Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol in War Paint |
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!