Patti LuPone's Rant...

Broadway diva Patti LuPone is getting more press than ever after telling off a photo-taking audience member during a recent performance of "Gypsy."  Some are calling her outburst unprofessional and way over the top, while others are hailing it as a justifiable diva moment.  Take a listen to the rant below, and then cast your vote in the Patti LuPone poll...

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Comments

[JW]

What a BITCH....that show was not a play or anything like that. She is just a singer and if you can't stand having your picture taken then don't go on stage. What a BITCH and hate her.

[tyler]

Never seen this faghag and at this point never will. Talk about bad manners! She can boink off big time!
Self control and appropriate behavior is something she should learn. There are other and better ways of handling a picture taker!
So B I T C H ....kiss my ass!

[Rich]

She was definitely justified in stopping the show. The statements are made at the beginning of all shows that no photography or recording of any kind is allowed. If you allow one person to take pictures during the show, where does it end? Eventually you will have the paparazzi storming the theatres to take pictures to sell to the tabloids.
If the patrons can't follow the rules, they shouldn't go to the theatre.

[Joey]

No, she didn't go too far! As much as clicking and flashes bother performers on stage, they also bother people sitting nearby. Actors Equity requires that producers make an announcement before shows begin and it's also in the programs. FINALLY, an actor -- especially Patti LuPone -- said something! The fact that she's playing Gypsy only makes this more apropos. So bravo to Miss Lupone. As anyone could hear, her audience was thrilled to hear her rant!

[Brady]

Now... I go to Broadway very often, and it rarely rarely happens that someone takes a picture during a show. It's true, people hear the announcement and they do it anyway, but not a SINGLE actor has the balls to stop an entire show to yell at one single person, but Patti did it. It also seems like this person might have been within plain view of Patti (which is difficult because the lights while you are on stage can be so blinding that you can't see anything past the edge of the stage anyway)

Sure, she got a little over the top, but you can hear by the audience's reaction that they completely agree with her. Broadway is falling apart with its low attendance and grosses, the actors are trying to keep the dignity of the theatre alive, because it's the only thing they CAN do. Perhaps this will be a wake up call to anyone else who ventures into a Broadway show wanting to take pictures... You certainly don't want a pissed off green witch coming out to your seat and screaming at you "I'll get you! And your little camera too!"

[bigdave_tx]

Completely justified. The picture taking (flash pictures) is prohibited to protect the cast who can be blinded and injured...simple as that. Imagine being a dancer or a singer, close to the stage edge and blinded by a flash and then falling into the orchestra pit. I say the guy had it coming. Oddly enough, JW, rules are usually put in place for a reason!

[CK]

Are you dumb? Have you ever herd the announcement at the beginning of a show about flash photos? Well it is really distracting when you are on stage trying to prefore...and Patti LuPone is not just some singer, she was the star of the show...get out more dude.

[K.]

"What a BITCH....that show was not a play or anything like that."

Um, maybe you don't know, but it's a musical, you know, a play with music? Actors don't like having their pictures taking while they're doing their jobs, it's just like anyone else. People in the arts don't owe anyone anything except their very best work.

[Tommy Marx]

Patti LuPone is now my hero. I'm so sick and tired of people who think the rules don't pertain to them. Yes, it's very annoying when someone talks on a cell phone during a movie. Yes, it's very annoying when someone brings an infant to a summer blockbuster (like the baby isn't gonna burst into screams at the first loud noise). And yes, it's extremely annoying when you're watching a play and some asshole keeps taking pictures. It distracts the cast (obviously they were using a flash or no one would have noticed) and it irritates the people who paid good money to see the play. The person in question did it three times before Patti finally stopped them. More power to her. I'm tired of rudeness being tolerated.

[RadioRiot]

Don't they have ushers anymore. She said the guy took her picture three times... where were the ushers? Also, whoever recorded the audio was breaking the rules too, but the old bat on the stage couldn't see that, that rule was being broken too. From what I heard, she sure didn't sound as good as Ethyl Merman, not even close.

