LuPone will star as Mrs. Weiner, Marc's (Michael Urie) mom, on an episode titled "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Judith Light (as Claire Meade) will also guest star on that episode, which is scheduled to air March 22 on ABC-TV from 8-9 PM ET; check local listings. The episode was penned by Marco Pennette, Sarah Kucserka and Veronica Becker; Tricia Brock directed.
The "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" episode is described thusly: "Marc, promising to help Betty with inside info for Daniel, convinces her to pretend to be his 'girlfriend' when his suspicious mom, Mrs. Weiner (LuPone), arrives in town. Things go from bad to worse when Mrs. Weiner invites herself to dinner at the Suarez home and Betty's whole family has to play along with the charade. Meanwhile, Daniel and Alexis struggle to work together after their mom - who actually owns Mode - names them co-editors-in-chief of the magazine."
"Ugly Betty" features America Ferrera as Betty Suarez, Eric Mabius as Daniel Meade, Alan Dale as Bradford Meade, Tony Plana as Ignacio, Ana Ortiz as Hilda, Ashley Jensen as Christina, Becki Newton as Amanda, Mark Indelicato as Justin, Michael Urie as Marc, Kevin Sussman as Walter, Rebecca Romijn as Alexis Meade and Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater.
A Tony Award winner for her work in Evita, Patti LuPone also earned an Olivier Award for her performances in the West End productions of Lés Misérables and The Cradle Will Rock. Her other theatrical credits include Sunset Boulevard, Anything Goes, Oliver!, Working, The Old Neighborhood, Master Class and Pal Joey. LuPone also headlined two solo Broadway concerts, Patti LuPone On Broadway and Matters of the Heart, and received glowing notices for her performance as Mrs. Lovett in the Lincoln Center concert version of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd and a Tony nomination for her performance in the recent revival of that Sondheim work. She was seen in the Kennedy Center's staging of Marc Blitzstein's Regina and also portrayed Mama Rose in the Ravinia Festival's recent mounting of Gypsy.