LuPone debuted Heggie's work in November 2006 at the First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto, CA. Heggie's lyric drama is based on "The Rape of Persephone" and features a libretto by Gene Scheer.

The Ravinia Festival is presenting the Chicago premiere of To Hell and Back as part of two evenings entitled "Water Works." The 8 PM performances will also feature soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under the direction of Nicholas McGegan. Concertgoers can also expect to hear Handel's "Water Music Suite in G Major" and Rameau's "Suite from Les Paladins."

As previously announced, LuPone will join Audra McDonald for a concert evening at Ravinia Aug. 26 at 7 PM. Tony winner Ted Sperling will conduct the Ravinia Festival Orchestra.

A Tony Award winner for her work in Evita, Patti LuPone also earned an Olivier Award for her performances in the West End productions of Lés Misérables and The Cradle Will Rock. Her other theatrical credits include Sunset Boulevard, Anything Goes, Oliver!, Working, The Old Neighborhood, Master Class and Pal Joey. LuPone also headlined two solo Broadway concerts, Patti LuPone On Broadway and Matters of the Heart, and received glowing notices for her performance as Mrs. Lovett in the Lincoln Center concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and a Tony nomination for her performance in the recent revival of that Sondheim work. She was seen in the Kennedy Center's staging of Marc Blitzstein's Regina and recently joined Audra McDonald for Los Angeles Opera's production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. LuPone will star as Rose in the upcoming City Center production of Gypsy.

For more information visit www.ravinia.org. *

A recording of To Hell and Back — starring LuPone — is available for on-line downloading by visiting Magnatune.com.