- published: 18 May 2016
- views: 25902
Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American singer and actress, known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Eva Perón in the 1979 stage musical Evita and for her Olivier Award-winning performance as Fantine in the original London cast of Les Misérables.
LuPone was born in Northport, New York, on Long Island, the daughter of Angela Louise (née Patti), a college library administrator, and Orlando Joseph LuPone, a school administrator. Her great-grand-aunt was the celebrated nineteenth-century opera singer Adelina Patti. Her brother Robert LuPone is an actor, dancer, and director who originated the role of Zach the choreographer in A Chorus Line. Her other brother William LuPone is a teacher. When they were young, they performed on Long Island as the LuPone Trio. She is of Italian/Abruzzese descent and a graduate of Northport High School, where she studied under the musical direction of voice coach Esther Scott.
LuPone was part of the first graduating class of Juilliard's Drama Division (1968-1972: Group 1), which also included actors Kevin Kline and David Ogden Stiers. She graduated from Juilliard in 1972 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
WHAT DOES HE THINK I AM?
WHAT SORT OF A WEAK-WILLED SENTIMENTAL SHEEP
DOES HE THINK I AM?
WELL, I WON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT HIM,
I'LL JUST GO TO SLEEP! ...
WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?
WHO COULD BE AS HANDSOME
WHO COULD BE AS SMART AS HE THINKS HE IS?
HE JUST HAS TO SNAP HIS FINGERS
WOMEN FALL APART!
WHAT DOES HE THINK
THAT I'LL SLINK AWAY WITH HIM?
THAT I'LL FOLLOW HIM RIPE AND DROOLING?
WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS?
AND WHAT DOES HE THINK I AM?
AND WHO DO I THINK ...
(sighs)
I'M FOOLING?
WHEN I WAS A GIRL l I HAD A FAVORITE STORY
OF THE MEADOWLARK WHO LIVED WHERE THE RIVERS WIND
HER VOICE COULD MATCH THE ANGELS' IN ITS GLORY
BUT SHE WAS BLIND, THE LARK WAS BLIND
AN OLD KING CAME AND TOOK HER TO HIS PALACE
WHERE THE WALLS WERE BURNISHED BRONZE AND GOLDEN BRAID
AND HE FED HER FRUIT AND NUTS FROM AN IVORY CHALICE
AND HE PRAYED:
"SING FOR ME, MY MEADOWLARK,
SING FOR ME OF THE SILVER MORNING,
SET ME FREE, MY MEADOWLARK,
AND I'LL BUY YOU A PRICELESS JEWEL
AND CLOTH OF BROCADE AND CREWEL
AND I'LL LOVE YOU FOR LIFE,
IF YOU WILL SING FOR ME."
THEN ONE DAY AS THE LARK SANG BY THE WATER
THE GOD OF THE SUN HEARD HER IN HIS FLIGHT
AND HER SINGING MOVED HIM SO
HE CAME AND BROUGHT HER THE GIFT OF SIGHT
HE GAVE HER SIGHT
AND SHE OPENED HER EYES TO THE SHIMMER AND THE SPLENDOR
OF THIS BEAUTIFUL, YOUNG GOD, SO PROUD AND STRONG
AND HE CALLED TO THE LARK IN A VOICE BOTH ROUGH AND TENDER
"COME ALONG.
FLY WITH ME, MY MEADOWLARK,
FLY WITH ME ON THE SILVER MORNING,
PAST THE SEA WHERE THE DOLPHINS BARK
WE WILL DANCE ON THE CORAL BEACHES,
MAKE A FEAST OF THE PLUMS AND PEACHES
JUST AS FAR AS YOUR VISION REACHES
FLY WITH ME."
BUT THE MEADOWLARK SAID NO
FOR THE OLD KING LOVED HER SO
SHE COULDN'T BEAR TO WOUND HIS PRIDE
SO THE SUN GOD FLEW AWAY
AND WHEN THE KING CAME DOWN THAT DAY
HE FOUND HIS MEADOWLARK HAD DIED
EVERY TIME I HEARD THAT PART I CRIED ...
AND NOW I STAND HERE STARRY-EYED AND STORMY
OH, JUST WHEN I THOUGHT MY HEART WAS FINALLY NUMB
A BEAUTIFUL, YOUNG MAN APPEARS BEFORE ME,
SINGING "COME, OH, WON'T YOU COME?"
AND WHAT CAN I DO IF FINALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME
THE ONE I'M BURNING FOR RETURNS THE GLOW?
IF LOVE HAS COME AT LAST IT'S PICKED THE WORST TIME
STILL I KNOW
I'VE GOT TO GO
FLY AWAY, MEADOWLARK
FLY AWAY IN THE SILVER MORNING,
IF I STAY, I'LL GROW TO CURSE THE DARK
SO IT'S OFF WHERE THE DAYS WON'T BIND ME
I KNOW I LEAVE WOUNDS BEHIND ME
BUT I WON'T LET TOMORROW FIND ME
BACK THIS WAY
BEFORE MY PAST ONCE AGAIN CAN BLIND ME
FLY AWAY ...
AND WE WON'T WAIT
TO SAY GOOD-BYE
MY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MAN
AND I.