Broadway Community Condemns Patti LuPone’s Comments
Over 500 members of the Broadway community have signed an open letter condemning Patti LuPone’s "humiliating and misogynistic" comments about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald. The two-time Tony Award winner made a series of disparaging remarks about the two actresses in a recent New Yorker cover story.
The Incident
The controversy began last November when LuPone, who was performing in the Broadway play The Roommate, had issues with the sound volume of the neighboring show, Hell’s Kitchen. According to reports, the sound was bleeding from theater to theater and causing problems for LuPone, who asked that the sound levels be adjusted. Hell’s Kitchen star Kecia Lewis later posted an Instagram video demanding an apology from LuPone and accusing her of "offensive" and "bullying behavior".
LuPone’s Response
When asked about the incident in the New Yorker profile, LuPone fired back, saying, "This is the problem. She calls herself a veteran? Let’s find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about." LuPone also criticized Audra McDonald for supporting Lewis’ Instagram post, saying, "I thought: ‘You should know better.’ This is typical of Audra."
Community Response
The open letter, signed by over 500 Broadway artists, condemned LuPone’s comments as "deeply inappropriate and unacceptable". The letter stated, "To put down a woman publicly [Lewis] who has contributed to this art form with such excellence, leadership, and grace – and to discredit the legacy of Audra McDonald, the most nominated and excellent artist in the history of the Tony Awards – is not just a personal offense. It is a public affront to the values of cooperation, justice, and mutual respect that our theater community claims to uphold."
A Pattern of Behavior
The letter emphasized that LuPone’s comments were not just a one-time mistake, but part of a larger pattern of behavior. "This is about more than one person. It’s about a culture. A pattern. A pattern of persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior – especially if they are powerful or well-known." The letter also noted that LuPone’s comments were a form of "racial backlash" and represented "bullying" and "harassment".
Conclusion
The letter concluded, "We cannot welcome those who harm others, simply because of their fame or perceived value. This has to stop. We will no longer tolerate violence against artists in our own community." The signatories, including Wendell Pierce, Courtney Love, and James Monroe Iglehart, emphasized that no artist, producer, director, or leader should be allowed to use their platform to belittle, threaten, or devalue others without consequence.
