more chatty than catty, littered with earthy, often self-effacing humor...[A] mix of frankness and warmth."
–USA Today
"Patti LuPone, with honesty and humor, gives a brave and candid account of an astonishingly unique and brilliant performer’s journey to reach Broadway stardom."
–Angela Lansbury
“1. Opening night on Broadway, of a play of mine, I looked backstage, at half hour, for Patti - to wish her well. I found her in costume, onstage, asleep on the set, on a kitchen table. She woke up and explained that she was having a ‘Sicilian Anxiety Attack.’
2. Doing a play Off-Broadway, the actress playing a smallish role had to leave the cast unexpectedly. I called Patti for condolence and she said ‘I finish EVITA tonight, get me the script and I'll go on tomorrow.’
3. Similar stories of whatever it is which surpasses excellence and perfection of friendship abound, but you get the idea. I love her. And I love her book.”
–David Mamet
"Anyone who has seen Patti LuPone perform on stage is well aware of her daring, risk-taking artistry. Now she has channeled her considerable talent from the stage to the page and the result is a frank, funny and totally captivating memoir about her life on and off the stage."
–Jane Fonda
"For some rare performers, there is a place beyond commercial success, popularity with audiences, and honors within an industry. A special place where they are both respected and adored—even envied—by other performers for their wealth of talent. These are actors who sing, as opposed to singers who act. They bring an actor’s range of thought about character and truth and psychology. Among them, none has more talent, more courage, and more emotive power than Patti LuPone. When Patti LuPone comes on stage, you don’t always know what will happen, but you know it will be among the greatest work by any stage actress in theatre, ever. Ever. As everyone in our business knows, Patti…is Patti."
–Alec Baldwin
“One way we differ from other countries is we have no history of royalty....except on Broadway. Hail to the Queen! I love you like a sister Patti, and your memoir is one befitting the majesty of who you are."
–Joe Mantegna
"Ms. LuPone's voice and passion come through loud and clear. The book contains the same no-holds-barred attitude with which she attacks a role."
-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Patti LuPone: A Memoir is a not-to-be-missed treat."
-Broadway.com
"This honest look at the trials and tribulations of making it as a Broadway star will be of interest to aspiring actors and those who love musical theater."
–Library Journal
“Award-winning actress LuPone shares the story of her life in the theater in this intimate and frank memoir… Patti chronicles her professional and personal life with relish. LuPone’s many fans will appreciate the insightful look at her career-defining roles in Evita, Les Misérables, and more. In these sections, LuPone chronicles her process for achieving these iconic performances in great depth and offers a frank perspective on the often unseemly business side of the theatrical world… LuPone ultimately reveals her deeply felt passion for theater and music.”
–Booklist
