Patti LuPone Shares Why She Thinks Barbra Streisand Was 'Too Young' for 'Hello, Dolly'

Patti LuPone
Bravo

The Tony-winning star also revealed what two Broadway shows she thinks are overrated.

Patti LuPone is sharing her thoughts on all things Broadway!

The multi-Tony Award winner appeared during the latest episode of After Show, where she admitted that she thought Barbra Streisand was "too young" for her role in Hello, Dolly. In a game of "Which Broad-Way Do You Lean?" LuPone was asked to choose between pairs of actors to see who she thought did a better job in the Broadway role. The first one was Streisand and Bette Midler in musical rom-com.

"Neither," she candidly told Andy Cohen, while guest Cynthia Nixon chimed in, "Patti LuPone."

"But can I say why?" LuPone asked. "Barbra Streisand was too young and Carol Channing should have played it. And I actually loved Bette when I saw her on Broadway. I loved it. She carries her own light. But she's done it." Funny enough, in 2020, LuPone told Cohen she thought Streisand was too old for a Gypsy remake.

When asked if she would ever take on the role of socialite turned matchmaker Dolly Levi, she replied, "People have told me I should do Dolly and I didn't quite understand it. I would do the play The Matchmaker."

Continuing the game, LuPone was also asked to choose between Robert Preston or Hugh Jackman as Harold Hill in The Music Man, Chita Rivera or Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in Chicago, Rita Moreno or Ariana DeBose as Anita in West Side Story and more.

Elsewhere in the interview, the theater legend was asked what she thinks are the two most overrated Broadway shows.

"Yeah, Cats," she replied with a laugh. "Cats. I mean, that's one of them and Phantom. I think there should be a time limit on Broadway shows. I think there should be term limits on senators, on judges and Broadway musicals."

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