The concept of 'Songs from a Hat' relies on chance, with the night's repertoire determined by drawing songs from a hat. LuPone describes this as the most enjoyable experience she's had on stage, as she has no idea what she will sing and faces the possibility of forgetting lyrics among the 42 iconic songs from her career.
The hat contains numbers corresponding to songs from her Broadway and London shows, as well as tunes from her personal concerts like 'Far Away Places' and 'Don't Monkey with Broadway'. Despite the numerous lyrics to remember, LuPone emphasizes that she only sings what comes out of the hat, with no prior preparation.
For technical management, her musical director, Joseph Thalken, uses an iPad with all the numbered sheet music, making it easy to locate each song once drawn. LuPone has added two new songs specifically for this Spanish performance, even though she has sung them before in other shows.
The actress expressed her wish for Pedro Almodóvar to see the show, admitting she's unsure how to contact him. This marks her first time performing in Spain, although she has visited the country before.
LuPone highlighted the value of silence in theatre as the deepest connection with the audience, calling it 'deafening' and the pursuit of a 'universal experience'. She also noted the rewarding immediate audience response in musicals.
Known for her firm policy of no mobile phones in the theatre, LuPone argues they distract both audience members and actors, and that the theatre is not one's living room. She insists the audience should focus on the live performance.
Reflecting on her iconic roles such as Evita or Madame Rose in 'Gypsy', LuPone stated that all characters are part of her, drawing on her own emotional and analytical information under the playwright's direction, without feeling any single role is closer to her than another.
For aspiring young actors, she advises being 'the best version of yourself' and removing pressure during auditions, recalling her own experience getting into Juilliard. Despite her numerous awards, including three Tony, two Olivier, and two Grammy awards, she confesses that pre-show nerves persist but dissipate once the performance begins.
