Help needed: putting together a YT playlist of songs that might end up in ‘Songs from a Hat’
(Here’s a picture of Patti as a thank-you for your help… 😜)
In short: my partner is coming with me to Patti’s concert in Madrid. She obviously knows who Patti is, but apart from AAA, SU and not much else, she’s not familiar with the majority of her work. She’s asked me to put together a YouTube playlist of the songs that might be played at the concert so she can start getting to know her music.
Some options are quite clear: Meadowlark, songs from 'Evita', 'Anything Goes', 'Gypsy', 'Company', … Other songs outside her musical theatre hits that I've seen in other “Songs from a Hat” performances from YT videos. Perhaps some songs from her albums?
To be honest, I’ve found myself a bit overwhelmed by everything available… I want to try and offer her the best possible option within each selected song, and I’m convinced there may be many obvious tracks that I might overlook.
This is where I’m asking for your help… if you had to put together a list like this, which YouTube clips would you choose? I’d love to see your favourite renditions from among those you think are likely to feature in the concert, because I’m sure many of you know of clips I haven’t seen yet and which are real hidden gems for me.
Ladies, you’ve got to help me make my girl as big a fan as we are (or almost) before June rolls around! Thanks in advance for your help! 😁
Patti LuPone will receive the LUX DUCTOR Award from @antoniobanderas during her visit to the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank (Málaga, Spain) with ‘Songs From A Hat’, in recognition of her outstanding career, which has made her one of Broadway’s living legends.
Winner of three Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards, Patti LuPone has starred in iconic productions such as Evita, Gypsy, Company, Sweeney Todd, Sunset Boulevard and Les Misérables, leaving an indelible mark on musical theatre.
Following in the footsteps of the renowned Argentine dancer and director Julio Bocca, Patti LuPone becomes the second artist to be honoured with the LUX DUCTOR Award.
It is a true honour to welcome @pattilupone to our stage.
Antonio Banderas emphasises that it is an honour to recognise her career: “Her voice, intelligence, strength and wit make her a unique figure in the history of theatre.”
The reason behind one of the biggest changes in the 2018 revival of “Company”: why Joanne goes from offering to sleep with the lead character to offering her husband to Bobbie.
(Excerpt from "Great Performances: Keeping Company with Sondheim")
Here is the exact spot within Parque de la Sortija (in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife) where Patti LuPone will perform on the main stage of the Veranos del Taoro Festival on 19 June. Specifically, on a stage that will be set up beneath the large Indian laurel tree in the centre of the video.
It’s a festival held in a venue that’s open to all, so although tickets are available for comfortable seating right in front of the stage, anyone who turns up will be able to watch and listen from start to finish. How lucky for those who can make it there, isn’t it? 😁
(I’ve got a few more photos and videos of the place, so if anyone’s interested in seeing some lovely trees up close, I’d be happy to upload them!)
In her interview with the Canarian newspaper ED, Patti mentions that “I’m going to add two new ones [songs] that, although I’ve sung them in other shows, have never been in the hat.”
Which two new songs do you think / hope have been added to the hat from now on? 🤔
"SUR. El periódico de Málaga" interview with Patti LuPone (24/05/2026) ahead of her "Songs from a hat" concert on June 10th in Málaga.
⬇️⬇️⬇️ English translation under the tab ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Broadway legend Patti LuPone makes her debut in Málaga at age 77: “I can’t stay silent”
She’s spontaneous, funny, and an anti-Trump activist. “The situation is terrible,” admits the New York-based artist, who will perform musical classics at the Soho in June.
During this conversation, Patti LuPone is everything you’d expect her to be: spontaneous, passionate, and funny. She bursts out laughing when asked if she’d change anything about her career. “I’m not one of those people who say you shouldn’t regret anything. I regret a lot of things.” She doesn’t hide her discomfort the moment Trump’s name comes up: “It makes me want to cry. He’s a disaster, a disaster.” And she smiles again as she recalls a trip to Ronda where she came across a man on horseback with his shirt open “below the sternum,” “so attractive and masculine.” A living legend of Broadway musical theater and London’s West End, the New Yorker makes her debut in Spain at age 77 with a tour that opens in Málaga on June 10 at the Teatro del Soho Caixabank (tickets from 60 euros; 8:00 p.m.).
