Best Performance at the 2018 Grammys

There were quite a few great performances at the 2018 Grammys but seeing 68-year-old Patti LuPone sing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita 37 years after her first Grammys performance of that Broadway showstopper … well, that took my breath away! Thanks for forgiving composer Andrew Lloyd Webber long enough to bless us with your presence, Patti!

I’ve been crazy for Patti since 1980, when my parents took me and my sister to see Evita — even though my mother was worried that we might pick up on the fact that the character was portrayed as a [MOM’S STAGE WHISPER] “W-H-O-R-E.”

The vinyl Broadway cast recording was played in our house so often that when I saw a London revival of Evita in 2007, I was annoyed that two lines had been changed. Not two lines in a song — two lines in the entire musical! I was still upset about it in 2008 when I devoted a blog post to Patti’s greatness.

Patti confers her greatness upon everything she touches. Her 2005 guest-starring role on Will and Grace resulted in this iconic dialogue from Jack:

“Shut up, Patti LuPone! Shut your brassy, magnificent trap! I don’t wanna hear you sing. I don’t wanna cut your hair. And I certainly don’t wanna hear you singing while I’m cutting your hair! Got it?! Now I’m talking to my best friend, so stand back, Buenos Aires!”

And then there was her reaction:

It’s great to see people reacting to Patti on social media tonight. My queen is trending on Twitter!

My favorite comment was the one about the Grammys audience members who failed to join the standing ovation for Ms. LuPone.

While those sitting ducks prepare for Judgment Day, the rest of you can come back to the blog tomorrow for my 2018 Grammys Best Dressed/Wear What You Want award.

UPDATED TO ADD: Oh Em Gee, Patti, please adopt me.

Also, the gif of Patti as a dark-haired Evita comes from this famous 1980 commercial. This ad was on ALL the time.

“Stamp your feet and clap your hands!”

UPDATED AGAIN TO ADD: And this!