More than 500 Broadway artists have signed an open letter “calling-in” Tony Award winner Patti LuPone following shocking comments she made in an interview with The New Yorker earlier this week.
In the interview, LuPone took aim at fellow Broadway veteran and Tony winner Kecia Lewis, saying of Lewis, “Don’t call yourself a vet, b—h.” She also reignited her feud with actress Audra McDonald, who has won more Tony Awards for her performances than any other actor including LuPone, saying that the actress wasn’t a friend. As many were quick to point out, McDonald and Lewis are both Black women.
The open letter—addressed to the American Theatre Wing, the nonprofit that sponsors the Tony Awards; The Broadway League, the trade association that represents Broadway performers; and the greater theater community—was written to act as a “collective call-in to our community,” and as a call for “accountability, justice and respect—rooted in love for the art form and for the people who make it possible.“
The letter characterizes LuPone’s comments as not only inappropriate and unacceptable, but also an act of “racialized disrespect” that constitutes bullying and harassment. It continues, “It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence.”
While the letter was written in response to LuPone’s comments, the authors stress that the issue goes beyond any one person, writing, “It is about a culture. A pattern. A persistent failure to hold people accountable for violent, disrespectful, or harmful behavior—especially when they are powerful or well-known.”
LuPone is known for being outspoken, and has previously made headlines for taking aim at subjects like President Donald Trump anad his administration, such as her recent comments about wanting to see the Trump-run Kennedy Center “blown up.” While her outspokenness has previously been considered part of her “diva” persona, many felt that her remarks about Lewis and McDonald crossed a line.
The 500+ signatories, which include Tony winners Wendell Pierce, Maleah Joi Moon, and James Monroe Iglehart, call on the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League to take immediate action, not only in response to LuPone’s comments but in “establishing a broader standard of accountability moving forward.”
To do this, they ask that individuals who use their platform to “publicly demean, harass, or disparage fellow artists—particularly with racial, gendered, or otherwise violent language” no longer be welcomed at industry events including the Tony Awards, that their participation at high-profile events be contingent on “conduct that reflects community values,” including completion of restorative justice programs before re-entry to such events is granted, and that Broadway institutions adopt and enforce clear policies for addressing harmful behavior.
The letter also includes a message “to the Kecias and the Audras of our past, present, and future,” which reads, “You are the soul of this community. We honor your brilliance, your resilience, and your impact. You deserve more than applause. You deserve protection. You deserve respect.”
In response to LuPone’s comments, McDonald—who has previously starred alongside LuPone in several productions including Sweeney Todd—appeared perplexed, telling Gayle King that the pair haven’t seen each other in over a decade and that she doesn’t know what rift LuPone is referring to.
McDonald is currently starring in a revival of Gypsy as Rose, a role LuPone held in the 2008 revival. LuPone’s grievances with Lewis date back to last November, when LuPone slammed Lewis’ show Hell’s Kitchen for being “too loud” while her show, The Roommate, was playing next door.
According to Lewis, LuPone then went as far as contacting the owner of the Shubert Theatre where Hell’s Kitchen was playing to complain about the noise, asking that several sound cues be changed.
Lewis won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance in Hell’s Kitchen, while McDonald received her 11th Tony nomination for her performance as Rose in Gypsy. The 78th Tony Awards will take place on June 8.
