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Patti LuPone: US should export culture, not military spending
🇨🇱 Chile /Culture & Society

Patti LuPone: US should export culture, not military spending

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Broadway legend Patti LuPone believes the U.S. should prioritize exporting culture and arts over military spending.
  • LuPone expressed concern over the lack of support for the arts in the U.S. since the Obama administration, feeling like a "third-class citizen" as an actress.
  • She hopes producers will support young artists and composers, noting the immense talent in musical theater that struggles to find opportunities due to high production costs.

American theater icon Patti LuPone advocates for the United States to "export its culture, its arts, and its sciences, instead of spending money on ammunition and the Army." The Broadway star, currently embarking on a Spanish tour with her concert "Songs from a Hat," lamented the state of artistic support in her home country.

The arts in my country are not supported at all

— Patti LuPoneDescribing the lack of support for the arts in the United States.

"It is a tragedy, and it breaks my heart," LuPone told EFE. She recalled that during the Bush and Obama administrations, the White House hosted concerts, but this practice has since ceased. "The arts in my country are not supported at all," she stated, adding that as an actress, she has always felt like a "third-class citizen."

I have always felt like a third-class citizen

— Patti LuPoneOn her experience as an actress in the U.S.

When asked about the current health of Broadway musical theater, LuPone acknowledged the difficulty in answering but expressed a strong desire for producers to champion emerging talent. "There is an enormous amount of talent on the stages. I am excited, but I wish that, in our country, producers would support young authors and composers. There is a lot of talent that will never see the light of day, unfortunately, because (the musical) is too expensive."

I wish that, in our country, producers would support young authors and composers.

— Patti LuPoneHoping for greater support for emerging talent in musical theater.

LuPone, who is set to receive the Lux Ductor Award from Antonio Banderas, reflected on her career, highlighting the musical "Evita" as a turning point that made her a star despite initial controversy. She also spoke about her work on "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," a musical adaptation of Pedro Almodóvar's film, expressing her admiration for the Spanish director's unique work. For LuPone, theater remains the ultimate medium for actors due to the "direct response" from the audience.

theater is the medium of the actors

— Patti LuPoneOn the unique connection actors have with audiences in theater.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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