Standard theatrical bio – until Sunset Boulevard…

Where does Patti LuPone rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's a good listen – and essential if you work in, or have any passion for, theatre in general and musical theatre in particular.

What other book might you compare Patti LuPone to, and why?

Seth Rudetsky's Broadway Nights – a novel which plays on the neuroses and obsessions of musical theatre actors for comedy, but which LuPone reveals aren't all that far from the truth.

Which character – as performed by Patti LuPone – was your favourite?

Well, it's an autobiography, so I'd have to say "herself".

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Her recitation of her professional life starts out interesting, but a little dry. And then it gets to her involvement with Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Group when she is cast as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Then the claws come out, the blood pressure raises and you won't believe that any company could act so cavalierly towards its star.

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Wonderful

Loved listening to this book. I felt like I had become one of Pattis friends by the end and listened with great interest and amusement to her experiences. It was all I had hoped it would be and more and truly hope she will write another one before too long to bring us up to date. Thank you Patti.

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Couldn’t stop listening

Funny, enlightening, and a great listen from a great person. I’m not really a theatre ‘luvvy’ but after watching Patti in Company in London, and then ‘An evening with’….. I’m a fan

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A must listen

This is an incredible story and incredibly told by the woman herself. An absolute must listen!

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Excellent, brilliant, marvelous!

OK so I admit upfront I am a massive musicals fan so perhaps I was always going to live this - but then if you are not a musicals fan then you wouldn't be considering buying this anyway, right?
This 'memoir' is a story of a truly amazing career on the stage told by Patti herself. In all honesty, I was only aware of Patti as a somewhat legendary diva, someone with a ferocious anger and that is difficult to work with; as Patti addresses herself, this is the pre-conception many have of her. BUT what this book does is give you is a real insight into what an amazing lady this is. Yes she has a temper, but what is clear is that this temper comes from nothing but utter passion for her craft - ACTING - not singing, but ACTING. The singing is something in which Patti has invested so much to master, and master she has, while is it the telling of story on the stage and her growth as a performer that has driven much of her career.

You get utterly wonderful, funny stories from her incredibly varied career, from plays to musicals to films and back to plays and musical again. What I found SO exciting was that Patti has chapters dedicated to her experiences in some of the most iconic musicals of all time, both on Broadway and in the West End (there are chapters on Evita, Les Mis, Sunset Boulevard, Gypsy to name a few).
What makes this book EXTRA special is that Patti really doesn't hold back! I had no idea of the controversies, difficulties, personal traumas, egos, back-stabbing, grudges and down-right disasters that went on in the world of musicals; Patti's discussion of her experiences with Sunset (and more specifically Andrew Lloyd Webber) are just so insightful, I had no idea...you must read this!
Patti reads this audiobook herself, which adds so much. She has a bit of an odd delivery, at first sounding peculiar and stuttery - but I suspect this is a product of trying to annunciate as clearly as possible - by Chapter 2 you are so engrossed you won't care! Seriously READ THIS!

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Absolutely OUTSTANDING!

I just finished listening to this, and I sobbed ON THE BUS. She finished the whole thing with a quote from W.B Yeats, and GUESS WHAT? I’m studying Performing Arts under the Yeats Academy in Institute of Technology, Sligo (soon to be Atlantic Technological University)! That quote means so very much to me as a young Irishwoman. Not to mention her well-wishes to young performers like myself. Absolutely worth the read/listen, she gives so much humour, insight, and solid advice (especially when faced with conflict of interest between actor and producer) throughout. I feel I’m a changed person having experienced it. 10/10.

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Great but a bit errr

This is a fascinating story. But Patti’s learned enunciation can be grating. It can also get a tad repetitive with the whole show rejection show. There’s no happy upward trajectory…dare I say she’s too hard on herself?

That said it’s a really good book and I’d highly recommend it. You just have to get into a cutthroat musical theatre mindspace.

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A beautiful book for a beautiful career and life

An interesting,funny and engaging inside into the theater industry and a living legend's career. Patti LuPone is not only an incredible artist on stage and on camera but also an incredible narrator. An audiobook is not usually my favourite way of consuming books,but I enjoyed every second of this memoir.

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Rollercoaster of a story!

Patti didn’t hold back; refreshing that a star will say how they genuinely felt at difficult moments with co-stars, producers, directors etc and when they were truly screwed, rather than be polite. Recommended listening!

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As it is

Patti tells it as it is, I found her stories fascinating I could'nt turn it off and when I did could'nt wait to be back for more. This is a must for anyone for anyone interested in the theatre Patti's account of her dealings with most of the worlds top writers,directors,producers,fellow artists and critics are all no hold's barred accounts. I throughly enjoyed them.

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