She is the author of "Patti LuPone: A Memoir."
Early life
LuPone is of Italian (Sicilian [1]) descent. [2] She is a graduate of Northport High School. LuPone was part of the first graduating class of Juilliard’s Drama Division.
Theatre
In 1972 John Houseman took his beloved class and formed The Acting Company, making them America’s foremost nationally touring repertory theater company. Her stint with the Acting Company lasted from 1972 to 1976, and she was featured in such works as The School for Scandal, Women Beware Women, The Beggar’s Opera, The Time of Your Life, The Lower Depths, The Hostage, Next Time I’ll Sing to You, Measure for Measure, Scapin, Edward II, The Orchestra, Love’s Labours Lost, Arms and the Man, The Way of the World, and The Robber Bridegroom, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. In 1986, alumni members of The Acting Company joined forces for a West End revival of The Cradle Will Rock in which LuPone played Moll, and for which she received an Olivier Award. Ms. LuPone is an important player in contemporary American musical theater. She made her Broadway debut in the play Three Sisters Her first leading role in a musical was The Baker’s Wife, which did not make it to NYC. She has performed on Broadway in works by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim and others. She won a Tony Award for Evita in 1980.
In 1987, LuPone landed the role of Reno Sweeney in the Broadway revival of Anything Goes, for which she won the Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical. LuPone’s return to Broadway was supposed to be with the musical Sunset Boulevard, however Andrew Lloyd Webber breached LuPone’s contract by recasting her role for the New York production. LuPone subsequently sued Webber, but the two settled the dispute out of court with a hefty settlement in favor of LuPone. After this LuPone was so disappointed, it took her a year to return to the stage. In 1996, LuPone returned to Broadway in a triumphant fashion in a concert style celebration of her career called Patti LuPone on Broadway for which she received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Solo Performance. Also in 1996 LuPone was asked to replace Zoe Caldwell in the Terrance McNally play, Master Class for which she received rave reviews and later performed in the West End. In 2001 she starred along side Peter Gallagher in the Broadway revival of Noises Off. Other Broadway credits include Working (1978), Oliver! (1984), and Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1982).
LuPone has worked with David Mamet since 1977, acting in his plays, including The Woods (1977), All Men Are Whores (1977), The Blue Hour (1978) The Water Engine (1978), Edmund (1982), and The Old Neighborhood (1997)
Ms. LuPone has been a part of many semi-staged concerts of musicals in New York such as the Encores! production of Pal Joey (1994) opposite Peter Gallagher and Bebe Neuwirth; Sweeney Todd (2000) opposite George Hearn and Audra McDonald; Can-Can (2004) opposite Michael Nouri; Candide opposite Kristin Chenoweth; and Passion (2005) opposite Michael Cerveris and Audra McDonald.
LuPone’s triumphs in the opera world extend to Kennedy Center’s production of Regina, The world premier of Jake Heggie's To Hell and Back, and the Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny opposite long time friend Audra McDonald and directed by John Doyle with the Los Angeles Opera.
She has three one-woman shows that she performs across the country: Matters of the Heart, Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, and The Lady With the Torch, which sold out Carnegie Hall.
She originated the role of Fantine in the Royal Shakespeare production of the musical Les Misérables, becoming the first American actress to win the Olivier Award. LuPone returned to the London to portray Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard in the West End.
LuPone recently starred on Broadway as Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s new staging of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Ms. LuPone was nominated for a Tony Award for this role.
A regular star at the Ravinia Festival’s annual Sondheim concerts in Highland Park, IL, Ms. LuPone has had starring turns in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (2001), A Little Night Music (2002), Passion (2003), Sunday in the Park with George (2004), Anyone Can Whistle (2005), and Gypsy (2006).
With her unanimously rave reviews from the Ravinia production of Gypsy, LuPone was offered the opportunity to star in a new production of Gypsy, directed by Arthur Laurents, who had directed Tyne Daly and Angela Lansbury in previous Broadway revivals. This production launched a new Broadway performance series, Encores! Summer Stars, a spin-off of the popular Encores! series. The Encores! Summer Stars production of Gypsy is scheduled to open July 9, 2007.
Film
Among LuPone’s film credits are Witness, Just Looking, The Victim, Summer of Sam, Driving Miss Daisy, King of Gypsies, 1941, 'Wise Guys, 24 Hour Woman, Family Prayers, Bad Faith, and City By The Sea. She has also worked with legendary playwright David Mamet on several movies including , (The Water Engine, the critically acclaimed State and Main, and Heist).
Television
LuPone played Libby Thatcher on the television drama Life Goes On, which ran on ABC from 1989 to 1993. She has twice been nominated for an Emmy Award for the TV movie The Song Spinner, and her guest appearance on Frasier. LuPone’s further TV career includes a recurring spot on the last season of HBO’s hit series Oz. She had a cameo as herself in the episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Kelsey Grammer in 1998. She also played herself in an episode of Will and Grace entitled "BullyWoolley" 2005. She also appeared on the series "Ugly Betty" in 2007 as Mrs. Jean Wiener, the mother of Wilhelmina's secretary, Mark.
