Patti LuPone sings a love story in the Windy City

Performer Patti Ann LuPone crooned and created a love fest for one night only at The Auditorium on January 31. Ida B. Wells Drive became a Pride parade as her loyal gay fan base marched over to the theater in the freezing cold. Ticket holders warmed up quickly to her 25th anniversary of Matters of the Heart and the timing could have been better to lead into Valentine's Day.

Her musical director and accompanist, Joseph Thalken and The Four Play String Quartet (Will Curry, Molly Goldman, Suzy Perelman and Jessica Wang) entered the stage first to settle in their places.

As LuPone walked in, a standing ovation began with thunderous applause and she started with Carnival's “Love Makes the World Go Round.”

The three-time Tony Award winner explained to the crowd that this night would focus on love and lust. Her white dress adorned with various ornaments was showcased with a pink gel.

At one point, the spotlight wasn't turned on properly to highlight her and she grimaced when it eventually lit up.

She wore her heart on her sleeve and followed the order of her 1999 Center Stage Records endeavor from “Where Love Resides” to “Playbill.” The Beach Boys tune “God Only Knows” came off as a matter of fact after being enhanced for cabaret and “The Air That I Breathe” by The Hollies soared. Cyndi Lauper's “Time After Time” surprised listeners by resonating today after originally being written in the '80s.

There was a brief intermission that allowed her to costume change into a blue gown and take a break. She returned fresh as a daisy and ready to plow through more of her vast catalog.

The concert was peppy and concise, with a dash of banter from LuPone thrown in for good measure. She reminisced about past romances over her lifetime and joked about golden showers. For “I Never Do Anything Twice,” the sassy singer whipped a person sitting in the front row's hand with a riding crop.

It was a temptation to sing along with the popular set list she had chosen, but no one could top the showstopper “Being Alive.” While some of the tracks the Grammy

The American Theater Hall of Fame member continues to be a true professional and someone who demands respect while earning it. Many were waiting for a cell phone to ring or for bad behavior to be called out, but Patti was tame that night and only briefly mentioned the state of the world. She encouraged others to be empathetic and vigilant.

The concert could have been executed in any size setting and Patti has a way of connecting with people by staring them right in the face. For the finale, she brought out a disposable camera to take photographs of the audience. After she finished her impromptu shoot, she tossed the camera to one lucky attendee in the front of the room.

During the curtain call, she introduced her team and gushed about loving Chicago. Patti didn't overstay her welcome and left her fans wanting more.

Next on her agenda is Carnegie Hall for another Matters of the Heart concert for her enthusiastic, loyal followers to enjoy.

Catch a “Dancing Queen” at the same venue as Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA performs Feb. 6 with tickets at auditoriumtheatre.org.