[Jamie]

I heard that the person was using a flash and it was the third time they did it.

I love broadway shows and go to NYC at least once every three months. Gypsy is an amazign show and Patti is AMAZING and deserved the Tony. This number is the last number Patti does in the show and I have seen this show 3 times and she has gotten a standing ovation after this song 2 of those times (there is a couple more minutes of acting after it before curtain call).

A flash is very distracting to the performer as well as others attending the show.

I am glad she had the balls to tell him off and have them removed. Also sent a message to others in the audience. Now if someone would only tell those that talk during show:)

[Jamie]

I am glad she had the balls to do that.

Something ironic though is this made Utube. It's against the rules to record a program so the person posting this was obvoiusly breaking another rule of theater etiquette.

[Simon]

1. There are ushers in theatres to deal with miscreants.
2. This is an illegal recording.

Let's look at who is behaving badly!

[N_santafe]

Totally unjustified. I saw the show at the end of December and she was horrible. Walking through the entire part. That she broke the 4th wall was unjustified. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS. She is just another washed up Diva. She hasnt done a decent job since Evita. Maybe she should stick to film were she isnt bothered by that annoying audience

[Jerrod]

The ushers in NYC are mostly little old ladies and they don't confront anybody unless it's easy to do so and won't cause further disruption.

It is a DISGUSTING, SELFISH, ILLEGAL thing to flash light into performers' eyes- I've seen people drop their partners immediately after a flash.

If any of the people reading this post think it's an OK thing to do, you need to experience it yourself. You can ruin a show and possibly injure someone.

[mercutio05]

Bravo Patti!!!! for those of you who don't know theater history, here's a story for you. The same thing happened to Katherine Hepburn. She stopped the show too.. but with typical Hepburn class, saying "ladies and gentlemen! obviously there is someone here who thinks a picture of me is more important than being polite to the rest of the audience. Madam, we're going to stop the show for you and let you take all the pictures you want...When you're done let us know and we will start the show again." Needless to say the woman crawled away like the snake she was.

[steveninla]

I LOVE THAT PATTI DID THIS!! This audio is awesome and has made me so happy!

[Brian]

Some debating points:

1) Jerrod, I have never heard of flashing light at a performer being illegal. Please prove otherwise.
Disgusting and selfish are a stretch of opinion, too. Etiquette-wise you may have a chance. Being on stage before a few times I would say that flashes have far more potential to disturb the audience as opposed to the performer(s).

2) Aside from the potential to disturb other patrons, the camera-holder most likely also paid good money for said performance. Non-flash photography would be less intrusive but could allow the paying guest to capture a memory of their experience.

3) This recognizes that the audio we have used to discern our own opinion is, in and of itself, a violation of the same rule the camera-doting individual transgressed.

4) I feel no sympathy for Ms. LuPone or any other performer who feels overly offended by witnessing such offenses. Their craft indeed may be an art form worth admiring in person, nonetheless it is work that involves people watching them. They should assume, especially in this technological age, that their likeness is going to be captured at some point in addition to the eyes they see starting at them at every performance.

Such acts like Ms. LuPone make it all the less desirable for me to frequent the theater. I pay to see a performance on the subject matter, not a personal diatribe of ill effect.

[casey]

Actually I think the only two characters currently on Broadway that could get away with this are Mama Rose and Elphaba. It almost came across as if she were still in character. - loved Brady's comment "I'll get you.....camera too." FUNNY. As for the 4th wall - I'd love to say, "I was there!" with everyone talking about it for days - "I was there" is always a good conversation starter!!!

I do think she goes on about it a little long though - make the point and move on. So glad she said something - kinda of disappointed she let the audience reaction carry her to a bad place.

As a dancer, a sudden flash of light can throw me off and if at the edge of the stage, near scenery or lighting towers it could come off with disastrous results.