Known for her range and versatility, she once played Lady Bird Johnson opposite Randy Quaid’s Lyndon B. Johnson in the television movie, LBJ.
Recordings
LuPone recorded a duet with Seth MacFarlane (in character as Glenn Quagmire) on the 2005 album Family Guy: Live In Vegas.
LuPone released a new CD in 2006, of one of her shows The Lady with the Torch, on Sh-k-Boom Records. In December she released bonus tracks for that CD only on iTunes.
Selected recordings include:
The Baker’s Wife (Original cast recording)
Evita (Original Broadway cast recording)
The Cradle Will Rock (The Acting Company recording)
Les Miserables (Royal Shakespeare Company recording)
Anything Goes (Lincoln Center Theater recording)
Heat Wave (John Mauceri conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra)
Patti LuPone Live (Solo Album)
Sunset Boulevard (World premiere/original London cast recording)
Matters of the Heart (Solo Album)
Sweeney Todd (New York Philharmonic recording)
Sweeney Todd (2005 Broadway Cast recording)
The Lady with the Torch (Solo Album)
The Lady With the Torch...Still Burning (Solo Album)
To Hell and Back (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra World Premier recording)
Personal life
Her first name, Patti, is not short for “Patricia”; it is her mother’s maiden name. LuPone’s great-grand-aunt was the celebrated 19th-century opera singer Adelina Patti. Her brother is actor, dancer, and director Robert LuPone, and her other brother William is a teacher. When they were young they performed on Long Island as the LuPone Trio.
She had a long-term relationship with fellow Juilliard classmate Kevin Kline.
She married Matthew Johnston in 1988 on the Vivian Beaumont Stage at Lincoln Center after filming the TV movie LBJ, they had one child on 21 November 1990, Joshua Luke Johnston.
She currently resides with her family in upstate Connecticut.
Source: Wikipedia
Street of Dreams
Patti LuPone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kings don't mean a thing,
On the street of dreams.
Dreams broken in two,
Can be made like new,
On the street of dreams.
Gold, silver and gold,
All you can hold,
Poor, no one poor,
Long as love is sure,
On the street of dreams.
Love laughs at a king,
Kings don't mean a thing,
On the street of dreams.
Dreams broken in two,
Can be made like new,
On the street of dreams.
Gold, silver and gold,
All you can hold,
Is in the moonbeams.
Poor, no one is poor,
Long as love is sure,
On the street of dreams.
In Patti LuPone's song "Street of Dreams," the lyrics express the idea that love is the most valuable and powerful thing in life, surpassing even kings and material wealth. The first verse suggests that even someone as powerful as a king is not immune to the whims of love. Love has the ability to level the playing field, making everyone equal in its presence. The second verse suggests that even broken dreams can be revitalized with love. The line "gold, silver and gold, all you can hold, is in the moonbeams" is a metaphor for the intangible nature of love, which is worth more than any material possession. The final line, "poor, no one is poor, long as love is sure, on the street of dreams," emphasizes that love is all that is needed to bring happiness, and that those without material wealth can still find true happiness on the "street of dreams."
Overall, the song speaks to the idea that love is the great equalizer and that even those without material wealth can find happiness through it. The repeated chorus of "love laughs at a king, kings don't mean a thing" emphasizes this sentiment and drives home the idea that love is more valuable than any tangible item.
Line by Line Meaning
Love laughs at a king,
Love is stronger than royalty or power, and can even make a king seem foolish.
Kings don't mean a thing,
No matter how much influence or status someone has achieved, it doesn't matter on the street of dreams.
On the street of dreams.
This phrase is a refrain, reminding us that these concepts are true in the realm of our deepest, most cherished dreams.
Dreams broken in two,
Sometimes even our most treasured dreams may become crushed and shattered.
Can be made like new,
But even the most broken, lost dreams can be revived and restored.
On the street of dreams.
Again, the refrain reminds us that this is all possible within the realm of our imagination and deepest desires.
Gold, silver and gold,
Many people place value on material possessions like money and jewelry.
All you can hold,
However, these things have no ultimate value in comparison to the love and security within our hearts.
Is in the moonbeams.
This ethereal image emphasizes the fleeting, insubstantial nature of material possessions.
Poor, no one is poor,
No matter how much or how little one may have materially, no one is truly impoverished on the street of dreams.
Long as love is sure,
As long as we possess a deep and abiding love, we will always feel rich and fulfilled.
On the street of dreams.
The refrain once again ties all of these concepts together and reinforces the idea that our deepest desires and aspirations can be realized if we truly believe in them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Lewis, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind