Latest news with #LuPone
Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Broadway star Patti LuPone apologizes for ‘demeaning' and ‘disrespectful' comments
Twenty-five years ago, on a warm summer night in Los Angeles, Broadway stars Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald closed a show at the Hollywood Bowl with back-to-back encores of 'Get Happy'/'Happy Days Are Here Again.' Today, those happy days appear to be over for the two Tony Award winners. In a May 26 interview with the New Yorker, LuPone ignited a firestorm when she referred to McDonald as 'not a friend' and refused to comment on McDonald's celebrated performance in 'Gypsy.' (McDonald is nominated for a 2025 Tony Award in the category best actress in a leading role in a musical — its her 11th nomination.) LuPone also referred to Tony winner Kecia Lewis, who, like McDonald, is Black, as a 'bitch.' Speaking with Gayle King in a 'CBS Mornings' clip, McDonald sounded surprised by LuPone's comments. 'If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is,' she said. 'That's something that you'd have to ask Patti about. I haven't seen her in about 11 years, just because I've been busy, just with life and stuff. I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her.' (A full interview is set to air this week, according to a 'CBS Mornings' Instagram post.) Following public backlash, however, LuPone did something she rarely does. The outspoken diva apologized. But that was not without some stage direction. In an open letter from her colleagues in the theater community dated May 30, more than 500 actors, including Tony-winning actors Wendell Pierce, James Monroe Iglehart and Maleah Joi Moon, called LuPone's language 'racialized disrespect,' 'bullying' and 'harassment.' They asked the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League to discourage those who disparage fellow artists, including LuPone, from attending industry events 'including the Tony Awards, fundraisers, and public programs.' (The 2025 Tony Awards are scheduled for June 8 in New York, and will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.) On Saturday, LuPone responded to the criticism in a statement on her Instagram account: 'I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful. I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others ...' She went on to write that she hopes to speak to McDonald and Lewis in person. LuPone is well-versed in calling people out herself, particularly audience members who text during her theater performances. Last year, she even complained about noise from the Alicia Keys musical 'Hell's Kitchen' when she was performing in 'The Roommate' with Mia Farrow next door. After LuPone asked the theater owner to fix the sound because she found it to be too loud, Lewis took offense and posted a video on Instagram, describing LuPone's actions as 'bullying,' 'racially microaggressive' and 'rude and rooted in privilege.' She also noted that 'calling a Black show loud dismisses it.' Last year, Lewis won a Grammy for best musical theater album and a Tony in the category best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical for 'Hell's Kitchen.' Although flippant, LuPone's words only serve to hurt everyone during a turbulent time for the arts in America, the open letter said. 'Our industry is under threat. The arts are being defunded, theater programs are disappearing, and artists are being pushed to the margins. We need each other now more than ever. We need community. We need leadership. And we need accountability.' Humbled, LuPone agreed. 'I wholeheartedly agree with everything that was written in the open letter shared yesterday,' she wrote. 'From middle school drama clubs to professional stages, theatre has always been about lifting each other up and welcoming those who feel they don't belong anywhere else. I made a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it, and I am committed to making this right. Our entire theater community deserves better.'
UPI
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Patti LuPone apologizes for remarks about Kecia Lewis, Audra Macdonald
1 of 3 | Patti LuPone has apologized for disparaging remarks she made about her fellow Broadway stars Audra Macdonald and Kecia Lewis. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo May 31 (UPI) -- Patti LuPone has apologized for her recent remarks about her fellow Broadway stars Kecia Lewis and Audra Mcdonald after hundreds of members of the New York theater community attempted to get LuPone disinvited to the Tony Awards. "For as long as I have worked in the theatre, I have spoken my mind and never apologized. That is changing today," LuPone said in an Instagram post Saturday. "I am deeply sorry for the words I used during The New Yorker interview, particularly about Kecia Lewis, which were demeaning and disrespectful," she added, referring to comments that appeared at the end of a wide-ranging article published online May 26. "I regret my flippant and emotional responses during this interview, which were inappropriate, and I am devastated that my behavior has offended others and has run counter to what we hold dear in this community. I hope to have a chance to speak to Audra [McDonald] and Kecia personally to offer my sincere apologies." Variety said an open letter -- signed by about 500 people connected to the New York theater community -- made the rounds Friday, condemning LuPone's remarks and asking the organizers of the Tony Awards to ban her from Broadway's biggest night. Audra McDonald: 20 images of the Tony winner Audra McDonald (L), who plays the lead role of Sarah, and novelist E.L. Doctorow listen to opening night speeches during curtain call for the Broadway musical "Ragtime" based on the E.L. Doctorow novel in New York City on January 18, 1998. Doctorow died in 2015 at the age of 84. Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI | License Photo
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Patti LuPone receives scathing open letter for 'degrading' comments about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald
