Hello diva lovers! A lot of exciting diva events to look forward to. Enjoy!

PATTI LuPONE
This Wednesday marked the end of Patti LuPone's triumphant run in the Broadway production of Terrence McNally's Master Class. LuPone, who succeeded Zoe Caldwell in the role, was met by enthusiastic reviews from the New York critics (Clive Barnes called her "blazing and mesmerizing" in the New York Post) and finished her run with sold-out audiences and lengthy standing ovations. LuPone will be performing concerts throughout the U.S. before heading to London to open the West End company of MC.

And, there's even more exciting news on the LuPone front. . .As reported earlier, Patti made an appearance at a Colm Les Miz Wilkinson concert a few months back that was taped for broadcast for PBS. LuPone and Wilkinson had starred in the original Royal Shakespeare production of Les Miserables at the Barbican Theatre in London (which then transferred to the West End). The PBS program, with the working title "Colm Wilkinson Sings Music from Les Miz, Phantom, Evita and much more with Special Guest Patti LuPone"(!) airs Wednesday, March 12, from 8-9:20 PM on PBS (check local listings for times elsewhere). The program will air on Thirteen/WNET in New York four days earlier, on March 8, from 9-11 PM.

"Colm Wilkinson Sings..." features the Irish tenor performing many songs written for the stage as well as some of his own favorite pop tunes. The concert opens with Evita's "Oh What a Circus" (Wilkinson was the first to record the role of Che on the original concept album with Julie Covington) and includes such other songs as "Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera; "Bring Him Home" and "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miz; the American folk song that became a rock-n-roll hit "House of the Rising Sun"; "This is the Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde; U-2's "MLK"; "Danny Boy" and others.

La LuPone sings her dynamic rendition of Evita's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," the show-stopping "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miz and her lilting version of "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" from Pal Joey. LuPone also dazzles the audience with Oliver's "As Long As He Needs Me" and the Irving Berlin classic "Steppin' Out with My Baby."

Both LuPone and Wilkinson were backed by a 38-piece orchestra conducted by Canadian music director Rick Fox. The evening was taped at the Manhattan Center Ballroom in New York City. And, what's even more exciting is the producer of the "Colm Wilkinson Sings..." concert, Bob Marty, decided to tape an entire Patti LuPone concert when she recently sang at Palm Desert. That concert will also be aired on PBS towards the end of this year. No air date has yet been announced, but I'll keep you posted as I hear more.

Continued...