There are people out there that do not believe the rules do not apply to them. Maybe this is the same guy that yelled at the store clerk, cut you off on the freeway or lit that cigarette and blew smoke in your face. In that case GO FOR IT MS. LuPone

[Paul]

Positively the most unprofessional and inexcusable reaction from a theatrical point of view! I've always been a fan, and will continue to be, but you don't interupt a high dollar Broadway show unless the theater is on fire. The offending audience member should have been pointed out to security and dealt with accordingly. Had I been in the audience, I would have been extemely dismayed.

[Jeff]

Who Cares! Perhaps she needed to upstage the person that tried to take her picture because she's not getting many offers for work. She could have handled it in a polite way. She was justified, TECHNICALLY..but she could have been more dignified in the way she handled it. Actually, I thought the way she handled it was rather DIVI-ISH. I guess she won't be singing "Don't Cry for me Argentina!" Rather Cry for me because I got my ego bruised!! So what do you expect. I love her but come after all of these years she couldn't have been more graceful???

[dave]

Completely justifiable, although maybe a little over the top... I work with a traveling production and there are flashes going off during the show all the time!! It annoys me to no end. The announcement is clear, common sense would dictate that a flash is inappropriate, and it's just plain rude and disrespectful.

I have no doubt Ms. LuPone's reaction may seem overboard to many, but she was not just yelling at this one patron; she was yelling at the thousands of times she's been distracted by flashes or had pictures end up lord-knows-where over the years. Put the cameras away... you're not gonna get a good picture anyway.

[queerplanet]

She should be ashamed of herself.

Playing Gypsy. What a tired play.

Also, you never address rudeness with rudeness. Miss Manner's says so.

This audience must be on meth to go to this awful play, and listen to her awful voice.

Then to applaud her for being a cunt is just too much.

Gawd that voice. What is that?
Fuck that's terrible!!!

[Gregory Curtis]

She read the riot act and its about time some has. Learn theatre etiquette before you go.

[queerplanet]

Yes, Gregory, but this wasn't theater. It was Patty Lupone doing Gypsy.

Gawd. You can hear better sounds at a monster truck rally.

Anyway, who says you shouldn't talk, take pictures, walk around, eat and have fun while people are on stage?

If she isn't riveting enough to keep her audience's attention who's fault is that?

And with that voice it's a wonder people weren't throwing cameras at her.

[muzyqman]

The night I saw Whoopi Goldberg in "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum," she stopped the show because of a large group of late-comers. Everyone in the theatre applauded her and laughed at the group. Nobody complained at her stopping the show while this group of 10 disturbed everyone in their row and blocked the vision of a few rows behind them to get seated in mid-scene and song.

While this is not as distracting as flashing lights, especially when there is an announcement forbidding the taking of pictures, the matter is really about courtesy -- courtesy to the performers who work very hard on stage and don't need distraction, and courtesy to the other hundreds (or thousands) of people in the audience who also paid $100 or more for their tickets.

If it was OK when Whoopi did it, why pick on Patti?

And by the way, they were both right! Some people only learn through being shamed in public!

[Jason]

I think La LuPone was more than justified in her outburst; the announcement was made, and someone ignored it. I would imagine that the sudden flash of a camera took her out of the moment, and essentially killed the scene for her. As to the comment that "...that show was not a play or anything like that. She is just a singer..." I think that's highly insulting to the musical theatre community. A musical is a sung play!

[Michael]

Thank you, Patti. All you need do, is listen to the audience. They aren't supporting her because she was wrong...they are applauding her for standing up for theatrical ethics. You DO NOT interrupt the flow of the production or distract the actors/actresses for any reason, short of life and death emergencies.
Kudos to her for doing what I've only seen done one other time before, and that was at a community theatre - the lead actor stopped his dialogue, turned to the audience and asked if anyone was going to get the cell phone that had been ringing for some time.
BRAVO!!!!

[MIchael]

I must commend LuPone for this. Yes, living in the spot light you are going to deal with photographers and paparazzi. That having been said however, the announcement was made about photography during the performance. Those people thought that they are above being called out on being rude, inconsiderate jerks. Ms. LuPone, KUDOS! That took guts and baby you showed them you have the stuff it takes.