More than 600 members of the Broadway community condemned Patti LuPone in an open letter Friday after the three-time Tony winner made controversial comments about fellow stars Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald. The letter, addressed to The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, comes in response to a profile published in The New Yorker this week in which LuPone called Lewis a 'b----' and McDonald 'not a friend.' 'This language is not only degrading and misogynistic — it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect. It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment,' the letter says. Theater publication Playbill reported signatories to the letter include Tony winners James Monroe Iglehart, Maleah Joi Moon and Wendell Pierce. Lewis currently stars in 'Hell's Kitchen' on Broadway, for which she won a 2024 Tony Award. McDonald won the 2014 Tony Award for best actress in a play (her sixth) and is the first performer to win the award in all performance categories. She is nominated for the 11th time this year for her lead performance in the musical 'Gypsy.' As of Saturday, the letter had garnered 682 signatures, according to a document that allows people to request the addition of their names. 'Individuals, including Patti Lupone, who use their platform to publicly demean, harass, or disparage fellow artists — particularly with racial, gendered, or otherwise violent language — should not be welcomed at industry events, including the Tony Awards, fundraisers, and public programs,' the letter said. The American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League — which present the Tony Awards, set to be held on June 8 — did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. LuPone also did not immediately respond. In the New Yorker interview, LuPone was asked about a controversy that circulated during her time co-starring in 'The Roommate' with Mia Farrow last fall. The play, which has since closed, shared a wall with the Tony-winning musical 'Hell's Kitchen,' featuring Lewis. LuPone reportedly asked for the sound design of 'Hell's Kitchen' to be adjusted because the music would bleed through the shared walls, and sent the sound and stage management team flowers and a thank-you note once it was fixed. Lewis posted a video on Instagram in November in response, calling LuPone's actions 'racially microaggressive' and 'rooted in privilege.' Producers of 'The Roommate' posted a statement the following day thanking the 'Hell's Kitchen' staff for the fix, saying, 'These kinds of sound accommodations from one show to another are not unusual and are always deeply appreciated.' LuPone said of the back-and-forth in The New Yorker interview: 'Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the f--- she's talking about. ... She's done seven. I've done thirty-one. Don't call yourself a vet, b----.' The New Yorker noted that Lewis has actually done 10 shows and LuPone 28. Michael Schulman, the interviewer, mentioned to LuPone that McDonald — who holds the record as the Broadway performer with the most Tony Awards and nominations — gave the video 'supportive emojis.' The 76-year-old actor responded: 'And I thought, 'You should know better.' That's typical of Audra. She's not a friend.' McDonald was asked about LuPone's comments in a 'CBS Mornings' interview with Gayle King to discuss her latest Tony-nominated role as Mama Rose in 'Gypsy.' 'If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is,' McDonald said in a clip CBS shared on social media ahead of the full interview, which airs next week. 'That's something that you'd have to ask Patti about.' The open letter said LuPone's attempt to 'discredit' McDonald's legacy was not only a personal offense, but 'a public affront to the values of collaboration, equity, and mutual respect that our theater community claims to uphold.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Patti LuPone condemned by over 500 Broadway artists for ‘bullying' Audra McDonald, Kecia Lewis
Break a leg. More than 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter slamming Patti LuPone over her recent comments against Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis. The letter, which was written on behalf of the Broadway Theater Community on Friday, May 30, chastised LuPone, 76, for the flippant remarks she made about her fellow stage icons in an interview with The New Yorker published on Monday. 7 More than 500 Broadway artists signed an open letter slamming Patti LuPone for her recent comments against Audra McDonald and Kecia Lewis. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock 'Recently, Patti LuPone made deeply inappropriate and unacceptable public comments about two of Broadway's most respected and beloved artists,' the letter, which was addressed to the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, read. 'This language is not only degrading and misogynistic – it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect,' the letter continued. 'It constitutes bullying. It constitutes harassment. It is emblematic of the microaggressions and abuse that people in this industry have endured for far too long, too often without consequence.' Some high-profile Broadway stars who signed the open letter include Tony winners Maleah Joi Moon ('Hell's Kitchen'), James Monroe Iglehart ('Aladdin') and Wendell Pierce ('Radio Golf'). 7 LuPone said McDonald was 'not a friend' during an interview with The New Yorker earlier this week. WireImage The more than 500 signatories described LuPone's remarks as a 'public affront to the values of collaboration, equity, and mutual respect that our theater community claims to uphold.' 'Let us be clear: this is about more than one person,' the letter continued. '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.' 'This is not about differing opinions,' the letter went on. 