A friend invited another friend and me to see Patti Lupone’s sold-out final performance of her gig at 54 Below. We couldn’t resist.

Patti has three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame. She’s best known as a singer and actress in stage musicals. Most recently, I saw her performances in London and New York in Company. 

(Michael Allan Galvez, photographer)

As good New Yorkers, we didn’t bother the famous folks we noticed in the small theatre. At one table was Kristin Chenoweth; at another were Jessica Lange, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Chelsea Clinton. We tried not to stare.

Before the show, we each opted for two appetizers, which satisfied our $25 minimum. We were, after all, there for the show, not the food.

The Butternut Squash Soup ($16) was nicely flavored with ginger and lemongrass, then drizzled with pumpkin seed oil. The Caesar salad with white anchovies ($18) and the Autumn salad ($18) with pear, blue cheese and candied walnuts in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette were also good.

We all chose (and I’d recommend) two buns filled with hoisin-flavored duck confit ($17) and pickled cucumbers.

Her electrifying performance had us — and the entire audience — on our feet, begging for more. We did get one encore.

If you see that she’s performing again, grab the tickets. Yes, she’s that good.

54 Below
Theatre District
254 West 54th Street Cellar
New York, NY 10019
(646) 476-3551