Mary Beth Peil dishes Patti LuPone (WOMEN ON THE VERGE)
From the interview collection HERE'S TO THE LADIES (whose predecessor volume found Patti LuPone calling Sherie René Scott "a travesty of a leading lady"):
Danny Burstein was outside. I could hear Patti singing some of Sherie René Scott's music. I said, “What happened?” Danny looked at me and said, “Patti had some ideas.”
I remember just sort of watching how both Yazbek and Bart — it's not that she was dictating things or telling them what to do, but they were checking with her, sometimes in obvious ways, sometimes in more passive-aggressive ways.
[Sherie] never felt listened to or heard from early on.
And then, little by little, we all start to feel not heard.
Bart knows that I do hold him accountable. For the mood in the room, for allowing that rift between Patti and Sherie to happen . . . He saw it happen, he watched it happen, and Sherie was the most vulnerable one.
I learned to love Sherie. I tried to love Patti. I would watch her sit with some of the kids in the wings when Sherie was onstage and she would be saying not good things about Sherie’s performance . . . It was like she was enlisting the kids to agree with her. I didn’t ever get to know Patti and kind of stayed out of her way.
The production would always have been in trouble, but with Patti’s support, and had Sherie been supported by the director, she would have soared, I have no doubt.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | May 27, 2025 5:22 AM
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It's not like Patti hasn't openly sucked in shows before (Oliver!, Noises Off, Sweeney Todd).
Why was she so uppity about it?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | January 29, 2024 12:32 AM
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I really liked Women On The Verge -the reviews were mostly wrong. It was a great adaptation with a fabulous score and cast.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | January 29, 2024 12:35 AM
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I can't wait to read all of this. Has the book already been published?
I worked with Mary Beth Peil about 20 years ago and she was one of the sweetest, most delightful actresses I've ever encountered. She must be well into her 80s now and not holding back her opinions. Love her for that.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | January 29, 2024 12:37 AM
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If any of this surprises you, you have t been paying attention. Patti has always been a rancid, festering bag of the worst show biz pus. She confuses volume with emotion, cannot enunciate, has no sense of humor, treats her fans like shit and her co-stars worse than that.
This story should surprise no one.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | January 29, 2024 1:26 AM
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I thought that WOMEN ON THE VERGE was a mess, but very enjoyably so. I caught it a few performances before it closed (everything at the merch booth was half off), and though it didn't cohere, pretty much everyone (including, to my surprise, the loathsome Miss LuPone) was in top form.
I would have voted for Laura Benanti to win the Tony that year.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | January 29, 2024 1:26 AM
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They held out for Salma Hayek as long as they could then went with Sheri.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | January 29, 2024 1:31 AM
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Laura really does excel at comedy.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | January 29, 2024 1:48 AM
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Patti seems to run hot and cold with co-stars. She seemed to like Howard McGillan, Mandy Patinkin, Boyd Gaines, Laura Benanti, Christine Ebersole, Rosalie Craig, Katrina Lenk and Claybourne Elder. Everyone else usually falls into the hatred category.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | January 29, 2024 2:13 AM
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She was threatened by her belt.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | January 29, 2024 2:25 AM
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yes, R2. I bought it a week or two ago.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | January 29, 2024 2:47 AM
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She smacked me in a dream!
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | January 29, 2024 2:52 AM
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Another story in a long line I keep coming across of how truly horrific Patti LuPone truly is. Not shocking at all.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | January 29, 2024 5:18 AM
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I only saw Mary Beth Peil in The Good Wife and she was great.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | January 29, 2024 5:28 AM
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Laura Benanti truly gave a Tony-worthy “old school” performance in that show (a one song masterclass), even that clip for those who didn’t see it proves it… such a shame it was a huge flop with a cast that stacked but Sherie clearly was out of her depths and a “real” star was needed with box office draw to be the lead, etc. and Patti knew it.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | January 29, 2024 5:44 AM
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PS here is Laura with her big song totally out of context but her acting, physicality, plus perfect diction and comedy moments.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | January 29, 2024 5:51 AM
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I worked with Mary Beth Peil 20 years ago on a staged reading I directed. She was an absolute joy and I hated that the project never went further, because I would have cast her in a minute. I never had the chance to work with her again.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | January 29, 2024 5:53 AM
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When someone has as many problems with people as Patti does, you have to think about her being the common denominator.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | January 29, 2024 1:57 PM
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R21. She's a common frump.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | January 29, 2024 9:27 PM
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We both have 3 Tonys but one of hers is in supporting so it is really like half a prize.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | January 30, 2024 2:00 AM
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The recording of the show is on YouTube and it's a terrible show
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | January 30, 2024 2:26 AM
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Has anyone here ever met Patti's hubby? For someone who has a reputation for being difficult she's been married only once and that marriage has lasted over 30 years. Is this guy a saint or maybe Patti has a happy personal life as opposed to a turbulent career? Just curious.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | January 30, 2024 3:26 PM
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R25 Patti wrote in her memoir (funnily enough SRS helped promote this book before LuPone ripped her to shreds) that during the sunset Boulevard fiasco she took all of her anger out on her husband and he almost left her
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | January 30, 2024 3:46 PM
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[quote]t's not like Patti hasn't openly sucked in shows before (Oliver!, Noises Off, Sweeney Todd).
"Sweeney Todd", the tuba! My God, think of the tuba!
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | January 30, 2024 4:19 PM
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Mary Beth Peil turned out to be the Kathryn Joostin of Broadway! Ya gotta love it.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | May 27, 2025 12:44 AM
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Has Benati returned to Steven Colbert's show this year to do her incredible impressions of Melania Trump ? She deserved an Emmy for her portrayals from 2016-20.
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | May 27, 2025 12:59 AM
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She has, R29. She is, as always, fabulous.
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | May 27, 2025 1:54 AM
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Well, hot damn, I just WW'd a post of my own from last year.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | May 27, 2025 2:49 AM
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I think that's a sign of good mental health, R31. No -not hanging around Datalounge, but agreeing with what you said in the past.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | May 27, 2025 5:22 AM
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