'It is about public actions that demean, intimidate, or perpetuate violence against fellow artists. It is about the normalization of harm in an industry that too often protects prestige over people.' 7 LuPone also called Lewis a 'bitch' who 'doesn't know what the f–k she's talking about.' Joan Marcus Playbill was the first to share the document on Friday, and the letter added that the Broadway community can't 'continue to welcome back those who harm others simply because of their fame or perceived value.' It also demanded an end to the kind of behavior that LuPone exhibited earlier this week. 'We will no longer tolerate violence – verbal, emotional, or physical – against artists within our own community,' the letter said. 'No more free passes. If our industry is truly committed to equity, justice, and respect, then those values must be applied consistently, even when it's uncomfortable.' 7 'This language is not only degrading and misogynistic – it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect,' more than 500 members of the Broadway community said on Friday in response to LuPone's remarks. Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock 'Especially when it's uncomfortable,' the missive continued. 'No artist, producer, director, or leader—regardless of legacy or celebrity—should be allowed to weaponize their platform to belittle, threaten, or devalue others without consequence. Period.' The Post has reached out to LuPone's reps for comment. The 'Beau Is Afraid' actress first made headlines when she bashed McDonald and Lewis during her scathing sit-down with The New Yorker. 7 McDonald and LuPone performing onstage together at The Hollywood Bowl in July 2000. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images While the 'Agatha All Along' actress said that McDonald, 54, was 'not a friend,' she later called Lewis, 59, a 'bitch' who 'doesn't know what the f–k she's talking about.' 'Oh, my God,' LuPone said of the 'Hell's Kitchen' actress. 'Here's 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 the f–k she's talking about.' 'She's done seven,' LuPone added. 'I've done thirty-one. Don't call yourself a vet, bitch.' 7 Kecia Lewis accepting the Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical award for 'Hell's Kitchen' at the 77th Annual Tony Awards in June 2024. Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions LuPone also targeted Glenn Close, 78, during the no holds barred interview, saying she wanted to call her a 'bitch' after Close replaced her in the Broadway debut of 'Sunset Boulevard.' McDonald later addressed LuPone's vicious remarks in an interview with Gayle King on 'CBS Mornings' Thursday. The 'Gilded Age' star said she was 'surprised' by her Broadway colleague's comments and didn't 'know what she's talking about.' 7 McDonald addressed LuPone's surprising remarks on Thursday. CAROLINE BREHMAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 'I mean, if there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is,' McDonald said. 'That's something you'd have to ask Patti about.' 'I haven't seen her in about 11 years because I've been busy with life and stuff,' she added. 'So, I don't know what rift she's talking about. You'd have to ask her.'
Black America Web
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Audra McDonald Responds To Patti LuPone's Shady Comments: ‘I haven't Seen Her In About 11 Years'
Source: Bruce Glikas / Getty Celebrities slamming each other in interviews is certainly nothing new, but Broadway star Patti LuPone is realizing what happens when you publicly bash a beloved (and may we add history-making) star who is Black, beautiful, talented, and unproblematic. In this case, we're talking about the one and only Audra McDonald. In a recent interview with The New Yorker , LuPone decided to air her issues with McDonald, with whom she once had a very close friendship, by stating that she was 'not a friend.' When asked in the interview how she felt about McDonald's current role on Broadway starring in Gypsy , a role in which she also played, LuPone opted for immense shade instead of an actual response. As noted in the interview, she reportedly glanced outside for 15 seconds before finally answering with, 'What a beautiful day.' McDonald is currently nominated for a Tony for her role in the stage show, and LuPone previously won a Tony for the same role back in 2008. Although she said in the interview that their falling out occurred in the past, many fans believe that LuPone is now publicly bashing McDonald because she feels that McDonald didn't support over previous comments LuPone made about the Alicia Keys-produced musical Hell's Kitchen. Now, McDonald is clapping back. In a clip from an interview with Gayle King on CBS Sunday Mornings , McDonald responded to LuPone's interview, 'If there's a rift between us, I don't know what it is.' She added, 'That's something you'd have to ask Patti about. You know, I haven't seen her in about 11 years just because we've been busy just with life. So I don't know what rift she's talking about, but you'd have to ask her.' Hell's Kitchen star Kecia Lewis previously called out LuPone for calling the show 'too loud,' comments which Lewis labeled as 'bullying,' 'offensive,' 'racially microaggressive,' 'rude' and 'rooted in privilege.' LuPone responded to the incident in the interview, saying of Lewis, 'She calls herself a veteran? Let's find out how many Broadway shows Kecia Lewis has done, because she doesn't know what the f— she's talking about. Don't call yourself a vet, bitch!' Source: Richard Hartog / Getty When told by New Yorker interviewer Michael Schulman that McDonald responded to Lewis's post with supportive emojis, LuPone replied 'Exactly,' she said. 'And I thought, 'You should know better.' That's typical of Audra.' With her 2025 Tony nomination, McDonald is now the most-nominated performer in the history of the Tonys. SEE ALSO Audra McDonald Responds To Patti LuPone's Shady Comments: 'I haven't Seen Her In About 11 Years' was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