“I’m still here, and I’m still capable,” the actress and singer asserts. It’s a “longevity” on stage that LuPone proudly displays. Because the titles of “legendary,” “grand dame of musical theater,” and “queen of Broadway” that accompany her are no mere whims. She has won three Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Grammy Awards. She was the first Eva Perón on Broadway in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical 'Evita' and premiered 'Les Misérables' in London in the role of Fantine. She has starred in Stephen Sondheim’s great classics: 'Sweeney Todd', 'Company', and 'Gypsy'. But she has also worked in numerous plays written by David Mamet, a true authority on drama and screenwriting.
On TV, you’ll find her in shows like ‘Life Goes On’ and ‘Frasier’, and younger generations will recognize her from ‘American Horror Story’ and ‘Penny Dreadful’. That’s why—and also because of videos that have gone viral for her bluntness and honesty when she speaks. No filters. “That’s probably one of my regrets. But that’s just me. What am I going to do?” She points to her Italian roots to explain that impulsiveness. “I can’t stay quiet because it’ll give me cancer if I do. You know what I mean?” she says on the other end of the screen, during a video call from her home in New York. Asked about her country’s downward spiral and Trump’s immigration policy, she lets loose. “Oh my God, I can’t believe it! The situation here is terrible. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if we’ll ever have free or fair elections again.” And she continues: “We’re in serious trouble. I don’t want to be here. I haven’t wanted to be here for years, but this is the worst moment I’ve ever seen in this country.” She’s always been a pessimist, she admits, but now she feels completely “hopeless.”
“I don’t like watching myself. I don’t like hearing myself sing. I’m not a big fan of myself.”
It’s the only moment in the interview when her expression turns serious and she looks sad. As she looks back on her career, her smile never fades. In addition to a lot of theater and television, Patti LuPone has also done film, though less than she would have liked. “It always slipped through my fingers, yes. At the Juilliard School, we were trained for the theater. No one told us to go to Hollywood to make a career there. So I stayed in the theater,” she says. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, the film industry couldn’t conceive of a stage actor making the leap to the screen, “because the gestures were too exaggerated.” Not even with the backing of as many awards as she had accumulated. “Back in my day, those awards could get you a reservation at a nice restaurant. But they weren’t a stepping stone for women anymore,” she admits.
Now it’s a different story, and the transition from film to theater—and vice versa—is seen as perfectly natural. Just a year ago, George Clooney made his Broadway debut in ‘Good Night, and Good Luck.’ “And when I saw him, I went backstage and told him, ‘You’re a natural on stage.’ He came out with such confidence and command! That’s the key. He was radiant, charismatic, fully committed, and his performance was fantastic,” he praises him.
In any case, her commitment to the stage has spared her from that bad habit in the film industry of ignoring actresses when they turn a certain age. “And, in a way, it’s helped me keep my career going,” she says. But make no mistake, it hasn’t been easy. Even less so in musical theater. “It’s the hardest job in show business. It’s brutal,” she says emphatically. And she adds: “You have to have great stamina. If you don’t have it, you have to build it up. And you basically achieve that through a monastic lifestyle.” Otherwise, you can’t sustain that pace of eight shows a week, giving it your all in live singing and dancing. “Look at Megan Thee Stallion. She couldn’t cut it; she didn’t know what was expected of her. I think people don’t understand it—they don’t understand it physically,” she adds, referring to the famous American rapper’s abrupt exit from the musical 'Moulin Rouge!' due to exhaustion.
Behind the confidence she exudes lies a great deal of self-criticism. “I don’t like watching myself. I don’t like hearing myself sing. I’m not a big fan of myself,” she confesses when the topic of “regrets” comes up in conversation. But at the same time, she reaffirms herself: “I’m still here, you know? And I’m still capable.” This will be evident in Málaga on June 10, in a show titled “Songs from a Hat.” Accompanied by her pianist Joseph Thalken and with no script, the artist will perform songs that are randomly drawn from her hat. Broadway standards and classics from the popular songbook, woven together with anecdotes from a five-decade career. It will take place at Antonio Banderas’ theater; she knows him and is aware of his passion for Sondheim musicals (‘Company’ and ‘Gypsy’). She asks if his project has been successful in Málaga. “Yes, he’s very beloved in his hometown,” we reply. “He’s very beloved, period,” she adds.
