"Welcome to the Theatre": Diary of a Broadway Baby
Knockouts
July 31, 2026 | Joe's Pub | Late Night | Concert | 1H 20M
Immediately following a 54 Below show, I darted downtown to catch Patti LuPone and Bridget Everett previewing a new show they've been cooking up. The initial sale sold out in a matter of hours, but I won a last-minute lottery, so naturally I had to check it out. And it...well...you know, it was a laugh-riot. They parked me front and center, which is not a great seat in this venue, but what are you gonna do on a ticket more than 50% off? The premise of the show is that it's the near-future in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and the two women are playing heightened versions of themselves. Patti has fallen from famed Patti LuPone to "women with cart" in her new life as she treks across the country with a wagon full of theatre memorabilia. She tackles the role with a refreshing self-awareness that I was honestly not aware she possessed. It's basically a long line of cheeky references and send-ups that will delight theatre fans and totally bemuse everyone else. With her band of backup singer boys, Bridget convinces Patti to be her manager as they make their way out to Kansas (the new West Coast) to start up a cabaret act. The songs themselves are not groundbreakers. A nice ballad here, a high-energy entrance song there, but largely derivative (pastiche, if you want to be kind). They both sounded great--Patti was in good vocal health for all that belting. But they don't (yet) have a solid double-diva-duet number. I'd say this has Seaview off-Broadway written all over it.
Verdict: Well...I'm Glad I Saw It
A Note on Ratings
