Patti LuPone

Patti LuPone appears in the diary as both a Broadway star in the making and a performer whose humor and force of personality win over people who initially resist her. The entries follow a small but telling progression: from career advice and a difficult first impression with Bob to a cover decision that makes her standing at Interview unmistakable.

Broadway Star and Career Counsel

At a dinner with Richard Weisman, LuPone was thrilled when the narrator introduced her to Bob Wilson. Having won a Tony, she asked the narrator what to do next in her career. The advice was to remain with Evita as long as possible: in the narrator’s assessment, she was Broadway’s only major star, and staying with the show would make her much bigger. LuPone accepted the counsel. The exchange presents her at a moment of professional possibility, seeking direction while already recognized for her achievement.

A Difficult First Impression Gives Way

Bob’s attitude toward LuPone was less welcoming. At a later evening out, he still disliked her, though less than before. The narrator observed that a warm compliment about his position as Interview’s editor might have changed his opinion, and admitted to being susceptible to the same kind of flattery. This small social calculation sits beside a more generous assessment of LuPone: the narrator liked her and thought she was great.

At Les Mouches, the narrator encouraged Ron Duguay to give LuPone a chance, telling him that she was interested in him and was worth his attention. Duguay had initially shown no interest; the narrator characterized athletes as tending to prefer the same blonde types. LuPone came over and sat with him. The scene shows the narrator actively advocating for her in the social world as well as in conversations about her career.

Humor, Nerves, and Performance

The diary’s admiration is grounded in observable details, not only professional praise. LuPone sang sophisticated songs, but when she became nervous she stuck out her tongue like Donald Duck. The incongruous gesture—comic and unguarded against the polish of her material—became a memorable part of how the narrator described her. Her humor and nervousness do not cancel her stage presence; they make the public performer seem more individual and approachable.

Interview Cover and Growing Recognition

The narrator eventually persuaded Bob to put LuPone on the cover of Interview. By then, Bob had finally come to like her. That change gives the cover decision a personal as well as professional edge: LuPone had moved from someone the editor disliked to someone the narrator could successfully champion. The magazine’s cover carried particular weight in a publication whose glamorous, self-mocking style drew celebrities and whose pages depended on a steady supply of fresh faces. LuPone’s appearance there marked her acceptance into that influential circle of celebrity visibility.