"EL DÍA. La opinión de Tenerife" interview with Patti LuPone (27/05/2026) ahead of her "Songs from a hat" concert on June 19th in Tenerife and June 21th in Gran Canaria.
⬇️⬇️⬇️ English translation of the article under the tab ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Patti LuPone (77), actress: “I have no idea what I’m going to sing, and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had on stage”
The Broadway legend makes her Spanish debut with ‘Songs from a Hat,’ a show where chance determines the setlist from among 42 iconic songs from her career, taking the stage at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium on June 21. She will also perform in Tenerife on Friday, June 19.
You’re coming to the Canary Islands with your show Songs from a Hat. It’s a fascinating concept because it lets chance decide which song will be performed that night. How did this idea come about?
I was asked to put together a 20-minute set for a charity gala, and I was overwhelmed trying to figure out how to do it. So I said, ‘I’m just going to put songs in a hat and pull them out.’ That’s how it started. It’s become the most fun thing I do on stage because I don’t feel any pressure. I have no idea what I’m going to sing, and there’s a chance I might forget the lyrics, since there are 42 songs in the hat.
What kind of songs are in that hat?
All the Broadway and London shows I’ve done, plus songs from my concerts like “Far Away Places,” “Matters of the Heart,” and “Don’t Monkey with Broadway.” There are a lot of lyrics to remember, but as I always say at the beginning, I just sing whatever comes out of the hat—there’s no preparation beforehand, and it’s the most fun I’ve ever had.
With so many possible songs, how do you prepare the show technically?
My musical director, Joseph Thalken, put all the music on an iPad because the script was huge and he had to carry all the paper around. Now we have everything numbered. When I pull a song, he just has to look up that number on his iPad. I’ve been listening to all the songs and I’m going to add two new ones that, although I’ve sung them in other shows, have never been in the hat.
Why did you decide to add those new songs specifically for Spain?
I didn’t know if the Spanish audience knew me or if they’d prefer the Broadway numbers they associate with me. I figured someone might have seen Sweeney Todd, Gypsy, or Women on the Verge. I had to go over them to remember the lyrics, but again, if a mistake happens, that’s just part of the nature of the show.
Is this your first time performing in Spain?
Yes. I’ve been to Spain before, but I’ve never sung here. I don’t make those decisions—the promoters do—and I suppose they thought it was about time I sang in Spain. I’d love for Pedro Almodóvar to come see the show, though I’m not quite sure how to get in touch with him.
After so many years in the business, what do you enjoy most about being on stage?
The silence. When you hear silence in an audience, it means that what you’re saying in the play has connected with a group of people who don’t know each other, turning them into a single entity that leans forward to listen. The silence in a theater is deafening, and that’s what you’re aiming for: a universal experience for a community. In musicals, the immediate response after finishing a song is also rewarding. That’s when you know whether you’ve succeeded or not. That’s the difference from film, where the response comes months or a year later.
Speaking of audience interaction, you’re known for your policy of not allowing cell phones. Why are you so strict about this?
I’m not the only one who feels this way. I don’t think there should be cell phones—or food, for that matter. The theater isn’t your living room. Cell phones are a huge distraction to both the other audience members and the actors. It’s impossible not to see that light. Why are you looking at your phone when you’ve paid so much money to see a live performance? You should be watching the stage.
You’ve played iconic roles like Evita or Madame Rose in Gypsy. Which of those characters do you feel are most “inside” you?
They’re all part of me. An actor draws on their own emotional and analytical insights. I bring my own self to the role under the playwright’s direction. I’ve played iconic women, but I’m not an artist’s mother (as in Gypsy), nor a murderous baker (as in Sweeney Todd), nor an Upper East Side alcoholic (as in Company). I have the emotional background to play them, but I can’t say that one is closer to me than another.
For young actors just starting out, do you have any advice on how to approach the audition process?
Be yourself. Be the best version of yourself that you can be. Sometimes we put a lot of pressure on ourselves because we want the role, and that prevents us from showing our best selves. I got into Juilliard because I didn’t care. I treated my audition like a joke, and I got in. You have to take the pressure off, go in there, and have fun.
