“Am I the only one who has their video on?”

We were told our conversation with Patti LuPone, 77, would be an audio-only interview, so we’re pleasantly surprised to find the American actor, singer and Broadway performer has logged on for a face-to-face chat. While some celebrities might hide behind publicists and demands, LuPone is known to face whatever life throws at her head on; no one could accuse her of being a shrinking violet.

Ahead of her A Life in Notes concert on June 3, a headline event of the WestK Cabaret Festival, LuPone talks animatedly about her visit to Hong Kong (this will be her fourth), throwing in recollections about her previous “incredible” outings and how she hopes to “finally go to Victoria Peak this trip”.

“My son came with us the second time and I said we had to go to [Yuen Po Street] bird alley and the [Yau Ma Tei] jade market. Back in the 1980s, the gentlemen carried bird cages on their pinky finger. Then, we went to a restaurant where these songbirds in bird cages were outside hanging on hooks. It’s such a fascinating, gorgeous city,” she says.

“I remember when I saw the South China Sea, I almost had a heart attack!” she recalls, with zeal. “It’s very exciting for me. I think because I was born in the West, I’m drawn to the East.”

It’s a pleasure to see LuPone so enthusiastic about her upcoming visit to the city, given her life has been filled with thrills, her career having spanned more than five decades and resulted in three Tony awards (given to actors, designers, directors and producers in the New York theatre industry).