Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Saw War Paint Last Night

Last night I headed off and saw War Paint. It is the musical about the rivalry between Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden from the 30s to the 60s.
Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol in War Paint
It was amazing to see these two women singing on stage. Their voices are both different and (justifiably) world famous. Christine Ebersol makes almost every song and lyric meaningful and vibrant.

Patti Lupone was, unfortunately, saddled with a Eastern European accent and is great enough to sing with it. Her songs were normally less touching, but when she had the heights to hit no one does it like Patti. That broad can belt it out.

The story itself was a little distancing. I mean, they hated each other, the were proto-feminists, they built companies and would have been treated better if they were men. Then the get old, lose their companies and fade.

In treating them as World Class entrepreneurs, the play gets its feminist credentials. In treating them like cat-fighting women, it gets is "real housewives" fan base. In casting Patti Lupone and Crhistine Ebersol, it gets a phalanx of gay fans. I would have preferred a little less marketing and a little more substance.

Having said that, it was a treat. And they can sing anything well!