LuPone, Patinkin to appear together at Cadillac Palace Theater

Back in 2002, Broadway and Hollywood veterans Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin were both bluffed into performing in concert together to open the new Eisemann Center theater in Richardson, Texas.

"It was so bizarre," LuPone said. "The booker called my agent and said, 'I've got Mandy, how about Patti?' and then called Mandy's agent and said, 'I've got Patti, how about Mandy?'"

Neither of them were officially contracted when they got the calls, and it had been years since Patinkin and LuPone performed together. Both had already established distinguished careers as solo artists, in addition to separate work on TV series like "Life Goes On" and "Chicago Hope." But it was easy to see why the Texas presenters would seek them out as a duo.

Both LuPone and Patinkin skyrocketed to fame - and later won Tony Awards - when they were cast in the 1979 Broadway production of "Evita."

So, they were happy to work together again - in Texas and beyond. They bring their joint concert to Chicago next week for a series of performances at the Cadillac Palace Theatre.

Early on, though, they were clear about what they wanted in their concerts.

For the Texas performance, Patinkin approached his longtime music collaborator and pianist Paul Ford to see if they could put together a concert starring LuPone and himself that wouldn't just be "20 minutes from her, 20 minutes from me and we sing 'Getting to Know You' or something and then its over," Patinkin said. "I hate those evenings."

So with LuPone's blessing, Patinkin and Ford crafted a "figurative storyline" about two people using familiar and unfamiliar spoken and sung material that wasn't just a tag-team concert of Broadway solos. Though LuPone and Patinkin quickly dropped the dual concert after its initial run, they returned to it (when their schedules permitted) to reshape it through the years.

"We have a ball. I mean, we both do solo concert performances, but we have a great time performing on stage with each other," LuPone said.

Patinkin says audiences should expect a big "vaudeville" portion in the show, plus material from "South Pacific" and "Carousel." A lot of songs from composer Stephen Sondheim's 1981 musical "Merrily We Roll Along" also figure prominently.

Oddly enough, songs from "Evita" don't play a huge part in the show. "That's just the way it unfolded," LuPone said with a devilish laugh when asked why.

Patinkin is looking forward to reconnecting with friends and relatives here next week since Chicago is his hometown.

"I always feel younger when I'm in Chicago," Patinkin said. "But one of the great gifts of this show for me is Patti. (We) met 30 years ago doing 'Evita' together and we became lifelong friends from that experience, and when I look in her eyes I'm immediately 30 years younger."

<p class="factboxheadblack">"An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin" </p>

<p class="News"><b>Location:</b> Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., Chicago, (800) 775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.org </p>

<p class="News"><b>Showtimes:</b> 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 2, and Friday and Saturday, March 5 and 6; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, March 3 and 4; 3 p.m. Sunday, March 7</p>

<p class="News"><b>Tickets: </b>$18-$120 </p>

<p class="News"><b>Parking:</b> Nearby pay garages</p>