[Rain City Blues]

Well, I'd probably have thought she was being ridiculous, but I think if I were there I would just have laughed my ass off at her. Not sure I would have felt angry

[MadridinChicago]

Bravo Patti! The theatre is sacred space. Those who attend, however much money they spend on a ticket, should feel privileged to be in the company of the actors putting on the show...a GREAT DEAL OF HARD WORK goes into rehearsing and performing. The theatre is NOT a free for all...do what you want. If you're gonna act like an ass...then be prepared to be 'read'! Thanks Patti for your great respect of theatre....

[Monkey]

First of all, it is very hard to judge the quality of the performer by this recording as it isn't a very high quality recording. That said, I'm glad she did it. People everywhere are losing their manners left and right, and expect that it should be okay. It's time the majority speak and stop being the so-called "Silent Majority". As to those who feel it wasn't okay, and base their opinion on whether they like Patti Lupone's singing style, the play, or theater in general, you are sadly making an uninformed decision. Those factors matter not in this issue.

[KB]

Bravo, Ms. LuPone, Bravo!

[Lee from Les Mouches]

I first met Patti in 1980, when she first performed at my friends' resturant, cabarret, disco named Les Mouches (she was also staring on Broadway in the show Evita). After her fab performance me and one of the owners, the late Cary Finkelstein, took her to the dance club 12 West.

Patti is not only a great performer, artist, but a great person. At no time did she ever act like an out of control Diva (acutally she hates that term when it is applied to her).

I am sure her so called outburst, was well deserved,

For those "queens", and I do mean "queens" with a very small "q" have some nerve calling her such names as "fag hag" and "bitch" don't even know Patti, if they did they would never dare even think to call her such words.

I think she was very justified in stopping her performance when some low life started taking pictures, when they were well aware that taking photos any any broadway (or any other performance) is not allowed. I don't know if this idiot used a flash, but I must assume they did. Can you imagine performing on stage and suddenly you get a flash suddenly blinding you while on stage? What if she would have been temporarily blinded and fell off stage. Would those two assholes still think she was a "fag hag" or a "bitch"?

I think the name of that individual should have been taken and given to every place selling any tickets for any broadway show and be banned for life from seeing any type of professional performance on and off Broadway.

[Zach]

Had I been present at the performance, I think I'd have been mortified by the behaviour of both parties involved. Taking a picture in a theatre is not only rude but (I think) illegal. People who violate these rules deserve to be censured. However, the show really must go on, barring some medical or similarly serious emergency. Ms. Lupone's reaction was highly unprofessional.

[Rob]

Totally justified. Anyone who says otherwise is one of those people who sits in the movie theater with their little phone lights on texting instead of being respectful, or if they are lucky enough to go to see a stage play someone who would take pictures with their phones. Besides as she said, "This is theater!" For those live actors out there, most of you know just how hard it is to have people doing snap shots in the middle of a song while trying to act. We have come from a point where no clapping was aloud during a stage play or an opera to clapping, cheering, and so fourth all through out the show. This isn't simply about manors to those in the audience, this is about manors to the performers. I say it's about time someone's made a big deal about it. I'm tired of going to live theater and having people use deplorable manors. Thumbs up to her, thumbs down to anyone who thinks she was in the wrong!

[EmCee]

I have mixed feelings about this. I perform onstage and it is irritating and jarring when people take flash photos especially when forewarned. However, it is almost as jarring when a show is stopped in its tracks and the star yells at an audience member. It would be kind of difficult for me as an audience member to get back into the groove of the show after something like that happening. Besides all one would probably remember from that performance is not how good Patti was but rather that glaring moment where all hell broke loose on stage. Also, she could have reported the matter to the house manager and they could have confiscated the camera at least until the end of the show. I think Patti just lost her temper (and went on a bit too long if you ask me) Maybe in hindsight she would make another decision. Either way one thing is for sure...I'd have crapped my pants if Patti Lupone herself ripped me a new one and had me kicked out. I guess it would be a good story to tell :)

