Beloved singer/actress Patti LuPone almost ended her lengthy Broadway career this year (11) after a noted composer scolded the veteran for having a "lazy tongue".
The Evita star was appearing in Stephen Sondheim's Lincoln Center production of Company and, while her performance was widely acclaimed, the Tony winner admits she received a sour review from the show's composer, which almost prompted her to call it quits.
But LuPone admits she is grateful for Sondheim's wake-up call - because his comments motivated her to hone her craft.
She tells the New York Daily News, "It was one o'clock in the morning and I went to say goodbye to him and he gave me a note.
"I slur. I have a lazy tongue. He had complaints about my diction, and he's not alone. I went, 'I'm never going to do this again.' But it was a valuable note and I pulled myself out of it."