Particle.news
Download on the App Store
10 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Patti LuPone Skips Tony Awards as Broadway Confronts Her Disparaging Remarks

Her absence from the ceremony coupled with Oprah Winfrey’s veiled reference underscores the Broadway community’s call for accountability alongside a renewed emphasis on respect onstage.

Image
Image
Image

Overview

  • Patti LuPone did not attend the 78th Tony Awards on June 8 after apologizing for disparaging comments about Kecia Lewis and Audra McDonald in a New Yorker profile.
  • More than 500 Broadway professionals signed an open letter demanding that LuPone be disinvited from the ceremony over her “demeaning and disrespectful” remarks.
  • Oprah Winfrey’s onstage quip “lotta talking going on” was widely interpreted as a subtle nod to the controversy surrounding LuPone.
  • Audra McDonald said she was unaware of any rift and suggested asking LuPone for clarification, while Renée Elise Goldsberry and James Monroe Iglehart emphasized positivity and professional conduct.
  • The incident has spurred a broader conversation within the theater world about respect, accountability and the conduct expected of its leading figures.