Patti LuPone, Ben Platt Salute Broadway At The Grammys

Theater fans got a treat on Sunday when Broadway stars Ben Platt and Patti LuPone took the stage at the Grammy Awards to pay tribute to composers Leonard Bernstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

Platt, 24, who nabbed a Tony Award last year for his star-making performance in “Dear Evan Hansen ,” opened the segment with “Somewhere” from “West Side Story.” LuPone, 68, reprised her iconic performance as Eva Perón in “Evita” with a stirring rendition of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.” 

It was a big night for both stars. Earlier in the evening, the “Dear Evan Hansen” cast recording took home the 2018 Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, pushing Platt halfway to EGOT that is, winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards status. 

LuPone’s performance marked her first collaboration with Lloyd Webber in over two decades. They have had an adversarial relationship since 1994, when LuPone was replaced by Glenn Close  in the Broadway production of Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” 

Fortunately, they seem to have buried the hatchet . 

Fans were moved by both performances, and LuPone’s name began trending on Twitter after she left the stage.

A Broadway tribute was particularly fitting for the 2018 Grammys, as this year marked the first time the ceremony had been held in New York since 2003.