Patti LuPone Talks WOMEN ON THE VERGE and the Future of Broadway

The 2011 Tony Award nominees were announced live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in New York City on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. The next day, proud nominees gathered at the Millenium Hotel in Times Square to celebrate and meet the press. Broadway Beat caught up with Patti LuPone, Best Featured Actress in a Musical nominee for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, who had this to say about her nomination:

"I'm grateful to the Tony nominating committee for seeing us before we closed. We actually closed prematurely of our subscription run. So for coming to see us and for not forgetting us- it means so much to me, because I am very proud of that production. It was, I think, bold and original and it was an unbelievable ensemble. So I'm thrilled to death!

On working with composer David Yazbek, she added, "I'm a fan of David's, so that's one of the reasons I wanted to do this. I wanted to work with Bart [Sher], I wanted to work with Jeffrey [Lane], and I wanted to work with David. I thought 'if I don't do this, the chance might never come again.' I think that David's music and Jeffrey's lyrics and David's lyrics are fantastic. I think they're the future of Broadway."

When asked about her favorite part of her WOMEN ON THE VERGE experience, she responded: "It was the discovery of the material. Do you know what I mean? It was figuring out how to bring this to life. Because really, I didn't work with anybody except for Justin, Nikka, and De'Adre. Those were the only people I really worked with, and then the final scene. I was really this independent thing that walked throughout."

To watch the full interview, click here!

The American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, which are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will air on CBS on Sunday, June 12th from 8:00 - 11:00 PM (ET/PT time delay).

THE 65th ANNUAL TONY AWARDS take place at the Beacon Theatre. The awards will be followed by the invite-only Tony Gala which will take place at The Plaza Hotel in New York City.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos