Patti gave a spirited and life-affirming concert last night to an enraptured crowd of 3,000 fans. Supported by Joseph Thaiken on piano and Brad Phillips on strings, Ms Lupone took us through the chapters of her life in song. Although most of the songs were not from the musical theatre canon, Patti brought down the house with songs from Evita, Gypsy, Anything Goes, and Company. It was quite poignant to see the diva revisit Don't Cry For Me Argentina some fifty years after she did a pre-Broadway try-out of her production in the same theatre, the Chandler Pavilion. The years have been good to her--her voice is still strong and flexible and her showmanship is unmatched. |