Patti LuPone sorgt für Schlagzeilen. Der Artsbeat-Blog der “New York Times” berichtete kürzlich über einen Auftritt der Diva im “Orleans Casino & Hotel” in Las Vegas. Patti LuPone, so der Journalist, “stopped in midperformance on Sunday night at the Orleans hotel when she saw an audience member using an electronic device … [LuPone] threatened to have the fan thrown out if it happened again, before she resumed singing ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.” [Blogeintrag siehe –> hier]
Miss Patti ließ es sich nicht nehmen, dem Artsbeat-Blog eine kleine schriftliche Note zukommen zu lassen, mit folgendem Wortlaut:
“Your story about my stopping my concert in Las Vegas on the New York Times ArtsBeat blog was forwarded to me.
I found the tone of your report very snide and feel compelled to write you to ask – what do expect me, or any performer for that matter, to do?
Do we allow our rights to be violated (photography, filming and audio taping of performances is illegal) or tolerate rudeness by members of the audience who feel they have the right to sit in a dark theater, texting or checking their e-mail while the light from their screens distract both performers and the audience alike? Or, should I stand up for my rights as a performer as well as the audiences I perform for?
And do you think I’m alone in this? Ask any performer on Broadway right now about their level of frustration with this issue. Ask the actor in Hair who recently grabbed a camera out of an audience member’s hand and threw it across the stage. Or ask the two Queens in Mary Stuart (Harriet Walter and Janet McTeer) how they react to it.
I find it telling that my story elicited 47 comments from your readers while a few other stories on the blog elicited a handful, with many getting 0 comments. It certainly touched a chord with people, almost all of whom sounded like audience members, who share in my frustration with what threatens to become standard behavior if no one speaks out and takes action against it.
This has been going on in my career for 30 years since I starred in Evita, and, you’re surprised I stop shows now?
“Sincerely,
Patti LuPone” [via Playbill]
