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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.

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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.