[Alan]

Oh come on! ... Of course they make those announcements at the beginning of the show ... for liability / legal purposes. However ... I have been in a lot of plays of have never had such massive flashes that would blind me and cause me to fall into the orchestra pit! ... hahahaha ... However, I don't think its appropriate to take photos out of respect for the theatre and your fellow patrons. If the ushers didn't see it she should have notified the stage manager between scenes, and it quietly addressed. BOTTOM LINE ... she broke character .... & stopped the performance! .. UNACCEPTABLE! ... In theatre ... "THE SHOW MUST GO ON!" ... If this had been anyone else other than a proclaimed "Diva?" ... it would have been inexcusable. I love broadway ... however ... with the current state of ticket sales and the declining economy ... maybe they need to sell disposable cameras in the lobby as opposed to humiliating an obvious fan? ... Just my opinion ...

[Nisguynwoh]

It is about time somebody gets called out for this. It has nothing to do with an actor liking their picture taken or not. It is all part of the legal contracts of the playwrights, producers, actors, musicians etc. protecting their artistic product from piracy etc. It was also very rude to the other PAYING patrons who shouldn't have the play disrupted by flashes or other boorish behavior. It is also dangerous to the cast members, especially dancers who may be temporarily blinded by a flash while dancing around set pieces.
If I had been there I would have given here a standing ovation!

[Josh]

This outburst was completely disrespectful to the remainder of the audience, the orchestra, and her fellow performers. House Management will take care of these problems. Whenever someone notices a patron taking photo's they should notify stage management as soon as they are offstage and stage management will notify house management who will take care of the problem. Patti is nothing more than a Diva and if she can't act like a professional, then she needs to get out of the industry.

[Carynn]

Holy crap some of you don't know Patti LuPone?? What are you doing on gay.com?? Seriously. Give 'em hell Patti!!

[E]

What a cunt. If it was flash that's understandable, but if it's a camera phone w/ no flash, she was out of line.

[PattiLover]

I love she did it. but what nobody is commenting on is that she STARTED ROSE'S TURN immediately after the outburst -- that is so fucking awesome!

Never cared about LuPone before, but now I do. I loved this outburst!!

[Jeffery]

BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!! Ms. Lupone is now my hero. There was a time when attending theatrical performances was dignified and respectible. And that was OFF OFF Broadway too. These days it seems anyone and everyone can afford to attend a play. Some folks just have no clue how to act in public. It's about time someone found the balls to address such boorish behavior!

[stars0n]

Completely justified.

[Aaron]

yea she should have yelled at that person, I don't understand why people can't just follow directions. There have been so many times when I've wanted to stop a show because someone was taking a picture or ON THEIR PHONE!!! Idiots, why spend the money if you're just going to ruin the show.

[nelson]

Regardless of how good or bad she is, it's illegal to take pictures or record during the show because such performances are copyrighted. Violating a copyright in such a way could be compared to theft. If someone were stealing my work, I'd not only yell at them, I'd have them arrested.

[peekay_smy]

I think she did the right thing - and she's absolutely RIGHT. It is rude and disrespectful - she is totally justified in what she said. I have no idea who she is (not really very gay, I guess). I work in a place that has the responsibility of teaching audience members HOW TO BE audience members. Apparently they missed out on this less. Betcha they won't do it again!

[Bill]

But what about the recording of the show?!? Obviously someone was recording the audio and no on had a problem. Just as illegal and wrong, just not as distracting.

You can tell from the audio it was recorded from the audience.

[scot]

Good on ya Patti,how true there are no manners in public anymore especially in the gay community,i'm gay and proud of it but GAWD spare from all these acid queens ,you have guts lady i would have jumped off the stage and shoved the cameras down the throats of those ignorant pigs taking photos,ignore all the negative comments made by those frustrated wannabe queens,talk about narrow minds,get a life u morons you're a long time dead.