By Ligia Fernandez
Return to Main Entertainers
Archive Page
September 2006
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Patti LuPone as in SWEENEY TODD
Source: broadway.com
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Patti LuPone
(1949 -)
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Born in Long Island, NY and named for her great grand-aunt,
the celebrated 19th opera diva Adelina Patti, Tony Award-winning leading
lady Patti LuPone is best known for originating the roles of Eva Duarte
Peron in EVITA (1980) and Fantine in the West End production of LES
MISERABLES (1985). She attended the prestigious Julliard School of Drama
where she studied with John Houseman and later became part of Houseman's The
Acting Company, one of America's premiere repertory theatre companies. She
made her Broadway debut playing Lucy Lockit in The Acting Company's 1973
revival of John Gay's operetta THE BEGGAR'S OPERA (the basis for Kurt
Weill's THE THREEPENNY OPERA) opposite her former Julliard classmate Kevin
Kline as MacHeath.
Her other notable Broadway musical roles including Rosamund in THE ROBBER
BRIDEGROOM, Nancy in OLIVER, Reno Sweeney in ANYTHING GOES and her most
recent, nefarious piemaker Mrs. Lovett in SWEENEY TODD.
A favorite of Chicago's acclaimed Ravinia Theatre Festival, she just
completed a run as Mama Rose in Ravinia's critically-acclaimed production of
GYPSY. |
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Robert Preston as Harold Hill in THE
MUSIC MAN
Source: seeingstars.com
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Robert Preston
(1918 - 1987) |
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An intensely charismatic entertainer who made his mark on
both stage and screen, most notably as lovable con man-turned-boys' band
conductor Harold Hill in Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN, Robert Preston is
without a doubt one of America's greatest national treasures. Raised in
Los Angeles, he began his career as a member of The Pasadena Community
Playhouse where he was spotted by a Paramount scout and signed to a
contract. He appeared in bit parts in a string of forgettable 1940s dramatic
films which led him to relocate to New York and pursue theatre work once his
contract was up.
In 1957, he gained musical theatre immortality with THE MUSIC MAN (his
very first musical role ever) and won the Tony Award for his performance. He
garnered a second Tony opposite Mary Martin in the two-person musical I DO I
DO ('66) and was nominated for playing silent film director Mack Sennett in
Jerry Herman's MACK AND MABEL ('74).
After returning to Hollywood an established star, he received a Golden
Globe Award for the film version of THE MUSIC MAN and an Oscar nomination
for his turn as Toddy in Blake Edwards' VICTOR/VICTORIA. He also starred as
Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside opposite Lucille Ball in MAME. |
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